PacMap: Transferring PacMan to the Physical Realm
This work addresses the problem of creating portable and intelligent location-based games for developers and players, but it appears incremental as it builds on existing concepts without major breakthroughs.
The paper tackles the challenge of implementing location-based games like PacMan in the physical realm by developing techniques for executing shortest path algorithms on spatial environments and enhancing virtual character intelligence based on player actions and positions, resulting in a portable and open design applicable to a broad range of such games.
This paper discusses the implementation of the pervasive game PacMap. Openness and portability have been the main design objectives for PacMap. We elaborate on programming techniques which may be applicable to a broad range of location-based games that involve the movement of virtual characters over map interfaces. In particular, we present techniques to execute shortest path algorithms on spatial environments bypassing the restrictions imposed by commercial mapping services. Last, we present ways to improve the movement and enhance the intelligence of virtual characters taking into consideration the actions and position of players in location-based games.