Hi,

I am Str and I am new to modding. First off, I appreciate that you are even looking at this topic and I could use any and all help no matter how little. I arranged my questions so that they are easer to skim.

I have done the new SWBFT(Star wars: Battlefront Tutorial) and know a little about the BFBuilder. I have started a few maps, but I have come up with some questions:
Basically: Here some questions:

__________AI QUESTIONS__________
1. How do you get the AI to move up stairs, over and under platforms, or have some move on platforms wile others move underneath?
Basically: How do you move AI in complex ways?

2. How do you get AI to go out of there way to reach nodes. This ties into my first question.
Basically: How do I move AI to nodes?

3. How do you get AI to obey nodes? Some times I place many nodes right in the path of a large crowd of AI, yet none of them stop to snipe or whatever else I tell them to do.
Basically: How do you get AI to use nodes?

4. How does an AI unit choose were to go? What are the priorities that it follows? How does it choose whether or not to go to a node?
Basically: I wish to know how AI chooses what to do.

__________OTHER QUESTION__________
1. How do you move spawn paths along the Y axis. Example: put spawn paths high up on platforms or down in craters or ditches.
Basically: How do you move spawn paths along the Y axis.

I thank you for your time and again I would appreciate any comments no matter how small. A little help is still help to me.

__________UNNESSESARY INFO__________
I will check this topic often and may add some new questions.

Also, if you have your own questions feel free to post them here. I may not be able to answer them, but others that look here may.

I am testing around with the whole color thing, so if you have any complaints or other comments about them let me know. I fear it might iratate some people so let me know if it does.

One final note, my spelling and grammar are not the best and I apologize for any and all mistakes I may have made.

Thanks,

Str

Hi Str_Terror, and welcome to Gametoast! First off, what you want to do in question 1 is impossible. An AI unit cannot go underneath a platform if there is any AI paths above him. The paths extend upward infinitely, so multiple levels stacked directly on top of each other do not work.

1 under Other Questions is fairly simple; simply hold the Shift key to move spawn paths up and down.

Good luck with your maps!

Thank you very much Gynt Ryles, your info has greatly helped with my map, i shall remeber to give you proper credit for helping me on my map.

Thanks again and good luck go with you!

P.S. I like your sig

1. How do you get the AI to move up stairs, over and under platforms, or have some move on platforms wile others move underneath?
Basically: How do you move AI in complex ways?

Actually it's possible, but if you can't cros hubs or have paths that run over hubs. The hubs are where AI plan which way to go, and if they are between hub A and hub B, and walk into Hub F which is two decks below them, they will suddenly think Hub F is thier new position and attempt to make it to Hub G... then the hall way or walkway is leading Hub B.

If that makes any sense. If you want your AI to criss-cross at multiple levels you need to do some planning ahead of time and have the connections ONLY cross... if a connection crosses over a hub you will get mass confusion on the AI's part... if the connections themselves cross the AI will follow thier intended route.

2. How do you get AI to go out of there way to reach nodes. This ties into my first question.
Basically: How do I move AI to nodes?

You can't... Nodes are best placed near paths... the AI are depedant on CPs, Hubs, and Paths... if a node is off on it's own, it will never be used... place them near connections and/or hubs, OR setup a path leading to your wayward nodes.

3. How do you get AI to obey nodes? Some times I place many nodes right in the path of a large crowd of AI, yet none of them stop to snipe or whatever else I tell them to do.
Basically: How do you get AI to use nodes?

This frustrates me. AI seem to ONLY use nodes when under attack or being approached by hostiles. The reasoning behind this. If the AI is standing in a hub at a node sniping... yet has no enemies nearby it takes up it's primary objective, CP capture, and proceeds to leave it's node in search of an enemy CP.

So nodes work best along connection enroute to CPs and around CPs in defending locations... this is where they will find most use. A seeming exception to this is the JetJump node... which they seem to use even when not needing to or under fire...

4. How does an AI unit choose were to go? What are the priorities that it follows? How does it choose whether or not to go to a node?
Basically: I wish to know how AI chooses what to do.

As I understand it, and I learned this by speaking to other modders and fiddling with the AI a lot, so don't take me as the authority on AI here. Hubs act as sort of a CheckPoint in an arcade racing game. It is here the AI looks ahead of itself and finds the quickest route to it's objective (the enemy CP, or Nuetral one). The AI seems to take the shortest route (meaning least amount of hubs) between it'self and the objective. Once it's path is defined it moves along the connection to the next hub. A series of hubs allows for the AI to better react to a changing battlefield as each hub it goes through allows it to rethink it's course and redetermine it's objectives. Along the way if it engages enemies it fights those hostiles before proceeding. This is where nodes come in it seems.

