Unity 2017 Game AI Programming - Third Edition

Defining the agent

Before jumping into our first technique, we should be clear on a key term you'll see used throughout the book—the agent. An agent, as it relates to AI, is our artificially intelligent entity. When we talk about our AI, we're not specifically referring to a character, but an entity that displays complex behavior patterns, which we can refer to as non-random, or in other words, intelligent. This entity can be a character, creature, vehicle, or anything else. The agent is the autonomous entity, executing the patterns and behaviors we'll be covering. With that out of the way, let's jump in.