A-Life, Emergent AI and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: An Interview with Dmitriy Iassenev (article restored from defunct AiGamedev.com)
article restored from defunct AiGamedev.com (February 25th, 2008)
Ever since it was first announced, the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has captured the imagination of avid gamers fascinated by the idea of a massive world populated by an A-Life system. The game also piqued the interest of AI developers here at AiGameDev.com, making it into the finalists for best AI and runner up for technical innovation in the Game AI Awards for 2007.
It’s therefore a pleasure to announce this exclusive interview with Dmitriy Iassenev, the mastermind behind the AI and A-Life system in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., who agreed to answer some questions about the engine and its implementation. As it turns out, there’s some pretty amazing technology under the hood to — and not only on the surface!
Alex Champandard: Hi, Dmitriy. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Could you introduce yourself briefly and tell us about your background in AI and game development?
Dmitriy Iassenev: Hi, Alex. I am the lead programmer at GSC Game World on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky.
The first thing I got acquainted with in this matter was the intelligence for the board game filler at the AI…
