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Geek Culture / My god! My degree actually taught me something useful!

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Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 26th Jul 2006 19:19
God forbid, I actually applied something I learnt on my degree! Today I was thinking about my AI problem. How do I allow my AIs to find their way from anyway to anywhere in my level? There is no grid system, so using A* would be tricky and computationally expensive with hundreds of units constantly moving about.

So I went back to my Operation Desert Fallout AI of a node network, but I never quite got that right. I can link my nodes together via line of sight and then the AIs can move via the node network about the level, but in ODF they didnt always choose the fastest route and the levels were much less complicated. Then I thought of what I learnt in Advanced Networks on how routers with certain protocols broadcast their routing tables with distances (distance vector) around the internet to each other. Routers then have a look up table and when a frame comes in wanting to get to compo B, the router knows which the quickest route to send it is, and fires it off of the appropriate port.

So I setup some data structures and my waypoint system, wrote out a little algorithm for my waypoints to communicate link data, hit run and about 20 seconds later, every waypoint knew how to reach every other waypoint. So path finding is computationally almost free. Matey at A wants to get to B just heads for his nearest waypoint, and it's all precalculated so there is absolutely no maths at run time. I tested it by making my dude run from one side of my level to the other, which takes 5 whole minutes or running down corridors, and it was flawless. And that's all thanks to my networking lecturers.

So the lesson is, even if it looks like it's totally unrelated to gaming, chances are it might be useful! Sorry if none of you care at all! I was just well chuffed!

Zaibatsu
18
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st May 2006
Location: Lost in Thought
Posted: 26th Jul 2006 19:28
congrats

Read my profile to learn about all my wierd fanaticacies...

heartbone
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 9th Nov 2002
Location:
Posted: 26th Jul 2006 19:29 Edited at: 26th Jul 2006 19:29
Fallout, you are the sort of person that will learn from any situation so why are you surprised.

I'm downloading your 35 Degrees as I type with high expectations.
I have been collecting music since 1968. Even though I am no specialist on electronic music I did buy Dick Hyman's album on vinyl, the one that has the Minotaur. Earlier this year I finally made the ultimate Electronica CD from my archives.
The playlist...

Hexstatic - Telemetron (Hexstatic Intro Dub)
PFM - Val Sinestra
Fallout & Lisa-Marie Young - Hesitate
Telefon Tel Aviv - Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Telepopmusik - Breathe
PFM - Western
Ultramarine - EMAWIAS 04 - Honey
Massive Attack - Mezzanine - 08 Black Milk
303 Infinity - Dreamz Away (House Mix)
PFM - Crusing Detroit '98
Ultramarine - EMAWIAS 05 - Stella
Massive Attack - Three
Robert Miles - Children (Dream Version)
PFM - Dreams


Thank you.

I'm unique, just like everybody else.
Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 26th Jul 2006 19:44
Thanks man, that is high praise indeed. Hesitate has been both a success and failure for me. For every person like yaself who has loved it, there has been someone who thinks its cheesey garbage. The good news is, I no longer have any illusions that I can please everybody. We're all different and like different things, so as long as there are people like yourself (even if they're a small minority) that really like a tune that much, then I'm very happy.

As for 35 Degrees, don't have too high expectations matey! If you like Hesitate enough to put it on your ultimate mega ninja awesome electronica compilation, then it must've hit that particular formula that works for you personally. I think that sort of thing is normally very hard to recapture.

heartbone
22
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Joined: 9th Nov 2002
Location:
Posted: 26th Jul 2006 19:55
Hard to impossible.
Gone are the days of Carole King and the Beatles where millions young AND old are simultaneously enthralled.
If you please yourself, others will be pleased as well.

Apparently there is now an audience for any and everything!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie2ni6VWx0c

I'm unique, just like everybody else.
Flindiana Jones
20
Years of Service
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Joined: 3rd Nov 2004
Location: Bosnian Power
Posted: 26th Jul 2006 20:11
I love Hesitate Fallout! And Time Machine! Those are my little sister's favorites of yours to...any chance I could get the Lyrics?

Fallout
22
Years of Service
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 26th Jul 2006 21:12
@Flindiana

hehe. That's like the reserve of what older artists get. How many times do peeps like Cliff Richard get "Oh my mum really loves your music"? It's probably better to be in the "My sister really loves your music" category.

Here's Time Machine


Hestitate I dont seem to have anywhere on file. I'll try and remember.


Now that is uber cheese.

@heartbone

Sinse our lovely heatwave induced thunderstorms, my internet has been up and down all the time (as has mobile phone reception). Either way, I tried to watch that vid a few times, but couldn't get past the initial anthrax bit. Yeah, music is definitely diverse these days.

Hawkeye
21
Years of Service
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Joined: 19th Sep 2003
Location: SC, USA
Posted: 27th Jul 2006 01:09 Edited at: 27th Jul 2006 01:09
Quote: "So I setup some data structures and my waypoint system, wrote out a little algorithm for my waypoints to communicate link data, hit run and about 20 seconds later, every waypoint knew how to reach every other waypoint"

Dude... O.O first try? that's some pretty nifteh coding.

Quote: "It's probably better to be in the "My sister really loves your music" category"

*cheshire cat grin*


I am but mad north north-west; when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw - Hamlet, Hamlet
Nicholas Thompson
20
Years of Service
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Joined: 6th Sep 2004
Location: Bognor Regis, UK
Posted: 27th Jul 2006 01:20
You lucky bastard! lol. I learned nothing... well I taught myself stuff, but I could have done that at home and saved myself £12K - it was mysql! Lol. I did learn VRML, but who uses that now?! (this degree started about 5 years ago...)

[center]
Jeku
Moderator
21
Years of Service
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Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 27th Jul 2006 08:19
@Heartbone- That Youtube link is awesome-- so informative! Hahahaha.

Good job on applying school to a real issue, Fallout. I'm still waiting to see if I'll ever use the info I learned in World Religions and Adult Education


"I understand creative people. After all, I worked with towel designers." - Ray Kassar, former head of Atari

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