A node doesn't act like a hub how I see it. Instead Node's are just what they are called "Hints". They are tools for the battling unit to better fight the hostiles around it. So if it passes a node in friendly terratory it has no need of combat tools, and therefore ignores the node. (exceptions seem to be JetJump and Mine) But if it is next to say... a 'Snipe' node.. and enemy troops are advancing down the same connection as it is it takes the croach position behind the log like the node says and begins firing on it's target.

Now this lead me to evaluate what it sees as hostiles, and how far engaged a unit has to be to consider the nodes around it.

If you take Bespin: Cloud City as an example.

All the snipers along the walkways pause at what I assume are snipe nodes all along the walkways and open fire at the enemies in the plaza. SO on this example we can assume that if the unit becomes AWARE of an enemy it uses the nearest nodes to help it fight. In Bespin: Cloud City the map is small enough and open enough for the snipers along the walkways to 'engage' enemy units in the plaza so they utilize thier 'snipe' nodes.


I have found the AI in this game to be a lot like the little fellows from one of my personal favorite classics. "Lemmings"

They are dull as nails unless directed properly.

However. The AI have the inate sense of direction, that if you don't lay down any hubs or connections at all they move to the nearest takable CP in a strait line (shortest route) even if that means through a wall or other obstruction.

So Priority List from my research (could be wrong)

1. Enemy CPs (and nuetrals)
2. Planning Hubs
3. Connections
4. Tools of Combat (nodes, vehicles, turrets)
5. Enemy Units

However when under direct fire, AI drop everything to engage...


As far as I can tell these are the answers... but PsycoFred is the Dev here not me

These are my humble modding observations and educated guesses.






~00M-9

P.S. And ya... hold down shift to raise spawn points. Also clicking spawn paths with the right mouse button moves all the spawn points of the path at the same time. A Shift + Right Click can raise your whole spawn path up to new levels.

Thank you so much OOM-9, this has answered all of my questions at the moment. I shall remember to give you your proper credit when I release this map.

This will be my first map so don't expect the best but I am planning to make a whole series of maps called BESBINBATTLEs, this one will be my first one and will be called BESBINBATTLE: Cloud City aka BBcC. I know cloud city is already taken but when I named the map I was just messing around now I have elaborated more on it and I can't change the name any more.

This map will be based mainly around walkways in the air. One of my favorite parts of the Battle Front maps is the battle between those two command posts ,on Besbin: Cloud City, were there is a strait walk way between them. I will post some screen shots later, but I think the beta will be released around this up coming weekend, that is when I got the most time to mod

Str_Terror wrote:I know cloud city is already taken but when I named the map I was just messing around now I have elaborated more on it and I can't change the name any more.

Actually, you can. Look here to find addme.lua: C:\LucasArts\BFBuilder\DataNab4\addme In your addme.lua you can change your name for your map and choose to play both CW and GCW or only CW or GCW.

oh ok, thanks Darth-Derkie, i shall look into this and come up with a better name.

Oh str, i can't rember what you said, are there gonna be vehicals on this map?

edit: nvm he said no, there may or may not be turrets though

P.S. I like your sig

Thanks.

Anyway, good luck with the map. It sounds good; there aren't that many Bespin maps.

Oh Kipp, i got the beta all finished, i will send you the file then you can post it on BFfiles and here. I tryed to make a profile on BFfiles but it wouldn't let me so u sumit it.

Oh, Grynt_Ryles, it isn't that good of a map so don't expect much, it is me and Kipps first map, but thanks for the vote of confidence.

Oh another thing, do u mind if Kipp and me use your sig Grynt_Ryles?

Oh, Grynt_Ryles, it isn't that good of a map so don't expect much, it is me and Kipps first map, but thanks for the vote of confidence.

Who knows, it may turn out to be a wonderful map.

Oh another thing, do u mind if Kipp and me use your sig Grynt_Ryles?

Sure, go ahead.

P.S. It's Gynt, not Grynt.

Thanks Gynt_Ryles!
(str_Terror says)Sry about the name...messed up a little

Here is my question:
Is it possible to control AI's in vehicles like Transporters or Starfighters or Ground vehicles?
it seems to me, like they always fly in circles and isn't taking any initiate(sp?) to attack

thanks for the answers

- Qdin