What This Document Is
This is a research paper detailing the development of a prototype strategy game, nuWar, created within a Medical Image Computing course at the University of Central Florida (CAP 5937). It explores innovative approaches to game design, focusing on how players interact with and command units within a simulated war game environment. The work builds upon a pre-existing sketch understanding system and investigates the benefits of integrating qualitative spatial reasoning into both the player experience and the game’s underlying artificial intelligence.
Why This Document Matters
This paper is valuable for students and researchers interested in the intersection of human-computer interaction, game development, and intelligent systems. Individuals studying strategy game design, spatial reasoning, or knowledge representation will find the concepts and architectural considerations particularly relevant. It’s useful for understanding the challenges of creating more intuitive and realistic interfaces for complex simulations, and for those seeking novel approaches to game AI development.
Topics Covered
* Sketch-based user interfaces for strategy games
* Qualitative spatial reasoning in game environments
* Ontological foundations for game simulations
* Architecture of a tactical war game engine
* Declarative action languages for controlling game agents
* Tradeoffs in designing knowledge-rich game systems
* Comparison to traditional strategy game interfaces
What This Document Provides
* A detailed overview of the nuWar game prototype and its development process.
* An exploration of the system’s architecture, highlighting the integration of sketch input.
* Discussion of the advantages of using a rich ontology to support both player interaction and automated agents.
* Insights into the use of a specific action language for controlling in-game entities.
* Analysis of the benefits and challenges encountered during the development of this novel approach to strategy game design.