Page 2

Week 15
Rick Raymo speaks on the focus of B2 and other cool stuff

Week 14
Jay brings us up to date on Blood 2's development

Week 13
Schlegel teaches path-finding class

Week 12
Bill V takes us through level creation techniques

Week 11
Jay takes a tour through a Cabal meat factory

Week 10
Dan talks about the soundtrack using IMA

Week 9
Eric shows us how to paint happy clouds

Week 8
Greg talks about possibilities of weapon modifications

Week 7
Ernie shows tricks of motion-capture and texture mapping

Week 6
Ben shows a day in the life of a Fanatic

Week 5
Andy talks about the interface and menus

Week 4
Kev picks the Blood movie actors

Week 2
Bill shows how to drive

Week 1
Jay gives a tour

Ahhh, I see it is time for my weekly update. Howdy, my name is Scott Schlegel and I am one of three software engineers working on Blood 2. I work mostly on the Artificial Intelligence for the various enemies throughout the game as well as producing various death effects and gore to go along with the enemies. I'm the guy whom you curse when you are stuck on level E2M8 down a hallway guarded by several fanatics who have decided the best way to kill you is to lob grenades down the hall as they are tucked away behind some tables and crates.

Blood 2's AI is based on a finite state machine with state transitions occurring through the computation of various input and stimuli against several tables of fuzzy logic values. This type of state machine is also called a fuzzy automaton and allows for a wider range of possible behaviors to various situations. It also allows me to better describe to the AI the stimuli it receives. For example, instead of telling the AI "You can see the enemy", I can tell the AI "You see the enemy at a distance equal to 60% of your total seeing distance." This greater detail will allow an AI to make a more realistic and reasonable decision on what state to enter next. Just because he sees the enemy does not necessarily mean he will attack. He may only attack if the enemy is getting too close.

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In the first screen shot, we have a shot of a soul drudge running towards me. This soul drudge was originally in an "idle" state but with the approach of me, has determined through state computations that he will enter the "attack" state. The attack for the soul drudge in this instance involves a series of actions. First, he will turn towards me and if I'm not that threatening, walk towards me, or if I'm very threatening, run at me. When he has determined that he is within swinging distance, he will stop and commence to beat me over the head with his crowbar.

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In the next screen shot, I have decided that I cannot take any more beatings over the head with the crowbar, so I have taken out my Beretta and shot back at the attacking soul drudge. This is an example of our Hit Location System and dynamic pain animations. I have managed to hit him in the right leg and he has detected where I have hit him and is reacting accordingly. His right leg buckles a little and he stumbles. Boy, is he going to be pissed.