Games and Artificial Intelligence
| Title | Παιχνίδια και Τεχνητή Νοημοσύνη / Games and Artificial Intelligence |
| Code | AI107 |
| Faculty | Sciences |
| School | Informatics |
| Cycle / Level | 2nd / Postgraduate |
| Teaching Period | Winter |
| Coordinator | Nikolaos Nikolaidis |
| Common | No |
| Status | Active |
| Course ID | 600016303 |
Programme of Study: PMS TECΗNĪTĪ NOĪMOSYNĪ (2018 éōs sīmera) PF
Registered students: 3
| Orientation | Attendance Type | Semester | Year | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KORMOS | Elective Courses belonging to the selected specialization | 1 | 1 | 7.5 |
| Academic Year | 2025 – 2026 |
| Class Period | Winter |
| Faculty Instructors |
|
| Weekly Hours | 3 |
| Class ID | 600288846
|
Course Type 2021
Specialization / Direction
Course Type 2016-2020
- Scientific Area
Course Type 2011-2015
Knowledge Deepening / Consolidation
Mode of Delivery
- Face to face
- Distance learning
Digital Course Content
- e-Study Guide https://qa.auth.gr/en/class/1/600288846
- eLearning (Moodle): https://elearning.auth.gr/course/view.php?id=7170
Erasmus
The course is also offered to exchange programme students.
Language of Instruction
- Greek (Instruction, Examination)
- English (Examination)
Prerequisites
General Prerequisites
Computer graphics. Computational / artificial intelligence. Programming skills (generic and graphics related). Good level of English.
Learning Outcomes
a) Knowledge: Familiarization with computer animation principles and algorithms used in games and other applications, such as physics - based animation, collision detection and response, keyframe animation, forward kinematics. Familiarization with computational/ artificial intelligence (CI/AI) algorithms used in games, such as decision making algorithms, pathfinding/pathplanning, steering behaviors, procedural content generation. Exposure to animation, games and game AI/CI programming & development using OpenGL, Unity Unreal Engine.
b) Skills: Acquisition of skills in the use, programming and development of animation and game Computational/Artificial Intelligence algorithms as well in game programming. Promoting analytic and programming skills.
General Competences
- Apply knowledge in practice
- Retrieve, analyse and synthesise data and information, with the use of necessary technologies
- Work autonomously
- Work in teams
- Generate new research ideas
- Be critical and self-critical
- Advance free, creative and causative thinking
Course Content (Syllabus)
Animation principles, games genres, historical overview (graphics, games, animation). Dynamics / physics - based animation : particle systems, rigid body dynamics. Collision detection and response. Keyframe animation. Parametric curves, arc - length parameterization, speed control. Forward kinematics, animation of articulated structures. Computational / artificial intelligence (CI/AI) in games. Game engines and interfacing with game CI/AI. Movement in games - steering behaviors. Pathfinding/ pathplanning in games (breadth first, navigation meshes ,A*). Decision making and behaviour modelling in games (behavior trees, decision trees, finite state machines, reinforcement learning, supervised learning,..). Procedural content generation (terrain, mazes/platforms, texture, plot,.. ) in games(search-based approaches, machine learning- based, fractal/noise-based, grammar based, map/dungeon construction).
Keywords
Computer Games, Computer Animation, Computational / Artificial Intelligence
Educational Material Types
- Notes
- Slide presentations
- Multimedia
- Book
Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Use of ICT
- Use of ICT in Course Teaching
- Use of ICT in Communication with Students
Description
Course material in digital form, use of the elearning environment.
Course Organization
| Activities | Workload | ECTS | Individual | Teamwork | Erasmus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 39 | ✓ | |||
| Reading Assigment | 86 | ✓ | |||
| Project | 70 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Written assigments | 15 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Exams | 15 | ✓ | |||
| Total | 225 |
Student Assessment
Description
Written exam (~50%), programming assignments where students are orally examined on the outcome (~50%)
Student Assessment methods
- Written Exam with Short Answer Questions (Summative)
- Written Exam with Extended Answer Questions (Summative)
- Oral Exams (Summative)
- Written Exam with Problem Solving (Summative)
- Labortatory Assignment (Summative)
Bibliography
Course Bibliography (Eudoxus)
Rick Parent, Computer animation: algorithms & techniques, Morgan Kaufmann, 3rd edition, 2012 (εναλλακτικά 2nd edition)
Physically based modeling, SIGGRAPH 2001 Course Notes (http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/research/pbm2001/)
Ian Millington, John Funge, Artificial Intelligence for Games 3rd Edition , CRC Press, 2019 (εναλλακτικά 2nd edition)
Yannakakis, Georgios, Julian Togelius. Artificial Intelligence and Games, Springer, 2018.
Noor Shaker, Julian Togelius, and Mark J. Nelson (2016). Procedural Content Generation in Games: A Textbook and an Overview of Current Research, Springer.
Additional bibliography for study
Interactive Computer Graphics - A Top Down Approach with Shader-Based OpenGL, E. Angel, D. Shreiner, 6th Edition
A Watt, F. Policarpo, 3D Games: Animation and Advanced Real-Time Rendering, Vol 1+2, Addison Wesley, 2003
Mat Buckland, Programming Game AI by Example, Jones & Bartlett Learning; 1st edition,2010.
Α. Watt, M. Watt, Advanced animation and rendering techniques, Addison Wesley, 1992
K. Erleben, J. Sporring, K. Henriksen, H. Dohlmann, Physics-based Animation, Charles River Media, 2005
D. Eberly, 3D Game Engine Design, CRC press, 2nd edition, 2006
I. Kerlow, The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects, 4th Ed., J Wiley and Sons, 2009.
Last Update
27-09-2025
