Botpathing request thread

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sektor2111
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by sektor2111 »

Bumping during working/testing stages:
I replaced teleporters doing manual disconnecting/connecting and moving nodes (I don't want to rebuild/edit all paths again), all these are coming from Teleporter's setting bChangeYaw or NOT bChangeYaw depending on direction from where Bot is coming to destination teleporter - else this can be set but I'm not sure if it's always respected by Sir Bot.
I can see here a different deal of engine for Player vs Bot. I placed kicker helpers in teleporter's radius for preventing a teleporter lock by evil players. Kicker seems to work mainly 99% if not 100% for Players, not really 70% for Bots. Funky stuff they do when are in tactical moves like they do around a PathNode. Teleporter's "accept" and "touch" functions have some words to say here which I rewritten because I think PickDestination might not be called as I expected and then I must follow RouteCache[x] rule, more exactly RouteCache[2] if has a good trace-line after teleporting, hacking direction or else moron is moving back in Teleporter and it's teleporting where he came from - looping like that for ages. Here Teleporters are Two-Way and that's why we might have these issues. So far UE v440 was showing a game including not always taking damage at jumping down - I believe it's a fall distance almost at limit... If this is frustrating somehow I can ruin a bit this "fall-damage" making pawn to not feel pain even if is jumping down from bases roofs.
Why I went for not removing Teleporters and PlayerStart from top areas:
#1 If mapper wanted a Spawn Place there, I keep his ideas in big parts;
#2 Teleporters have BRUSHES as portals. Removing them probably would need a map rebuild and I really want to completely avoid this, because they are pointless without Teleporters. Why ? I see here a desperate usage of solids (for preventing bugs ?) - there are nasty BSP cuts in stage, for me rebuilding it's a no go.
Now I have to do more testing in various environments (engine extensions and other updates) then we can discuss more after a bigger number of tests.

Edit:
I think I'm done here. On-Line and Off-Line was working.
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Berserker
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by Berserker »

Hello guys! Is it possible for someone (with more knowledge than me) to Botpath my map? I tried to Botpath my map, but failed miserably. Almost all kickers have bKillVelocity set to false, and making the bots use an "unlocked" kicker is a nightmare, they just have no clue how to use it. There are also 4 Team Kickers in the map, but they are mostly designed for online and not for bots, they can be ignored.

The map is designed for Siege online play, but I have also added weapons and pickups for a potential CTF play. Can someone help me with that? :)

Here are some Screenshots of the map:
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by UnrealGGecko »

Possible to replace the kickers with swjumppads?
http://www.extremew00t.com/jumppad_tutorial.htm
Wayyy more bot friendly.
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Zero_khan
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by Zero_khan »

You know masked textures? You make a wall or floor with a sheet and a masked texture. Path nodes link through it because it's not solid. If you place any brush there to block the path and the players, it blocks light as well. Is this impossible to work around unless the engine is changed? Players are unnaffected by this, but bots will always see that sheet as nonsolid.
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by sektor2111 »

Zero_khan wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 6:36 pm If you place any brush there to block the path and the players, it blocks light as well. Is this impossible to work around unless the engine is changed
What !?
You can always build a map in STEPS, first block path with brush and build paths then remove brush and rebuild ONLY GEOMETRY stuff and NOT Paths again for adding over and over reachSpecs and unwanted paths. Seriously... these also can be replaced with other pathing combos for preventing whatever links... Too easy.
Old news - real news, not fake news as in real life:
In 2020 UnrealGold227h-i having PathsLinker builder installed, we are happily DELETING any bugged unwanted path in seconds :satan: .

