Hi guys .
the new update is amazing ,,,very worthwhile ,
and even the upcoming EBE will be wonderful for many , but ,
making great stuff is useless if we cant place our critters in or on them
and then they cant move or react or anything....
Is there a way to make them function above ground level at this time at all ?
if not,,,is it set for soon ???

Thx

UNIRD12B

Lee said that would be coming after the EBE release.

Dave

Great ,
so , in the meantime , it's still actually almost impossible
to have a functioning game that works anywhere but at ground level ?
I bet Smallg could rework the Lua script that controls the beasties
so that is able to function properly , pretty quickly ....if Lee ask him to work on it.
What do ya say smallg >???? What do ya say Lee ?????

UNIRD12B

It depends what you are expecting. At the moment the AI works ok above the terrain if placed on entities with forcesimpleobstacle set in the fpe (think I used -1) as long as they have sufficient space to move around. They won't follow you up or down (especially up) any stairs or steep gradient though - which I think is the main requirement

Smallg is a scripting guru so may find a way but doubt it will be with existing built in AI functions.

Cheers.

LOL .... Its a little more than editing a script..
We are talking something like a complete navmesh system and AI overhaul ..

I doubt even smallg could do much about AI above the terrain, it's very little to do with scripts, it's the hard coding for AI that needs changing, not a simple job, and nothing we can work around with a script.

kinda but for the most part no, there's not enough in the way of collision feedback to allow any real workaround for us, if we had a raycast then maybe but it's likely to cost a lot of performance.
it's definitely possible to move along set paths and such (given the right circumstances) if you forgo the AI system but "drag and drop fits all" will have to wait for an official release.
personally i hope the AI update gets a proper overhaul with working navmesh and some extra controls in LUA for the characters and their weapons - ability to control if character is firing and feedback for it (right now even freezing the AI doesn't stop them firing) and the ability to fire at other characters etc.
i saw the twitch and know Lee has some good plans for AI so i hope he will give it a long update too - should end up with a result much more interesting than the EBE though

Thx for the input guys ,
always much appreciated.

UNIRD12B

Well scripting is still important. You can get some way towards it but having the underlying functions available is required for slick operation. If you look between 3.00 and 3.30 minutes in the video you'll see the golem is following the player up and down stairs. But not as smooth as required.



Cheers.

well done Cyberscience ,
at least he is doing it.
is that a special script you made and did you change the Fpe
files of the building entities you used also ?

forcesimpleobstacle = ?

UNIRD12B

Hey Cyberscience ,
where in the Fpe file do we add the command
forcesimpleobstacle = ?

Thx

UBIRD12B

Anywhere. Think the received wisdom is to set it to 3 but believe I used -1 for the maze blocks the NPCs are standing on.

Yes it is a tweaked script for the golem but the steam bots ate using ai_soldier.

Cheers.

forcesimpleobstacle = 3 can be placed anywhere in the fps but most models already have it as Lee implemented this a couple years back.. It just makes AI work indoors ....they still wont work on steps or second floors ...
Although what cybernescence has done there is quite impressive

well !
that Golem sure SEEMS to be functioning quite well
going on a second level or more and even going down the stairs
as in that video...so,,you sure did quite a job of that cybernescence
Well done indeed....so it would appear that it can be done...to a degree at least ?

Thx

UNIRD12B

Oh trust me a lot more work is required to get AI working on multiple floors. There is a couple of tricks you can do, but you'll never truly get the results your looking for.

A possible solution is a Navmesh (Navigation Mesh) but to be honest with GG's branding of being an easy game maker, I don't think this would fit well in the engine. Lee might have to come up with something creative and innovative as he always magically does to solve this problem. Something that just works. Otherwise he'll have to make something similar to the Zones.

Here is what a normal navmesh system looks like:



I have a lot of experience with Navmesh systems but I for Game Guru Lee should incorporate navmesh data into FPE files of stairs and intended floors.

Thx Teabone ,
I have worked with navmeshes in a few engines before and am familiar
with the concept and would likes to see something like that or a more well rounded
version of our waypoints system,,,which in many ways is very similar to what unreal 1
was using back then called " nodes "....... was great to use...once you got the hang of it...
but the nodes back then , even allowed to you choose specific animations that would be triggered
in order to make the characters seem even more " intelligent"
So , I guess we shall wait and see and in the meantime MOST of us will continue to built ground level maps.

Thx again to all for such great feedback and input.

UNIRD12B

nodes brings back memories... Unreal Tournament memories

I guess in a way GG has nodes. The waypoint system. Maybe thats where the navmesh system can be integrated like nodes.