Duh - please help me get started

[ukfreethinker]

I am a very experienced C++ graphics programmer but I'm completely new to games and bots. I really have tried to find the information that I need before posting this very basic query but I just can't find a basic introduction anywhere. There are plenty of sources of information but it is impossible to tell what is up to date now that we have steam etc.

Specifically, I wish to experiment with games AI by creating bots for Half-Life (or whatever is now the best platform). Here is what I have:

Half-Life - version 1.1.0.8 (it won't update but I also have the latest version running under Steam).
MSVC C++ version 6.0 - no problems here I think
HLSDK latest version
Valve Hammer Editor - latest version
Home PC with broadband connection
Leased Cobalt RAQ4 server running Linux
AdminMod download - not installed yet
Botman HPB bot source - not installed yet

OK, I have used Hammer to create my own levels for the standalone HL and they work and run fine. Now I am bored with that and I want to move on. Ideally I would like to set up a development environment on my home PC, without involving my leased server which is used for other things. So what is the next step? I have looked at the documentation for AdminMod and I don't understand it which I guess means that I am unfamiliar with setting up a HL server. If anyone would be willing to talk me through the process of getting up and running I will be very greatful and will try and do something in return (like writing and maintaining the definitive "Getting Started" guide.

Your help much appreciated.

Paul

[Whistler]

"Half-Life - version 1.1.0.8 (it won't update but I also have the latest version running under Steam).
MSVC C++ version 6.0 - no problems here I think
HLSDK latest version"
...I'm afraid HLSDK 2.3 ("latest version") won't work with HL 1.1.0.8. You have to update HL to 1.1.0.9 or downgrade the HLSDK to 2.2

Whistler

[botman]

If you want SDK 2.2, it can be found on my "Building the SDK" webpage here at BU...

http://hpb-bot.bots-united.com/building.html

botman

[ukfreethinker]

OK, thanks for your advice. I updated to HL 1.1.1.0.

Now what? Can anyone give me some simple instructions to start a game, add some bots and watch what they do? Sorry to be so dumb...

Paul

[@$3.1415rin]

check the filebase for open source bots, or some hpb bot template. There is no step by step guide, no document about the interface to HL, but the template or the open source bots will help you a lot. Most stuff can be found there, but you might still encounter stuff where you have to find out the mechanisms yourself.


the template : http://filebase.bots-united.com/pafi...ion=file&id=92

metamod / sdk folder : http://filebase.bots-united.com/pafi...=category&id=5

open source bots :

http://hpb_bot.bots-united.org ( the father of the bots )
http://joebot.bots-united.org ( well, my bot. 2 years working on it left marks, so the code is partly unstructured, because I didnt rewrite it from scratch, but continued to extend botman's template #1 - currently I'm workin on a new bot, but that's not yet open source )
http://realbot.bots-united.org ( stefan just went open source with his bot ... check the wiki and the realbot forums for details )
http://racc.bots-united.org ( good ol' ( well, in hl bot programming he isnt that old ) PMB's site with tons of metamod plugins ... as I already stated elsewhere, nobody knows where he got his time from ... looks like he goes all the time with almost light speed so time dilatation has an effect )

and the ones I forgot, or dunno the current url of


Learning by doing, nothing more, nothing less - and don't despair when you are searching bugs for days or weeks, but since you say you are an experienced gfx programmer, I assume you are used to searching bugs for weeks

[ukfreethinker]

OK, thanks for your replies but I seem to be missing some crucial information. I have downloaded the HPB bot and it compiles no problem. What I need to know is how to install it and create a game with bots. I know that must sound stupid but there you are. All the instructions say something like "Now start a server and add the bots". How?

Paul

[@$3.1415rin]

copy the dll somewhere into the hl folder, some subfolder, whatever. then open the halflife/[mod]/liblist.gam, and replace the game_dll entry with the relative path and name of your dll. relative path in respect to your mod folder. ( this is for non steam ) for install information, you could also check what other bots are doing

[ukfreethinker]

My cup runneth over, thanks to all. I have HPB bot working under HL and RealBot in CS. I am now in business and can start looking at the code.

Thank you

Paul

[Whistler]

"http://realbot.bots-united.org ( stefan just went open source with his bot ... check the wiki and the realbot forums for details )"
excuse me, but there is still not the source code in the realbot.bots-united.org page ?

[Pierre-Marie Baty]

I think it's on the CVS...