Playerbots: revisiting an old idea

[EvilGrins]

Even though it doesn't look like I'll be hosting my own games for the forseeable future, I still think about it quite a bit. Games I'd play, maps I'd use, mutators that are ideal and those that aren't; the usual stuff.

For bots in games I planned on only using the skins I made or edited, but that's typical bots. Using Xbots to load from a massive list of various instead of just the usual 32...

...but I was thinking also it might be good to put some playerbots into it too.

I sometimes put monsters on maps I edit, so playerbots aren't too unusual. Instead of my own skins I'd put skins on them that're from the various ones I've downloaded over the years.

In theory it works, but in application I run into one little problem.







I can only put one playerbot to a map as they all come with the automatic listing of 'player'. That's a little confusing, and annoying, as in the score list you'd get 'player' for each playerbot.

Anybody know how to make it so playerbots can be listed by actual given names, like any other normal type bot?

[Nelsona]

I can only put one playerbot to a map as they all come with the automatic listing of 'player'. That's a little confusing, and annoying, as in the score list you'd get 'player' for each playerbot.

Anybody know how to make it so playerbots can be listed by actual given names, like any other normal type bot?

Introduction:
This is one of many reasons for knowing coding before mapping not viceversa. Understanding codes and being able to code 2 lines is more usefull when people starts mapping.

And a problem:
When a game is started actors are added in map as were placed (even falling in void, eliminated by GameInfo if "are nasty"). Even ruining a function from UT might lead in any human player wearing the name "Player". The name is set by controller from "GameInfo" and "Botpack" when game is initializing and/or a human player is joining or a bot. Any pawn existent in map is not in this subject. For this reason you need to input some commands in editor for that Bot.

[EvilGrins]

I was hoping it'd be as easy as with the monsters. Like in that massive Hall Of Giants I did, with the brightly colored Skaarj. When one of them kills you it reads in the TalkBox "You were killed by a HallGuardian".

That was easy. There's a field for that in the Skaarj's properties... but it's not in the playerbots' properties.

you need to input some commands in editor for that Bot.

Such as, and where precisely?

[Hook]

OK - what are "Player" bots?
Like Titan in that one map?

[EvilGrins]

OK - what are "Player" bots?
Like Titan in that one map?

They're kinda like the talkie titan. In UnrealEd they're listed in about the same section all the monsters are, just a bit above there...
...I'd include a screenshot if I were home.

Basic factory default bot skills are on a par with the highest level of the game, or whatever skill level you're playing at. You can enhance the bots, i made a Flash-bot for a particular map and actually gave it super-speed, and skin them like anything else on a map.

Been toying with setting up a Spidey-bot if i can figure out how to incoporate that dodging thing most of the monsters do just before they're shot, kinda like his spidey-sense.

When i was thinking of hosting games it occurred to me that both when I'm there or when others are but not much is going on it'd be handy to fight somebody. However, rather than having to wait to load up all the various bots (skin/models) I usually prefer to use just have a specific bot coded onto particular maps to fight against.

The naming thing's more about putting more than one playerbot on a map. Kinda like I've got a skin for Deadpool and a skin for Deathstroke (Marvel & DC comics versions of essentially the same character). It might be nice to have them both on the same map as playerbots but if they're gonna be stuck with the same name, no matter what they individudally look like i don't see the point.

[Nelsona]

Monsters don't have a PlayerReplicationInfo as humans or a separate replication as Bot. Also I don't think if is so bright to see: "Drimacus killed a Cilia". In this case Cilia looks like a kind of animal not a name in my nasty grammar.

Maybe you have to try (I never tried this) commands in editor: set TMaleBot3 playerreplicationInfo.... ect (or BotReplicationInfo). There are simple commands that can be ordered not only in game, they works even in editor. But... I have to check this and I'll be back with informations.

[EvilGrins]

Monsters don't have a PlayerReplicationInfo as humans or a separate replication as Bot. Also I don't think if is so bright to see: "Drimacus killed a Cilia". In this case Cilia looks like a kind of animal not a name in my nasty grammar.

UT already has lousy grammar... but as far as that "a Cila" thing goes, the "a" is optional and easily removed. It's the next field directly below the game label to whatever pawn you're editing.

On a map I edited, primarily to test NW3 on, i've got 2 ElectricKrall on it.

I'm naming them Ernie & Bert and removing the "a" so it doesn't say "you were killed by a Ernie".

Funny thing about the "player" listing and name swapping: Do you know what happens if 2 players join a game that have identical usernames? Whichever one gets into the game first keeps his name, the other person's name is automatically altered to "player".

[Nelsona]

I did a test with a Bot added in map by default. I looked a bit over codes, Replication seems to alter name. In map there is no replication owned by Bot. When this one is shows up, will alter name. This naming problem seems to be assigned for pawn who is join not who is already there.

Yep, my soup was completed. Mercs (cannons a la LostSouls) were pissed of by this "Player" and also by monsters. Monsters were interested to kill some birds making noise and attacking Mercs if they weren't very nice. Everbody fought with other class very nice. Hm, too bad, would be much better to see them well coded.

[EvilGrins]

Indeed. Bad coding is bad.

Yep, my soup was completed.

I'm gonna assume that's either slang local to where you live or a glitch in the translation program.

Soup?

[Nelsona]

Yeah, man, soup is a food - liquid food, just check.
But... indeed my tests were a kind of combination:
Scriptedpawn, abstract of StationaryPawn, FlockPawn, Bot implemented directly. I don't think I can toy with some vehicle (Engine might remove it), FortStandard is useless and is the mostly removed in MH (i'm not intend to declare it OK for this game in order to keep it. Anyway everybody fight for itself and camarades killing other class (except FlockPawns - they only die). For a few minutes the battle is nice but exist chances to lock-down game.