Future Gamer would like to write an informative introduction to this fascinating examination of artificial intelligence in videogames. So, when the PC stops saying "What are you doing, Dave?", we might get round to printing one in a future issue...
James Price

Think of a library. Now imagine that you are that collection of books. At birth, each and every tome contained blank pages. Thereafter, every experience in your life was duly noted and transcribed. Your parents were responsible for entire volumes, as reflected by their considerable influence. Your schooling, similarly, accounted for a significant amount of pages. A man on the street in a funny hat accounts for a single sentence. The stroppy girl on the till at your local supermarket is remembered not by a single expletive - as you might think - but by a wealth of physical, mathematical and emotional data.

Human behaviour is shaped by an indescribable number of influences. Every verbal exchange, every scene your eyes behold in some way moulds your character. In every sense other than speed, the human brain is more versatile and creative than the most powerful thinking computer. Replicating the vagaries and chaotic aptitude of the cerebral cortex is, at present, an impossibility. Thus, programmers simulate. In short, they cheat, and they simplify.

When faced by a group of soldiers in Half-Life, it's hard not to admire their guile. While one draws your fire to the left, the other ambushes your position to the right. Similarly, try sniping from a 'safe' position, and they flush you from your position with explosives. Clever? Surprisingly, when put in context, no.