Well, it seems to me lately that not many threads are concentrated enough on game programming and game design. Most thread seem to be about answering 'newbie' questions, which is fine to have threads like that. However, I want to try to spark some discussion on game design and other topics like that.

Game Design Topic #1
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AI Behavior in a Space Shooting Game
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What type of AI would you like to see in a space shooting game? Do you want to see an AI that goes after the player aggressively with no other regard. An AI that plays it smart and tries to avoid the 'danger' areas? An AI that is completely random (however this usually creates a rather dumb AI)?

Personally I think it's a matter of trying to set up a predertimed method the AI should follow. Like have a bunch of different types of methods the AI can go from. Meaning that one enemy ship might try to come from one top corner and then diagonally slide down to the middle of the screen and from there make it's way towards the player ship. Another enemy AI might try to stay to the side of the screen the whole time while shooting at the player fiercely but it would be really difficult for the player to shoot the ship because the player's attention might be focused on in the middle of the screen. Basically I think it's smart to use a variation of predertimend AI behaviors without including much randomness at all. The randomness slows down the AI decision making and usually makes the AI decision AI making worse. I don't think each AI behavior should have more than one 'bail-out' if it comes to a point where it might be killed (i.e. run into player ship, hit by a bullet, etc...). I think to create a smiple yet potent AI it is best to leave as much randomness out of the equation as possible. It's ok to have a few random AI behaviors but that's about it.

Well, those are my thoughts on how AI behavior should be dealt w/ in a (2D) space shooter game. What do the rest of you think? Come on people lets get some good discussion going!