bot path testing

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hee
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bot path testing

Post by hee »

Thanks to the advice from Sektor2111 I was able to get the bot paths working. The exit lift-center lifts triplets were key in traversing difficult terrain.
For example, in one place there was just a small ledge that a small jump was required to get up to. The bots would go down but not up. I placed a lift center at the edge of the ledge and two lift exits, one on top and one on the bottom. The bots could then jump up. I also used the lift triplet to get them to do a big jump across a chasm.
The jump spot also worked, but only if the teleporter was allowed. They always used the teleporter, even for tiny jumps.

One issue was testing as I didn't have a special editor, but I found a good method. I started the game with a bot on my team. To test a path I would lead the bot to the beginning of the path and order him to hold the position. Then I would go to the other end of the path (out of his sight) and tell him to cover me. If the path was broken, he would not come. I then came back along the path in increments (knowing about where the nodes were supposed to be) and when he would finally come, I knew the problem was with the node I had just passed.

This had to be done, even if the editor gave all paths as blue.

With capture the flag the main test was to order them to capture the flag. If they could, then it proved that the whole path was good both ways, but if they couldn't, I used the above method to isolate the problem.
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OjitroC
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Re: bot path testing

Post by OjitroC »

hee wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:36 pm Thanks to the advice from Sektor2111 I was able to get the bot paths working. The exit lift-center lifts triplets were key in traversing difficult terrain.
For example, in one place there was just a small ledge that a small jump was required to get up to. The bots would go down but not up. I placed a lift center at the edge of the ledge and two lift exits, one on top and one on the bottom. The bots could then jump up. I also used the lift triplet to get them to do a big jump across a chasm.
The jump spot also worked, but only if the teleporter was allowed. They always used the teleporter, even for tiny jumps.
Good to hear you've got the pathing working OK. :) This description would certainly be more useful if accompanied by some screenshots to illustrate the solultions.
Buggie
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Re: bot path testing

Post by Buggie »

hee wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:36 pm (knowing about where the nodes were supposed to be)
Just type in console "showall".
Also you can use some mutators for visualize what happens on network. Like this:
DrawPaths - mutator which draw network paths in game
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sektor2111
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Re: bot path testing

Post by sektor2111 »

The topic with DrawPaths for me it's a very useful stuff preventing mapper to waste time with "RememberSpot" "ShowPath" and all that "cover me" and "hold this position" testing. I don't understand why is not sticky as it doesn't need any tweak to the game. When you have the image of paths in run-time that's a master piece in debugging map - except maps like HyperBoreal+ where... never mind...
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TankBeef
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Re: bot path testing

Post by TankBeef »

sektor2111 wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:39 am except maps like HyperBoreal+ where... never mind...
Hmmm...I am going to have to try that Hyper+ version, to see what is the deal. Does the original Hyperboreal have the same issues?
Anyway, that is still not that long lost SGTech version that people have been trying to find for years.
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sektor2111
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Re: bot path testing

Post by sektor2111 »

Not in this thread for derailing topic but in another one we can talk about that supposed conversion what Paths was having (for a bit of ON-Topic) but maybe non-colliding walls, invisible floors blocking your fall and getting a nice combo from a bot are not things specific to a decent map. I wasted time trying to solve those quirks until I decided to inspect them into NotePad... lol. To summarize: a Really nice Design trashed by a weak execution...
By the way, I did not tested map with DrawPaths in that "+" version as long as data embedded in PathNodes is nowhere. It's a loss for UT, and I think it takes ages to fix hundreds of brushes when are interleaved like that - or only a lucky shot might do something - if things are not ugly screwed by using Scales like "-1" - negative scaling more exactly. I think it takes less time re-creating it from ground zero without any previous base. Paths are doable there perfectly with original Editor assets entirely bug-free.
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papercoffee
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Re: bot path testing

Post by papercoffee »

sektor2111 wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:39 am I don't understand why is not sticky as it doesn't need any tweak to the game.
it's not sticky because we would like to move it into the subsections tutorial or recourses in the mapping section.
it's too good for just a mutator.
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sektor2111
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Re: bot path testing

Post by sektor2111 »

Don't forget that at this moment THIS is the only testing tool capable to show PrunedPaths. As the name of mutator this is under discussions, it's not aiming On-Line gaming as a generic mutator might be used, it's a debugger/tester tool in a mutator format.
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