Simple versus advanced pathfinding

As we discovered in the previous chapter, pathfinding is used by AI characters to discover the direction that they need to move and how to do it correctly. Depending on the game that we are working on, we could use a simple pathfinding system or a complex one. Both can be very useful. There are situations where a simple pathfinding system is enough to accomplish the task that we are looking for, but in other cases we need a different alternative to the methods that we have covered before in order to achieve the complexity and realism that is necessary for our AI character.

Before talking about any advanced system of creating a pathfinding method, let's discover why we need to use it and in what circumstances it is necessary to update our character and make it more intelligent and aware. Using our previous examples, we will be looking at the limitations that exist for a normal pathfinding method. Understanding the limitations of a simple pathfinding system...