[casual_games] Pathfinding

[Dimitrios Bendilas - ZEFXIS]

Hello everyone,

I hope this post is not very off-topic.
I have a programming question which I hope someone will be able to shed some 
light on.

We are building a click-management game. Its core mechanics resemble Diner 
Dash's.
We are trying to implement a pathfinding algorithm that makes sure our 
heroine does not
pass through "tables" (they are not tables actually, but similar concrete 
objects).

The main difference from Diner Dash in regards to pathfinding is that the 
tables in our game
are spread in the screen in a much more random manner. Our heroine has to 
avoid tables
and walk around them to go to the customers, who are located around the 
tables.
The game is not isometric and it's not tile-based. It's like most 
click-management games,
having a side-top "camera" view and some pseudo-perspective.

We are trying to figure out which is the best pathfinding approach here.
We tried A*, but the algorithm makes the sprite move in a zig-zag pattern
too much and the movement seems very unnatural.

Does anyone know what is a good approach for the pathfinding in such games?
Maybe someone that has developed a similar game can give us a hint?

Thanks a lot!
Dimitrios

-----------------
Dimitrios Bendilas
Game Designer/Lead Developer
Total Eclipse Games
www.totaleclipsegames.com