Server Help :: View topic - is it possible?

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Bot Questions - is it possible?

syberjj - Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:35 am
Post subject: is it possible?

hello everyone,
I have been out of the subspace/continuum community for quite a long time now. Dont ask me why but I am back and motivated to create a new server of my own.
Some years ago the kind of server I wanted was not possible to be created yet, so here I am again gathering information.

My plan: I want to create a CTF arena with Bot controlled ships that spawn always at the same point, don't move and shoot at everyone that passes by. (like guard towers)
They should be destroyable but come back after X time. A great feature would be to have the ships get stronger/weaker depending on how many players are online, but that would be an extra. The ship that bot uses should be locked for other players.

Is there a Bot that is able to do that today?
Also, last time I did a CTF server I couldnt get the flags to spawn at the right location, they would always spawn at a random spot inside a sqare area around the set spawn point (yes I reduced the spawn sqare area but that never helped). What is the best CTF Bot around atm? (a link would be helpfull, I lost all my old bookmarks.

Thank you very much!

-syberjj

Samapico - Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:26 pm
Post subject:

With the newer ASSS server, it's possible to do that without using a "fake player", which runs on the server-side instead of being a client like a bot.

I'm no expert on ASSS though, but yeah, it would be possible. You could place those turrets wherever you want, and have them shoot whatever you want, and you wouldn't even need to restrict the ship to other players since it would have its own settings (kind of).

Dr Brain - Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:41 pm
Post subject:

All of that stuff is doable on ASSS with one caveat: the turrets aren't easily destroyable since they don't know anything about damage. Smong wrote a damage module, but it is closed source and has a number of limitations.

syberjj - Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:14 pm
Post subject:

yeah that was the problem last time, the turrets didnt die... if anyone knows anything about this or is interested in joining this project please let me know. cheers

Cheese - Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:27 pm
Post subject:

it is possible with BOTH asss AND mervbot

Maverick - Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:56 am
Post subject:

Guard towers
I don't know about ASSS but I know it's possible with Mervbot.
Unfortunately, such a plugin doesn't exist. A similar plugin I once made for The Complex project of 17th Parallel. It was quite simple as it imitated the movements and fire of a player if the player was positioned in pre-set coordinates. The bot could shoot and fire bullets and turn into the same direction the player was and thus could be used as a turret. Unfortunately it didn't react on enemy bullets/bombs and was thus invincible.

If you want, I can provide this plugin to you.

Spawning flags
I believe you can't get flags to spawn at a specific location if you want them to keep being moveable.
RiiStar made this possible once by using a bug (basically a stationary flag at the map and some weird setting making the flag moveable at the same time). I can ask him how he did it but I know bots can have major trouble identifying these flags (the TWCore bot perceived double flags while only one was shown in the client).

D1st0rt - Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:52 pm
Post subject:

If you want to have guard towers that people have to get into to shoot from, you could to that a lot more easily as Bak- has already created a module for that. You do have to spend a ship on it though.

JoWie - Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:16 pm
Post subject:

I have a staticturret module smong wrote for C&C (based of bot1d). Modified it a little.

I don't really know if my version still works properly, haven't touched this stuff for over a year.

Features:
* Destroyable
* Health bar
* LVZ overlay instead of a ship (ship gets UFO), this way you dont have to sacrifice a ship, downside is that you do not see any rotations. (This is optional)
* Customizable names
* Customizable weapon (type: gun, bomb, repel, decoy. weaponlevel, firedelay, fireenergy, rotationspeed, sight)
* X-Radar setting. off = doesn't fire at a ship that is cloaked & stealthed.
* Cutomizable timeout between spawns

When you browse through the code you will probably see stuff like power, this was used in combinations with destroyable buildings like power plants.

The only downside of a staticturret is that subspace doesn't have a lot of rotations (40 iirc). So there are locations where you are in the "blindspot".
This could be fixed by moving the turrent around just a little, or wait until it has a clean shot.

Unfortunately, because the damage is closed source. Some things can't be configured. Like the turrets recharge, it uses the settings of the ship you pick.

Config:

Code: Show/Hide

[damage]
IgnoreTeamDamage = 1

[staticturret_hpbar]
ObjectStart = 1426
ObjectsAllocated = 26
ImageStart = 3
; how many levels the hp bar has (recommended minimum 3)
ImagesAllocated = 8
XOffset = 0
YOffset = -15

[staticturrets]
AutoStart = 1
Turret0 = NorthObelisk
Turret1 = SouthObelisk

[staticturrets_NorthObelisk]
Name = Obelisk
Freq = 1
X = 505
Y = 505

; ships 1-8
Ship = 7
; see weapon #define's in ppk.h
Weapon = 3
; levels 1-4
WeaponLevel = 1
FireDelay = 100
FireEnergy = 0
RotationSpeed = 100
; 0=infinite timeout
Timeout = 0
SightPixels = 220
; 0=don't respawn
RespawnSeconds = 60
; lvz objects moved on top of turrets, best used with cloak mode
; images are displayed 16px above and to the left of the bot, so a 32x32 px
; image should be used (use transparency if that's too big).
Object = 328
;has x-radar? (shoot at cloaked + stealthed?)
X-Radar = 1
UseCloak = 1
ShowHealthBar = 1

Samapico - Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:49 pm
Post subject:

The rotation graphics could be simulated with lvz's as well.

As for blind spots, you get 9 degrees increments, which isn't too bad unless you want some long range accuracy.

JoWie - Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:43 am
Post subject:

yes, but those blind spots are very annoying when you have a turret which fires powerful bombs with a big firedelay.
Just wait in the blind shot, it fires, then fly past it.

This turret predicts where you will be based on your current speed however