Thread for discussing all aspects of Artificial Intelligence

[Reiper]

While I know that there are a few threads discussing various aspects of using AI in a map, I have noticed that this information is difficult to locate primarily due to the short nature of "AI". Therefore, I have decided to use the full term to ease the search process and to encourage people to contribute to create a centralized database for anyone seeking to use AI in a map. I have to admit that my motives here are partly selfish as I am quite a novice at manipulating the AI in Guerilla and I don't know much about scripting. My first contribution is largely comprised of the knowledge previously published by KiLla-something and adumbass. I thank you two for the help you have been in my learning how to use AI. The following list is made up of observations of mine I have noticed while playing with my pet bots

1. AI like to follow command lists and scripts very closely, and can get very stupid when there is even a small mistake, as is the way with any programming. If your AI is behaving strangely, it is probably due to a mistake in the command list or script.

2. AI drivers like to fly, although in some cases I have noticed little adverse effect upon unchecking the 3d-firing positions option.To get your AI to "floor it" make sure they think they are flying. Otherwise they'll just sit in the driver seat and play with the wheel.

3. Some of the things from the tutorial at this link
http://hce.halomaps.org/index.cfm?fid=2298
do not have the effect described when I used them. Namely, improving the AI intelligence using the ai throttle and steering controls. I still don't understand what those options do.

Later, I will be posting a list of the functions options in the .actor, .actor_variant, and .vehicle tags which will be as complete as I can make it (which, apologetically, is not saying much).

I would also like to know where I could find a good primer for scripting halo AI as many bits of script I have seen on the forums seem to show that scripting is the way to go.

[Ki11a_FTW]

Thats Ki11a_FTW

In the 3rd statement, with the ai driving hogs, i recommend you don't use that method mainly because, well, in short terms,they are "out of control", the person who made that has AI flying enabled, which means the ai always have to move no matter what circumstances, he did do some modifying to make them less crazy, but i still don't think its to much of a good idea to use that if the player is going to be near them and on the same team.

[FRain]

I think having the AI think they're flying isnt a good idea.... Here's why.


(Almost done with level Halo)

(AI is flooring it)

Yes! I've died so many times and (drives off cliff)
WAIT, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? WHAT THE FUCK? I HATE YOU MOTHER (dead)

[Bad Waffle]

Well, then just don't do it in a level where you can fall off a cliff more than 70% of the time. If i have time later, i think i'll screw around with the hogs. High five, reiper! good topic.

[Limited]

God, Halo CE AI :O.

Scripting with AI, not sure I take it you've got the basics of AI working. Scripted AI cant do a hell of alot, so dont expect some ultra advanced AI 'thinking for themselves'

[Ki11a_FTW]

it can do a lot :|, way better without any scripts for them at all

[Reiper]

Upon attempting to upload images, I discovered that the images did not appear. As a result, I will be slowly converting the content of those images to text and will be updating this post as I do so.

.actor_variant tag

flags

can shoot while flying - Can shoot while in a vehicle
interpolate color in HSV - No clue
has unlimited grenades - has unlimited 'nades
moveswitch stay w/ friends - Not entirely sure, but likely changing the movement type between running and crouching for actors in the same squad or encounter to stay close to each other
active camouflage - AI uses active camo. I have never seen this work personally.
super active camouflage - Better camo? This never seemed to work.
cannot use ranged weapons - can only melee
prefer passenger seat - prefer passenger seat

actor definition - defines tag explaining general unit behavior
unit - allows for the physical structure of the unit to be selected
major variant - occasionally, the engine wil decide to spawn a different version of the unit. This is where the major variant.actor_variant is chosen.

movement switching

movement type - run, crouch, or switch between the two
initial crouch chance - chance to crouch (when spawned?) 0 = never. 1 = always
crouch time - How long crouched
run time - how long running
(Personally, I have never been able to see any change when altering these values. This could be that the bipeds or actors I used were unsuited for movement switching.)

ranged combat

weapon - allows for the actor's weapon to be chosen. Choose from the weapons folder instead of the items collection, contrary to how a map is populated with arms
maximum firing distance - max firing range
rate of fire - number of times trigger is pulled per second
projectile error - How many degrees from crosshair center projectile flies
first burst delay time - Time before AI will shoot after acquiring target
new-target firing pattern time - Time before AI will shoot at a new target after losing a previous one
surprise delay time - Time before AI will react to stimulus of the surprise. This is probably in addition to the times above
surprise fire-wildly time - Time that AI will shoot without aiming after being surprised
death fire-wildly chance - Chance that AI will shoot randomly around while in the throes of death. 0 = never. 1 = always.
death fire-wildly time - Time AI will shoot wildly while dying for
desired combat range - AI will try to fight within this combat range, moving to stay within it. I have noticed that AI tend to to shoot at all when outside this range.
custom stand gun offset - No clue
custom crouch gun offset - No clue, but for crouching rather than standing :P
target tracking - How well the AI tracks its target. 0 = not at all. 1 = perfectly
target leading - How well the AI predicts the movement of target and the positioning of the crosshair to match. 0 = not at all. 1 = perfectly
weapon damage modifier - How much the damage of the weapon is multiplied by upon impact
damage per second - How much damage a target will receive, regardless of shots hit

[teh lag]

Interpolate color in HSV sets an alternate way of blending (in hue-sat-val rather than red-green-blue) the change-color settings in the bottom.

[Reiper]

So what happens when it is enabled? A different color set or texture pattern or something? I am very curious to see what effect this option has on a model. I will go and see if I can use this properly as it seems very interesting.

Edit: I have no clue on how to use this option.

I will be adding the next tag information in a few hours.

[teh lag]

So what happens when it is enabled? A different color set or texture pattern or something? I am very curious to see what effect this option has on a model. I will go and see if I can use this properly as it seems very interesting.

Edit: I have no clue on how to use this option.

I will be adding the next tag information in a few hours.

In the change-color settings, you set two values - an upper bound and a lower bound - for the game to randomly assign to the unit if it supports change-color in its shaders. (This also applies to effects, lights, light volumes, lens flares, and anything else that takes color parameters). It's just an alternative way of selecting between them. The flag named "...across the long hue path" in similar tags has a similar function - it causes the random assignment to happen in colors the *other* way around the color wheel.

Take this rough representation, with orange as the lower bound and purple as the upper bound.

|_____LOWER|__________________________|UPPER|___|

Normal blending would assign a color somewhere in the green/blue range between the two colors, but having the "long-hue-path flag" checked would assign it somewhere in the red range between them.

HSV blending is the same idea - if you understand how the HSV color palette works, you can use that flag to get blending that RGB normally wouldn't let you have. For example, blending between yellow and blue, with no green in the middle.