Month Seven
Last month a pathfinding solution was created. This month a Flocking solution was required. Flow Fields generate a route from A to B, but this doesn’t tell us how units should move along that path in relation to each other.
Flocking was first coined by Craig Reynolds in 1986. Simply, flocking algorithms enable moving agents to adjust their heading relative to nearby agents. The agents are referred to as “boids”. Legend has it that flock agents are called boids because this is how birds are pronounced with a thick New York accent.
The bespoke modified flocking algorithm works to an extent, though it still needs refinement. In the below image we can see both a group of boids moving past obstacles to get to their destination, and what this looks like from a pathfinding perspective.
In other news, I am delighted to announce that Norn Industries has hired its first employee. I have never recruited anyone before, so this is a bold adventure for both of us. I am excited and confident that together we are in a much stronger position to deliver the best possible product. Two programmers are better than one.
