In the classic 1980 arcade game Pac-Man, each of the four ghosts features unique behavior patterns that influence how they chase and attempt to trap Pac-Man. Understanding these behaviors can be crucial for players trying to navigate the maze and achieve higher scores. Let's delve into the distinct AI characteristics of Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde: 1. **Blinky (Red Ghost)**: * Nickname: Shadow * Behavior: Blinky has the most direct chase mode of all the ghosts. As the level progresses, Blinky's speed increases, to the point where he can be faster than Pac-Man in later levels. His primary strategy is to pursue Pac-Man's current position, making him a constant threat. 2. **Pinky (Pink Ghost)**: * Nickname: Speedy * Behavior: Pinky's strategy is to ambush Pac-Man by targeting a position that is four tiles ahead of Pac-Man's current direction of travel. However, when Pac-Man is moving upward, the targeting offset is up and to the left by four tiles due to an original programming error, which can be exploited. This method of targeting aims to cut off Pac-Man's path and trap him. 3. **Inky (Blue Ghost)**: * Nickname: Bashful * Behavior: Inky has the most complex behavior, which combines aspects of both Blinky and Pinky's movements. His target tile is determined by a combination of Pac-Man's current position, the tile that Pinky is targeting, and Blinky's location. Essentially, Inky tries to position himself in a space that is opposite of Blinky's position, using Pac-Man as the pivot point. This can lead to somewhat unpredictable behavior. 4. **Clyde (Orange Ghost)**: * Nickname: Pokey * Behavior: Clyde's movement pattern is characterized by an erratic "scatter and chase" pattern. In chase mode, if Clyde is far away from Pac-Man, he will pursue him directly, similar to Blinky. However, once Clyde gets within eight tiles of Pac-Man, he will revert to a scatter behavior and head towards his home corner, which gives the appearance that he is "frightened" of coming too close to Pac-Man. Aside from these individual behaviors, the ghosts also have modes that they switch between periodically during gameplay. These are the Scatter and Chase modes. During Scatter mode, each ghost retreats to their respective corner of the maze, and in Chase mode, they revert to their unique behaviors described above, trying to catch Pac-Man. The game begins with all ghosts in Scatter mode for a set period, after which they switch to Chase mode, and this alternation repeats at specific intervals throughout a level but with decreasing scatter durations as time goes on. This interesting mix of predictable and unpredictable behavior not only adds an element of complexity to the game but also creates the potential for strategic play, influencing the enduring popularity and challenge of Pac-Man over the years.