A proper siege is a complex machine of roles, responsibilities, and reactions on a large scale. To make it look authentic in a video game, which are typically filled with individuals or small groups, AI designers face a totally unique set of challenges. 

At the GDC 2016 AI Summit, Creative Assembly's Andre Arsenault explained how the studio's 2016 game Total War: Warhammer was developed to create the very specialized high-level AI to guide these massive armies in a way that provides a convincing, epic-scale battle, and yet also serves the design needs of the game.

It was a fascinating talk that touched on everything from general attack strategy through threat analysis for defenders, featuring examples pulled from Arsenault's own work in the field. 

If you haven't seen it already (or if you have and just want to brush up) don't miss your shot to now watch it completely free via the official GDC Vault YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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