Playing ninja gaiden (pt 2) using human
level artificial intelligence
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This video is silent
because I want the viewers to focus on the thought
processes of the robot while playing ninja gaiden
(for the NES). the robot's conscious is the voice in
his head that guides him to take action in the game.
This video demonstrates what kind of data is being
fed into the robot's mind while playing 2 bosses in
the game.
The robot is playing
the game for the first time and he doesn't know what
the bosses are capable of doing. He also doesn't
understand the strategies required to beat the
bosses. Through trial and error, the robot finds new
strategies to beat the boss. Some strategies are bad
and others are good. The robot will select the best
strategies to beat a boss.
The intelligence used
to play ninja gaiden is universal and can be applied
to all videogames. The robot can use this knowledge
to play contra, which is a very similar game to ninja
gaiden, or the robot can use this knowledge to play
dissimilar games, like the call of duty.
During the game, the
robot has to manage multiple layer of tasks. For
example, the robot might have to do three things at
once: 1. slice boss. 2. dodge fireballs. 3. look out
for other enemies. The robot will do all three task
at once. He will make decisions, take action, based
on all three tasks, and decide which actions best
serves the robot's interest.
Let's look at one
example, if the boss is wide opened and a fireball is
headed towards the character (controlled by the
robot), then how is the robot going to react. The
rule to follow is that when the boss is wide opened,
he can be hurt. Another rule is that if the fireball
is coming at the character, run. If both rules are
active at the same time, what kind of moves should
the robot take?
Based on logic, the
character should run because the fireball is headed
towards the character, and when the fireball hits the
character he will be hurt. When the fireball hits the
character there is no way for him to strike the boss,
even if the boss is wide opened. So, the character
should run if the boss is wide opened and the
fireball is coming at him.