[WIP] GuiltySpark

[Con]

welp, I haven't posted here in a while. I started working on this project again recently. Everything I wanted to get done before release is done. There are still nagging bugs to be fixed that really hinder this app in certain cases. Coming back to my code after this time really showed me how horribly written it is. I've been working as a software engineer for the past 6 months and I've picked up a lot of good practices, but right now the goal is just to get it done, no matter how hacky it is. I will not do any refactoring of code and will likely not release future versions of the existing app. I already have a good idea of how I could rewrite this completely and make it general and extensible enough to apply to any game, but that's a story for another time. I'm hoping to get the bugs all fixed by the holidays.

For now, here's a couple videos I recorded recently:

[EagerYoungSpaceCadet]

Really nice, good to see it's been worked on.

What the hell happened at 0:26 though?

[Con]

In which video? If you're talking about the crazy fast spin in the first video, that's because the aimbot needed to pivot around really quickly since the target's location + lead distance was very close to the player. The bot attempts melee in close quarters now.

[JackalStomper]

Did anyone accuse the bot of botting?

Seriously though nice work, can't believe something like this was even made for halo in the first place. Are those two videos of the same encounter? It doesn't look like they are.

[Con]

It hasn't been accused yet, but that's usually because I keep it in smaller servers with easier opponents.

Here are some things that might give it away:
- Attempts to jump over unexpected obstacles rather than walk around them
- Will lock on through walls for small period while switching targets (it hasn't realized they aren't visible yet)
- Can walk quite oddly (getting stuck in corners)
- With no targets visible, it will face directly forwards to the next pathfinding node. Paths aren't always straight, so it kind of zig-zags its way to the target.
- Doesn't lead shots when targeting players in vehicles.
- Clueless about avoiding grenades or vehicles
- Runs straight at enemies even when overwhelmed
- Always backpack reloads

There are two reasons I spot botters normally. The first is that they're already targeting me the instant I show myself to them. I'll toss a few up to luck, but it's a pretty clear indicator when its repeated. I address this by having the bot aim along its movement path when the target is not visible. Also, smooth aiming and an intentional delay prevent GuiltySpark from firing on the target too early after spotting them.

The second way I spot botters is when they appear to be skilled with their weapons, but lack strategy and general halo common sense. GuiltySpark tries to be more believable by strafing, but still lacks the common sense to avoid grenades or vehicles, or to take cover. It will just run straight over the hills to the target because that is the shortest path. Having it understand strategy is an interesting problem that I would like to address in v2. It's also not a team player since it doesn't go for goals or anything.

The basic functionality is there for goals, though. Maybe people will write some more advanced scripts than mine after release. I modularized some components of the advanced bot script into separate scripts. This means that in your own scripts, you can just do something like >include_weapon_management.txt and it will select the best weapon for the target's range and the amount of ammo you have.

And the two videos are not of the same encounter. Fraps doesnt seem to want to capture my entire screen either.

[sanni]

Could you run multiple instances of GuiltySpark on one computer? I like the idea of a Tower Defense Sidewinder were 7 mindless bots per team walk on predefined (strategic) routes towards the enemy flag and kill each other in the event :o

[Con]

Could you run multiple instances of GuiltySpark on one computer? I like the idea of a Tower Defense Sidewinder were 7 mindless bots per team walk on predefined (strategic) routes towards the enemy flag and kill each other in the event :o

No, sorry. It's one instance per computer just like Halo. For that idea you would be better off making a custom Sidewinder map with actual bots in it. That's not really GuiltySpark's usage.

Speaking of usage, I need some well-rounded and experienced gentlemen to play around with the app and report any bugs they find... just some general sanity testing. There are still bugs, but they are either too hard to track down or don't affect the usability too much.

Please PM me if you are interested in testing a pre-release of GuiltySpark. Preference given to established community members.

[Pooky]

Depends what you mean by testing. I've got no programming experience whatsoever but I'm pretty knowledgeable on Halo's gameplay and mechanics.

[Con]

No programming experience needed. Testers are just looking for usability issues.

[vnlagrla]

I would love to test. If I can either PM me or send me a youtube msg at http://www.youtube.com/user/vnlagrla1 I've been waiting for the release ever since I read this thread.