Neural network - Yay or Nay? For games as well ?

[Andre Lopes]

Heya guys, i want to learn a bit of Neural Networks!! I was checking a book in Amazon and hm, i thought that would be fun to figure it out!

What you guys think? Yay or Nay? Plus would anyone recommend me a book or i can just pick this one ? :

Programming Neural Networks with Encog3 in Java, 2nd Edition Paperback
by Jeff Heaton (Author)

[namrog84]

Yay and Nay 

Don't try and use a complicated solution to one that has a simple solution.


However, there are some potentially very useful things you could do with them, especially in a game.  However, that is up to you to find out.


Many of the common problems/issues in games have been best suited for straight forward solutions.

However, if you want to use them in your game, go for it.  There is a lot of area with them yet to be explored.

[Andre Lopes]

Yay and Nay 

Don't try and use a complicated solution to one that has a simple solution.


However, there are some potentially very useful things you could do with them, especially in a game.  However, that is up to you to find out.


Many of the common problems/issues in games have been best suited for straight forward solutions.

However, if you want to use them in your game, go for it.  There is a lot of area with them yet to be explored.

Will do, but you think that book is good? Its like 500 pages long.... Should be a good small introduction!! they dont make 1000 book pages like in old times

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[namrog84]

I have no personal experience with the book, but I am sure if you have vested longterm interest in the subject, then its probably worth it.

I'd also suggest checking out

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/find-by-topic/  > Engineering > Computer Science

There is a lot of stuff regarding automata, computer learning, artificial intelligence, algorithms, minds, neural networks, and tons tons more


There is also tons of stuff out there on the internet elsewhere as well.  However I do like a good book from time to time.

[ags1]

Don't forget that what you have on an ordinary computer will be a software emulation of a neural network, not a hardware implementation. The difference (as in speed difference) is the same as between software rendering and hardware accelerated rendering.

There is work going on to build neural net chips - I recall reading a while back that IBM had built a prototype.

[sproingie]

Is anyone even seriously considering doing hardware neural net implementations anymore?  Last one I can remember was the Connection Machine, which any modern CPU will run circles around, to say nothing of a GPU.  Hell they weren't even fast for their time, though it is true you'll never find computer hardware anymore that looks so absolutely badass as the CM did:

[ags1]

http://www.dailytech.com/IBM+Unveils+Latest+Version+of+Spiking+NeuronBased+Brain+Chips/article33135.htm