[pygame] Re: [pygame] Implementing the A* finder algoritm in a non tile-based game

[Kris Schnee <kschnee@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 1 Feb 2009 13:47:04 +0100, Luca <lucafbb@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi all.
> 
> I'm writing a game where I need to give to enemies a strong AI. This
> will lead me to obtain a path finding algoritm to reach target
> location.

Oh, yeah: another thing to consider is that your pathfinding algorithm
doesn't have to be based strictly on movement costs. In a wargame, for
instance, a weak unit might want to assign a high cost to any areas that
are near visible enemies. In a stealth game, a unit should favor dark
terrain when sneaking.

It's also possible to divide a map into invisible (to the player)
waypoints. FPS games like "Unreal Tournament" seem to use these to guide
characters between map regions.

If you want a thorough discussion of pathfinding methods, including group
behavior and alternatives to A*, you might check out this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Game-Development-Essentials-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1418038571/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233539185&sr=1-5