Hardware Constraints

Hardware Restraints:

Hardware Restraints In AI Engines:

When a developer is developing a game with A.I, one of the things they must consider is the hardware constraints that machine in question the game is trying to play on. In simple terms, the game must require a certain and specific requirement in order to run smoothly without any sort of lagging, freezing or crashing. In games the software always requires the machine to do the processing; an output and input. The hardware required to play the game changes based on what type of game you are playing and how graphically intense it is, as well as how much the processor needs to process.

For example, the game Fortnite requires the following hardware:

·         Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit or Mac OSX Sierra

·         Processor Core: i3 2.4 Ghz

·         Memory: 4 GB RAM

·         Video Card: Intel HD 4000

(Russell, 2018)

As a result, a PC running Windows 10 with a i7 processor, 500SSD and 8GB RAM will have no issue running a game like Fortnite, it’s frame-rate would be capable of running a high FPS (Frame Per Second) and grant its user with a fairly-good experience of gameplay. In contrast, if the player was trying to play this game on an Intel Pentium 4 processor, with 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD and a standard Intel HD built in graphics card, then the player experience would be slow-loading, crashing and bring frustration. Typically, older PCs lack the processing power in order to run newer games.

Player Experience:

In terms of AI in games, Artificial Intelligence can either improve or break the player’s experience during gameplay. One of the obvious examples is to create more lifelike AI characters that can converse with players, compete and provide a more realistic experience. AI can also be used in somewhat unexpected ways to improve player experience. One of the most promising areas is to provide immediate help within the game itself. (Lent, 2018)

On the other hand, there can be certain factors that be ruin a player’s experience. The reason behind this is usually because of bugs or hacks in the coding. The less bugs that are within a game, the better the player experience that one will receive and having such issues like bugs (or hacks) can break the player’s immersion during gameplay it’s not logical, or the AI character behaves in a manner that is not expected. This may or not result in the player seeking support.