Session Name: | Animation Driven Locomotion for Smoother Navigation |
Speaker(s): | Bobby Anguelov, Shawn Harris, Gabriel Leblanc |
Company Name(s): | IO Interactive, Big Huge Games/38 Studios, Eidos Montreal |
Track / Format: | AI Summit |
Overview: |
As game worlds get more detailed, simply navigating along a shortest path isn't good enough. Additionally, as character behaviors get more complex, seeing agents pivot or "footskate" in unrealistic ways breaks immersion. In order to achieve realistic movement, limitations on locomotion animations the character can perform must be taken into account. In fact, the animations themselves can be used as a valuable tool for finding the most realistic path in the first place. Using examples from the games Hitman: Absolution, Reckoning, and Thief, this lecture will show methods for improving character movement by utilizing character animation to help determine navigation. |