THIS map... A few points:
#1 TeamKicker around FlagBase is not helping carrier at all if paths are going through spot (unless new pathing stuff for team has to be written for restrictive paths) - will it run in wall with flag until is killed by guards ? Light me why this kicker type is needed here - carrier should have more escaping routes than the same predictable way;
#2 Insufficient kick power here
NotEnoughPower.PNG
They are not kicked through window looping in spot and causing nasty moves (constant jumps) - Player accelerating from keyboard doesn't have issues, Bot won't accelerate having only velocity granted by kicker which is not helping - I recommend all these swJumpads or... adding another kicker located upper only for Bot Class;
#3 One team has at Window UT_Shieldbelt, other team has empty spot over there;
#4 Trampoline kickers are not easy to be synced with paths as long as their reaction is faster than next PickDestination call - I cannot predict 100% effects here but... here is needed extra-support or a Myleveled swJumpPad.

If you accept said changes you'll have the map pathed without too much work. Here is place for AlternatePaths as well...

Edit: I was right at point #1.
BadOptionTK.png
Carrier is bugged. Solutions:
- restrictive paths - Not a great idea;
- using ORIGINAL kicker;
- no paths there - returning an useless TeamKicker - not even desired team will make use of it.

Edit2:All paths which I have so far are dedicated for default's Editor pathing devs as long as XC will create 2 different reachSpecs for the same two Teleporters and here are not needed "long" paths at all.
@Higor: Why do we need a reachflag 9 between two teleporters since they are already connected with a 32 ?
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by Zero_khan »

This case.
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by sektor2111 »

First thing is (the pathing request):
CTF-BedroomsFWB_v6-101_rS1586.7z
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I need to know if there are noticeable ugly bugs with regard to navigation - old Bot bugs are there no worries (water in stage - we can discuss about it if any other thing will occur... for fixing multiple problems not only one)
____
Almost off topic
Zero_khan wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:55 pmThis case.
Yeah, what's there ? If we want paths removed they can be deleted as I explained....
Then, if you need some coronas but... they are not very visible through walls, I wrote some map patching stuff capable to ADD "corona-lights" in map's run-time and visible through glasses or whatever surfaces. Lights spawned later in maps (in game) have another deal, these also can be an authoritative part of client and then all goes in a different relevance deal, let me recall a MonsterHunt map which is self-editing in run-time and then "coronas" are just... fine thanks visible through translucent walls...
In several map you need to work at Paths first... And later polishing geometry for desired effects toward lights, events, sounds, etc. Not to forget that a light actor can be set VISIBLE and skin changed with whatever corona skin, out of bCorona property. bCorona can stay FALSE when this actor can still be a corona - VISIBLE. There are also other display properties making a light to look more closer to reality but I did not see mappers bothering with settings here...
RunTime_Adds.png
This is an image from a map's run-time - patched, and now how are looking in original these lights... that sort of thing can be added in map doing similar settings even adding weapons, making random changes when map is being played, I don't see many problems...
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by OjitroC »

sektor2111 wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:31 am I need to know if there are noticeable ugly bugs with regard to navigation -
Not a navigation bug and perhaps not all that relevant but scriptedpawns won't spawn in this map (despite MonsterSpawn reporting over 80 safe spawn spots), not sure why?
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by sektor2111 »

Good to know, then... I must check whatever SwarmSpawn modified stuff... IF monsters are not spawning then... I'll drop an eye at LevelInfo, something perhaps is screwed up there again... and again I have to update "Level Validate" clone command from MapGarbage as long as it was another setting messing up an On-Line game-type in another map with a SinglePlayer type setup for... no reason... Guys, if map is a CTF map and CTF it's a game designed even for Network gaming but the map is not accepting that, I'll DELETE or EDIT said map(s) without asking any questions - Done.

Edit:
Right now I listed all actors and I see game-type declared "Botpack.CTFGame" - It's not like I'm playing that... However, there are some sort of "XC" actors "myleveled" - I don't get what are these for in a BotPack.CTFGame - these details have escaped me... but... I don't know if some of these actors are not removing creatures from map, perhaps map will also need a "trash-flush" not only Paths...

