IDA* Pathfinding

IDA* star stands for iterative deepening A*. It is a depth-first permutation of A* with a lower overall memory cost, but is generally considered costlier in terms of time. Whereas A* keeps multiple nodes in memory at a time, IDA* does not since it is a depth-first search. For this reason, IDA* may visit the same node multiple times, leading to a higher time cost. Either solution will give you the shortest path between two nodes.

In instances where the graph is too big for A* in terms of memory, IDA* is preferable, but it is generally accepted that A* is good enough for most use cases in games. That said, we'll explore both solutions in Chapter 4, Finding Your Way, so you can arrive at your own conclusion and pick the right pathfinding algorithm for your game.