If this has been suggested before, my apologies. But anywho, here we go:
The current waypointing system is somewhat.. antiquated. Mappers have to draw points from each waypoint, connect them in a fluid motion, and make sure the bots can handle the path they choose. What I'm suggesting is a new system to do this with.
Imagine for a moment that you didn't have to connect the waypoints. The bot AI itself would have a certain range of visibility, (RANGE), and each waypoint would have certain characteristics to it, such as Move (up/down/up-right), Jet, Camp, etc. Now, these characteristics could have one type of priority to them which controlled the bots behavior, measured by numerical values.
For example:
Boogie Man is running across a field with his chainsaw, and he "sees" a waypoint. Since his last waypoint told him to run this way, he'll run up to the waypoint and pick up its characteristcs. In this case, it tells him to Jet Up-Right, since the hill up ahead is very steep. There's some scenery nearby, so it also suggests that he wait and camp in the bushes. Since Boogie Man has a chainsaw, he decides to wait and camp in the bushes at the bottom of the hill. Both characteristics were even in this example.
Now, same situation, different bot. This time, we have a bot with a shotgun. Since he has a ranged weapon, he decides to proceed up the hill and take the higher-ground above his opponents. Again, both characteristics were even.
Now lets make one of the characteristics greater than the other. In this case, Boogie Man heads up to the waypoint, but the Jet Up-Right characteristic is greater than the camp directive, so he'll choose to rush up the hill and take the higher-ground.
Essentially, there'd be an unlimited number of "suggestions" for each waypoint, and bots would wander until they found a waypoint and began their routines.
It would be something like this:
1. Jet Up-Right
2. Camp
3. ...
4. ... and so on, at the mappers discretion.
We can also expand upon this idea by adding in different sets of instructions. So, team 1 would have one set, team 2 another, team 3, etc. and so on, which would open up the possibility of 4-way CTF matches.
Comments?
The current waypointing system is somewhat.. antiquated. Mappers have to draw points from each waypoint, connect them in a fluid motion, and make sure the bots can handle the path they choose. What I'm suggesting is a new system to do this with.
Imagine for a moment that you didn't have to connect the waypoints. The bot AI itself would have a certain range of visibility, (RANGE), and each waypoint would have certain characteristics to it, such as Move (up/down/up-right), Jet, Camp, etc. Now, these characteristics could have one type of priority to them which controlled the bots behavior, measured by numerical values.
For example:
Boogie Man is running across a field with his chainsaw, and he "sees" a waypoint. Since his last waypoint told him to run this way, he'll run up to the waypoint and pick up its characteristcs. In this case, it tells him to Jet Up-Right, since the hill up ahead is very steep. There's some scenery nearby, so it also suggests that he wait and camp in the bushes. Since Boogie Man has a chainsaw, he decides to wait and camp in the bushes at the bottom of the hill. Both characteristics were even in this example.
Now, same situation, different bot. This time, we have a bot with a shotgun. Since he has a ranged weapon, he decides to proceed up the hill and take the higher-ground above his opponents. Again, both characteristics were even.
Now lets make one of the characteristics greater than the other. In this case, Boogie Man heads up to the waypoint, but the Jet Up-Right characteristic is greater than the camp directive, so he'll choose to rush up the hill and take the higher-ground.
Essentially, there'd be an unlimited number of "suggestions" for each waypoint, and bots would wander until they found a waypoint and began their routines.
It would be something like this:
1. Jet Up-Right
2. Camp
3. ...
4. ... and so on, at the mappers discretion.
We can also expand upon this idea by adding in different sets of instructions. So, team 1 would have one set, team 2 another, team 3, etc. and so on, which would open up the possibility of 4-way CTF matches.
Comments?