Ok planning is what you use, to direct the game's simpleton Ai, when barriers are not enough.
It can be used to better guide the way Ai will move through a map, to their objectives. Often a new mapper's Elimination (aka Hero assault) mode will have lethargic Ai who will only bother to move, if you come within 10 feet of them, this will fix that too.
And this should be a very easy to follow tutorial, as it's merely a conversation.
Here is a picture to use as a refrence throughout the tutorial:
*conversation edited for clarity and removal of clan tags and MSN speechElmo: Explain your woes
Caleb: Ai in elimination don't move, unless there's a baddie near
Elmo: Elimination as in hunt?
Caleb: No, as in hero assault
Elmo: Okay
Elmo: Are you setting up hubs and connections?
Caleb: No, just barriers
Elmo: Lol. Ok, well
Elmo: I think you'll have to rework all your modes, in terms of planning
Elmo: why don't you open up ZeroEditor then I'll help with planning
Caleb: Great, thanks!
Caleb: Ok Ze is up
Elmo: Alright go to "planning"
Caleb: ok
Elmo: lemme briefly go over what this does
Elmo: basically, in this section of the ZE, you tell the bots where to go, whether it's a CP, a specific area or whatever
Caleb: so you can command Ai to gather at a certain point, like they would a CP normally
Elmo: yes
Caleb: Ok with ya so far
Elmo: Now, I'll tell you how. Go to: "new hub" or something, on the left side of the ZE
Elmo: or place hub, I forget. got it?
Caleb: Yes
Elmo: Ok
Elmo: So now, move your cursor into your map in the ZE, click somewhere- moving the mouse will make the hub get bigger or smaller after you click somewhere
Elmo: It doesn't matter how big it is.
Caleb: Ok I have one down
Elmo: Ok, it should be level to your terrain height
Elmo: anyway
Elmo: now, go and place another hub, at a spot where you want AI to gather for a while
Caleb: Ok
Elmo: now, go to- "new connection", or something. (something connection. lol )
Elmo: click on one of the hubs, it will create a line, that you drag to the other hub, and connect the hubs
Caleb: Mkay
Elmo: once they are connected, AI will follow that connection
Elmo: so, AI in one hub will run to the other hub, as long as they are connected
Caleb: along the line?
Elmo: Well, what I mean by that is, you know how it's sorta 2 lines?
Caleb: yea
Elmo: they'll walk "inside" those, inside the see through gray connections
Elmo: to the other hub it's connected to..
Elmo: got it?
Caleb: so it has to be a straight shot between them
Elmo: yeah, but
Caleb: I could connect multiple ones...
Elmo: you can place another hub, between those 2 off to the side, and make 2 connections, then they will run from that hub to the next, to the next. etc.
Elmo: follow me?
Caleb: yeah, form a chain
Elmo: exactly
Caleb: So, I could Link a web of them together, and they would move all around the "web" and trough the map?
Elmo: yep
Elmo: but also to remember to use barriers to give a bit of a twist to your bots movements
Caleb: Thanks!
Elmo: No Problem
Elmo: Makes me feel like I should write a tut on this
Caleb: Perhaps you should.
Elmo: lol, we'll see
In the end, Elmo left modding, and I decided to make the tutorial, kinda funny.
Anyway thats it, very simple, and 100% necessary for maps with tunnels, narrow ally ways, and other such cramped locations where you need to "funnel" the Ai the right way.
