Overview
This week I took a big detour and stepped into the world of web development. I was always curious about JavaScript and making websites, so this little aside has brought a lot of new understanding. I practiced making a new NextJS project (backed by Node and React), and learned about all of the cool components that can be added to a React web app (animations, graphs, UI libraries).
Goal Oriented-Action Planning
I also conducted quite a bit of research into two AI approaches for games: Minimax and Goal Oriented Action Planning (GOAP).
This interest was prompted by my recent work in to linear programming and constraints solving. It made me excited to work on optimization and AI behavior.
What makes a game engaging to me?
There are three pillars that I think make games most engaging and fun to me:
- Story and Characters
- Art and Aesthetic
- AI and Challenge
First, the story and characters must be interesting, funny, or memorable in someway that leaves an impact. Second, the art and aesthetic must be captivating and interesting to look at. Finally, the AI of the game must be interesting or the game must be adequately challenging to keep my brain working.
These things are what makes the following games interesting to me:
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Hollow Knight
- Persona 5