Hello class,
Since there is only 4 weeks left before the write-ups are due, and since I am beginning to get questions about 
content, length, etc., I thought I should make sure that some aspects are clear to all of you about the projects. 

At http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~amk/foo/AIGames/syllabus.html#lab I had specified the aspects of the projects.
The idea has always been that either you are doing code or *research*.   For both of these, I had asked you to 
give me three references before break so that I was assured that you had gotten *started*.  You all did this.

Three references is not a lot (unless they are really nice) to constitute most *research*…especially if any of them 
are our text.  So, make sure that you continue your search for resources and list them in your document.

Note that in the evaluation procedures I had specified 20% for “project thoroughness”.

Let me reiterate what this would mean.  In the class I discussed AI techniques.  In the texts, they discuss 
the different genres and list some games and show some AI that these genres might/do use.  In both my notes and 
in the text, we were often abstract or general about these techniques.

What I hope to get from you all is either 
(1) that you code some AI into something (or try and discuss the try) or,
(2) you do the research of *AT LEAST ONE* game in your genre that you can go into in some depth 
    and discuss how that game (and/or that genre) uses (or could use) particular techniques we have 
    seen for specific aspects of the game.  

The idea of the outline of the entire course, was that I provide the AI techniques, the books help 
to clarify the use of these in games in general, and *you*, in your research, connect these with 
*particular* games and *particular* techniques with *particular* aspects of the games illustrating the specific 
use of AI .  

If you cannot find a game that already *does* use AI in your genre, or you do not have access to how 
it does things, then the idea was that you think about the aspects of the game that *could* use AI and discuss that.

Note that your references do not have to give you all the answers; if you do not find specifics, then 
you should speculate about what *could* be used given your AI expertise and research at this time.

It was my intention to say exactly this in my notes at http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~amk/foo/AIGames/project.html

Finally, obviously it is useful to use your genres chapter in the course Schwab text – and indeed, it can be 
a good source and outline (especially for the organization of the presentation aspect).  But remember that 
this is a research project – not just a report – so you will need to provide me with particulars to fill 
in the generalities of the text and notes.

Another finally, I am being asked for how many pages.  I see that the text has a range in the genre chapters 
of between 6 to 19 pages.  The average is around 10 pages.  I would say that your papers could be around the same size…
ranging from 7 to 12 pages depending on how many pictures you have taking up space ;-)
I am more concerned with content and quality than quantity.  I want to see that you have clearly captured 
the idea of where AI can be used in games and not just using abstractions and generalizations.

I hope this makes things more clear.

Best wishes
Anne