FerBotz (new AI, XCGE release 20)

[Dr.Flay]

When I play team matches and add random botz, they don't balance, and I often have to keep re-starting the map until I can get even team numbers.

Am I missing something ?

[Higor]

This FerBotz.u contains a hack fix that literally removes the dummy pawn from the PawnList.
This should stop disrupting modules that use the PawnList iterators to find players on the server, INCLUDING the default Server Query and MapVote. (i'm still keeping my enhanced query )

FerBotz.u

This one removes dummy from pawnlist as experiment, haven't tested the outcomes, so send feedback if you use this.
Fixes thousands of log warnings tho.

(928.29 KiB) Downloaded 90 times

When I play team matches and add random botz, they don't balance, and I often have to keep re-starting the map until I can get even team numbers.

Am I missing something ?

Not really, I add botz in 'match mode', meaning that even with balance ON I have always set up games team by team rather than bot by bot.
The only difference from playing with Balance On is that all Players and Bots (normal UT) will fill the empty gaps.

Besides, that will screw up the faction and list addition modes, maybe I should add auto-balance if added only via MUTATE ADDBOTZ.

EDIT:
I'm also gonna add a RANDOM faction mode, so the whole bot match works like in UT3.

[Wises]

ok .. so I can now see the bot PURE was making them invisible.

however they donot show up in the smartctf scoreboard for some reason.

[Higor]

I guess I'll do a compile of my UTPure repository and debug botz in it...

EDIT:
BotZ work just fine on my UTPure setup, something else's making your BotZ's invisible.
I suggest you to operate with logs:
- Restart server
- Load a few BotZ
- Close server
- Send log
I may find out something.

[Cronoloop]

This is really cool, I tried it and playing against them is very funny, unlike the original bots that were tedious.

To the developer: isn't there an option that makes them REPLACE the original ones? I explain better: when I start a practice session, I need to write those lines to play, is there a way to make it default or something?

[Wises]

Sorry have not had chance to test further , will do so today.

I will need to try with your ServerQuery jokes

Also could you test with SmartCTF bots do-not appear to show in mine SmartCTF4d++

[Cronoloop]

@Higor
Hi! I tested your botz with the swJumppads (http://www.extremew00t.com/jumppad_tutorial.htm), and your bots act very weird. It's a shame, because I really like your botz and how they play in some maps. Could you see where is the problem? Try to download the switch jumppads and play with a normal bot and then one of your botz.

Keep up the good work

[Wises]

be interesting to see if you could also get them to liftjump
a possible solution would be to create a map trigger like the teleporter one which allows mappers to tell the bots what to do.

[Cronoloop]

be interesting to see if you could also get them to liftjump

Totally, it would be awesome to see bots reaching secret positions and get some goodies using the elevators. There are a lot of maps where some area are accessible only using that way

Btw your botz rock

[Higor]

Ran some tests on UnrealKillers' pug server.
4 players vs 4 botz on Face][ and we got our asses handed to us.
5v5 on Hydro and Face (we got a 1000$ Siege player for these matches) and we easily won 5-1, 5-0 on both.

Noticed that BotZ are too easily sniped with not possibility to counter at all, specially if the enemy is a top ranked player.
Perhaps I should give them high sight distance based on skill/accuracy.
...
And a UT3 command like 'Suppress the sniper'.
If you snipe a UT3 bot, all of his teammates will be aware of you, not a bad idea for these ones as well.

[Old UT Veteran]

Ran some tests on UnrealKillers' pug server.
4 players vs 4 botz on Face][ and we got our asses handed to us.
5v5 on Hydro and Face (we got a 1000$ Siege player for these matches) and we easily won 5-1, 5-0 on both.

Noticed that BotZ are too easily sniped with not possibility to counter at all, specially if the enemy is a top ranked player.
Perhaps I should give them high sight distance based on skill/accuracy.
...
And a UT3 command like 'Suppress the sniper'.
If you snipe a UT3 bot, all of his teammates will be aware of you, not a bad idea for these ones as well.

In my opinion, the biggest flaw that I always had with normal UT bots was their inability to spot far away players on distant maps. For example CTF-Face was just one of those maps that you could easily snipe out the entire enemy team. Your team mates could then easily advance on to the enemy base. I do believe that botz should be able to 'suppress the sniper' but in addition be able to somewhat gain a 'tactical advantage'. During that time they could advance on the enemy sniper. For example, they should pick different paths to get to the enemy....

I feel that botz should just simply be able to gain the upper hand. Maybe if the last enemy position is know..... then the bot can switch defense point to disorient the player. They could either quickly dodge to the spot or just trans locate. Or even possibly on maps like Face, simply impact launch a trans locator to get behind the enemy,

Speaking of trans-locating, any possible way to make botz perform different procedures on launching the trans locator with an impact hammer? So, they don't always have to crouch or stay in one spot while doing so.

Btw, any chance that we will get to test out Siege with fully implanted operational botz?

[Higor]

'. During that time they could advance on the enemy sniper. For example, they should pick different paths to get to the enemy....

That feature already exists and is in use, maybe it isn't as noticeable in Face.
On my Hydro16 test, (bots do not use preset AlternatePaths) they were picking different escape routes when carrying the flag, the only explanation to that is this system.

Speaking of trans-locating, any possible way to make botz perform different procedures on launching the trans locator with an impact hammer? So, they don't always have to crouch or stay in one spot while doing so.

Too difficult, my workaround to that was to simply stop ducking and abort launching if being aimed at (I bet you noticed botz moving away when you try sniping them while launching).

Btw, any chance that we will get to test out Siege with fully implanted operational botz?

First, I'm going to have to add a general bot tasker actor on Siege itself, then move on to BotZ.
It's going to take time, good thing I'm SiegeUltimate's current developer.

BTW...

[Old UT Veteran]

Hey Higor,

I'm having a couple of issues.I tested botz on CTF-Face and I'm not sure if this is the expected behavior but they would't tried to snipe me when I was in the exact same but opposite location. I did set the skill to the highest one. I'm not really noticing any differences. Maybe, I did something wrong? Or is the real new 'far distance detector' not spot enemies from that far away? (Top of red tower to blue top on Face)

Any hints? Maybe, something to do with Distance View Trigger, perhaps?

EDIT:

I retested botz while I had the volume cranked up. I heard the botz constantly switching to the sniper rifle. I believe that this is a similar behavior that casual bots have when they spot an enemy but do not fire upon them. I used the mind reader mutator and I believe that botz may be seeing the enemy bot but not fire-ring until they reach a specific radius in which a pawn must be present. Could this be have something to do with the engine itself? Just assuming....

[Higor]

/somechars

[Higor]

Made a change in the air control.
Now the velocity isn't altered in a hacky way, it actually uses Acceleration like players do (botz will tilt in midair as well).
This lets us do perfect air control and use Kickers with multiple LiftExit destinations flawlessly.