New AI Processor

[therealwesty]

The INQ has a breif article regarding the development of an AI didicated processor, something like the PPU but for the NPC artificial intelligence. Once again this sounds useful on paper, but it could be like the PPU again; Just not offering enough bang for the buck.

Also comes the issue of how many expansion cards do we need in a system? Now we've got a pair of videocards, the PPU, a sound card, and the AI card thrown in there. What I think I would really like to see is the ideas of a PPU and AI processor implemented in core specialization. Think of a nice fat chip with a pair of x86 general use cores with both a physics and AI specialized core rolled in there... would be pretty cool methinks.

**********************.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34213

[Assimilator87]

I don't understand what the role of the CPU will be when every function is offloaded to a speciallized processor. I personally still think the PPU is a good idea just because there is an obvious and noticable shift towards more destructable environments in games these days. With that added stress and things like cloth simulation, which I think I've heard isn't too great on a general purpose processor, the need for a separate physics card is becoming more real everyday. AI on the other hand doesn't seem to be as complex as physics nor as well developed. I think the specs said that the AI processor should be able to do AI about 200 times faster than a CPU. That's not nearly as much of a jump in performance as the speculated power of the PPU, which I think was a thousand fold or something like that.

[yahooadam]

Again, as with Physics AI is very limited by the amount of CPU cycles you can use for it

[Skorp]

No, no... sigh... this is a poor idea. Physics is a hell of a lot more intensive than AI, and we all know how little PhysX did.

[yahooadam]

physix is still very new

and complicated AI just cant be done because it uses so many clock cycles, so it isn't done

as with physics, you have to program with the extra capabilities, or nothing much will change

[Rudegar]

also dont everybody play online with real ppl
at least they seem to skimp singleplayer where ai
are more active in many popular games

[yahooadam]

also dont everybody play online with real ppl
at least they seem to skimp singleplayer where ai
are more active in many popular games

but if you could actually make a smart, and challenging AI - offline games might be more popular

anyway, this isn't limited to FPS, nor limited to offline either

You can use bots in multilayer, but there are still a lot of offline, single player games out there (HL2 ?) that could benefit

[rchlndstwdnt]

I think a card that contained a ppu and an aipu that fit nicely into a second or third pci-e slot would be wonderful. (Also brings up possibility of sli/crossfire for these units to achieve the ultimate in speed) Anyone else think this or is it just time for me to go to bed?

[AKHandyman]

I think a card that contained a ppu and an aipu that fit nicely into a second or third pci-e slot would be wonderful. (Also brings up possibility of sli/crossfire for these units to achieve the ultimate in speed) Anyone else think this or is it just time for me to go to bed?

Good Night! ...

[Assimilator87]

The best bots in my opinion are in the UT series. As far as single player enemies go, I've been most impressed by FarCry's AI.