Code: Select all

OrderOfActors: XC_NotifyZone4 is class MyLevel.XC_NotifyZone and number 669 .
OrderOfActors: XC_BuildFilter4 is class MyLevel.XC_BuildFilter and number 670 .
OrderOfActors: XC_NotifyZone0 is class MyLevel.XC_NotifyZone and number 671 .
OrderOfActors: XC_BuildFilter0 is class MyLevel.XC_BuildFilter and number 672 .
Edit2:
Other creatures could spawn here. I removed a few extra-paths and added some...
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by Zero_khan »

Bots are failing almost all the time in my map to use impact hammer. To test it I made this test room.

The mover crushes to death. Bot respawn and tries again.
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hammer3.jpg
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by OjitroC »

sektor2111 wrote: Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:03 am Other creatures could spawn here. I removed a few extra-paths and added some...
That's odd - not that it is really relevant to the gametype but MonsterSpawn can't spawn any ScriptedPawns in this map despite there being '87 safe spawn spots' - I don't remember coming across that before in a map that's fully pathed and properly built (it obviously won't spawn stuff in maps without pathnodes or in maps which have nodes but haven't been built).
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by sektor2111 »

Zero_khan wrote: Sat Nov 28, 2020 8:59 pm Bots are failing almost all the time in my map to use impact hammer. To test it I made..
...
Combo Samples - bad and good.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14114#p122599
ImpactHammer or Translocator. Definitely combos need to be tested all time, Bot reaction height vs locations is not that predictable but... in case of major failures... definitely a kicker would change the deal - I used such method after wasting 3-4 hours in a bad spot... there I removed way-back because kicker reacting against movement is not welcomed.
OjitroC wrote: Sat Nov 28, 2020 9:33 pm (it obviously won't spawn stuff in maps without pathnodes or in maps which have nodes but haven't been built).
In maps without navigation network (no reachSpecs) roaming is NONE as well... But you can create a blind navigation network for campers and spawning creatures - MapGarbage can link nodes into navigation chain even without paths declared.

Back... The second map doesn't have anymore that strange zone removing whatever things, it is a normal one, I tested it in my monster games - I had no issues in spawning monsters.

Okay, if you need another map pathed link me in...
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by Zero_khan »

Is there a solution for this? Impact hammer solves it by forcing bots to use it. But how can bots be so re***** to not jump like every player??
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by sektor2111 »

I believe in old times Epic were aware of their Monsters unable to jump over small obstructions or various angled walls/ledges and looping/trying without success to get over that stage. They decided to do a Jumper class localized in UnrealShare. Of course... this is addressing ScriptedPawn, it does nothing for Bots. The thing is.... Bot has similar problems which not always can be solved with kickers because we need Two-Way directions. From point A to B and from point B to A. These are not real big issues now days. MapGarbage has now a ScriptGenerator. It generates blind teleporters for forced connections, Bot_Jumper (probably self explanatory) and we do have a HuntNode which can be educated in code for multiple purposes.
GeneratingMyLevelActors.PNG
Alternate solution - perhaps more suitable is preparing a package for being used in MyLevel when situation is requesting it and importing said package using the same builder without problems.
LoadingCustoms.PNG
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But this is another chapter OFF-Topic in a way, of course package for MyLevel can be adjusted after needs all time it won't mismatch anything because it belongs to map and not an external package.
When Bot has a poor deal with certain spot, we can setup a trigger for helping its lack of intelligence, including to shoot something which is not pawn but anything else...

For the record map MH-3072-FloorWays_rv1 has a place nearby Warlord Boss where bots (my Bots are never failing) have to jump on some "tables" for getting into last zone. There are combos defined as I did in that DM-Deck16_rS592_NN. LiftCenter has a parameter (MaxZDiffAdd) telling at Bot about this "height". Usually if said barrier is lower than 32 UU it should not be a problem in guiding Bot. I'll setup a sample in desired thread not here.
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Re: Botpathing request thread

Post by Zero_khan »

I think the solution is simple, tested it. Somebody in some map was trying to make bots jump over a crate in a CTF map. Lift exit - lift center - lift exist does the trick, without changing any settings in the lift actors.

So lift actors can be used on situations like this.

I guess this can also be used to force bots to see solid ground where there isn't, such as brekable floors for instance.
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