Computer gamers will soon be able to see what it was like to be a WWII POW trying to escape from a Nazi prisoner camp.  Prisoner of War is a new third person, stealth-action adventure game currently under development by Wide Games and Codemasters.  Players will take on the role of Captain Stone, a downed American Flight Officer imprisoned in a POW camp.  Captain Stone must work with the other prisoners to gather as much information as possible about the camp's security and to procure items to aid in an escape attempt.  Numerous escape options are possible, including impersonating a German officer, directing a mass escape, and using the Germans' radio equipment to call in Allied air strikes.  

Prisoner of War will utilize advanced AI programming as it tries to provide a realistic simulation of life as an Allied POW.  The Artificial Life engine builds upon the 'Boids' system developed by A-life specialist Craig Reynolds.  This engine is able to simulate the natural movements of both individuals and groups, and features realistic modeling of crowd behavior.  This frees the game from the need to script the actions of game characters (program their movements in advance), allowing them to observe their environment and react appropriately. 

"The A-life perception system for Prisoner of War is more complex than anything used in any other game thus far," said Carl Jones of Wide Games. "We hope that the increased realism and natural flow that this fosters will provide a richer and more immersive gameplay experience for the player."

The A-life engine will also help control the player's character.  If the player does not touch the controls for a few moments, the AI will take over and carry the character through his daily routine of eating, sleeping, etc.  This is useful to the player, freeing him to watch for escape opportunities without worrying about raising the suspicions of the camp's guards. 

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