Important notice:
Leatherbound Games has been rebranded into Paradox Solution Softworks as the company expands into more generalized software development, however this is not just a name and logo change and will have implications on Modular AI, MCSRTT and UCP as well as our game projects. What most of you here on the forums probably want to know is what effect this will have on the assets you purchased.
The Assets:
As of right now all assets have been deprecated and are no longer available on the store, don’t worry owners of the assets will still be able to download them. The assets will return as part of our new product line Unity Textbook over time.
Unity Textbook:
Because many of purchasers of our assets have been students, beginners and hobbyists we feel that the best approach as a company is to cater directly to those who not only want great tools but also need to learn the intricacies of the industry to achieve success in their endeavors. Unity Textbook is an editor extension for Unity that will act as a textbook right inside the Unity editor, it will include a glossary, a toolbox of editor extensions, programming guides on how to code the toolbox tools as well as user guides for the non-programmers. Unity Textbook will be a free platform others can come in and build tutorials and documentation in, and will have intuitive tools for creating “chapters”.
For Example Modular AI:
Within Unity Textbook we create a tutorial walking you though how we created the modular AI platform, you will be able to switch between the tutorial scripts (unfinished or not) and the final tool at any time without error, we will then create additional chapter on how to design AI, create specific modules and so on…
Overall Goal:
Our overall goal is to not let our product be so much about profit but to bring together the community through learning and a passion for the industry, all Unity Textbook chapters will be priced at indie rates ranging form $1 for basic lessons to $10 for expert lessons, there will be a complete edition of Unity Textbook for $60 that will include all future chapters. This gives hobbyists and indies that have lower budgets the option to only pay for what they want to learn or be able to have access to it all at a reasonable price. Furthermore owners of Modular AI will get a 100% discount off of Unity Textbook. We have many chapters planned and a solid platform to build on, we hope we can keep a consistent flow of content coming, with at least one chapter being submitted per week as soon as Unity Textbook hits the asset store. Paradox Solutions will also be much more dedicated toward a premium feel this time around, everything from our images to our marketing, PR, and products will have higher quality standards.
Thanks for your support,
Paradox Solutions
Original post below:
Hello, Once again LeatherboundGames has been hard at work create a new tool for the asset store!
Introducing Modular AI:
Modular AI is a collection of assets that empower developers to be able to rapidly and easily create AI for any game, with Modular AI any monkey with a keyboard can design and implement complex AI in minutes using modules! No programming knowledge is required, no behavior tree editors, toying with state machines, or even node editors! Al is designed right in Unity’s inspector view creating a familiar environment for the user.
Asset Store Link: Unity Asset Store - The Best Assets for Game Making
What Are Modules?
Modules are premade scripts that contain game code, actions, conditions, ect. that act as building blocks for the system. Modules do not interfere with each other allowing for a non-destructive workflow, you only have to add the modules that you need to use. Once imported into your project you simply add them to the necessary gameobject and begin creating your AI.
What Do I Get?
- The modular AI base required by all modules:
The base acts as the editor used to create your AI,
think of it as what you plug modules into.
- Entity system:
A custom editor for managing/creating entities such as players, AI,
and other objects including their health, teams and other properties.
- Sensory Module:
A sensory module for detecting entities such as cover, players,
other AI ect.
- Pathfinding Module:
Basic locomotion module for Unity’s pathfinding system.
- Animation Module:
Basic animation module for controlling animations.
- Event trigger system:
Custom entities for triggering events such as animations or other game logic.
- Runtime AI changes:
Change, Save and Edit AI while playing in the editor.
(it’s like being able to rearrange a state machine right in the inspector)
- AI Asset Saving:
Save the AI you build in the inspector for use on other GameObjects/Projects.
- Example Scenes:
Example scenes containing pre-built AI using the default modules.
- Documentation:
Complete PDF Documentation.
- Module Creation Tools:
Tools for creating your own modules that you can redistribute on the asset
store as integrations and/or use in your own projects.
- Full C# Source Code.
What Modules Are There?
Modules are sold as separate assets and vary in what they contain. We plan to release modules based on the needs of different game genres, for example a tactical combat module for FPS games or a turn based module for TCGs and of coarse integration modules for your favorite assets. Here is a list of planned assets:
Key:
Yellow**- Not in-development**
Blue**- In-development**
Green**- Finished**
Roadmap:
Utility Curve Editor
AI Formation Editor
Combat Module for Action Games
Integration Module for A* Pathfinding Project
Why Use Modular AI Over Traditional AI Solutions?
Modular AI attempts to unify developers with a base AI development platform, we want all developers to be able to make a module, throw it into this system and have it just work. AI can be a long an frustrating process but this lays it all out for users in a way that makes it very easy to use once the right modules are imported. On top of this we utilize the latest and greatest techniques such as Utility Theory giving your AI some of the most realistic decision making capabilities in the industry.
Media:
FAQ:
Q: Are modules open source?
A) Official modules will be open source, however 3rd party modules may vary.
Q: How much will it cost?
A) $65 on final release, add-on modules sold separately.
Q: What’s in a Module?
A) Actions the AI can execute + Conditions, Scorers ect… Building blocks for the editor.
Q: Can I integrate this with my asset?
A) Yes! All the tools you’ll you need are included, you can publish your own modules on the asset store as long as they do not contain code from other modules and/or Modular AI itself.
Q: Can I request a feature?
A) Yes, use the forums below.
