SEPIA: A Scalable Game Environment for Artificial Intelligence Teaching and Research

Abstract

We describe a game environment we have developed that we call the Strategy Engine for Programming Intelligent Agents (SEPIA). SEPIA is based on real-time strategy games, but modified extensively to preferentially support the development of artificial agents rather than human play. Through flexible configuration options, SEPIA is designed to be pedagogically scalable: suitable for use at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and also as a research testbed. We also describe assignments and our experiences with this environment in undergraduate and graduate classes.