Bot commanding

[zaf]

I was wondering if it was possible ot be able to make bots that you can command. Not just a simple "follow me" or "Hold this position", but ala Gearbox's Brothers in arms, make it so that you can point somewhere and tell them to go there, defend, or fire at it. This would add sooooooo much fun and even realism. This is also a suggestion .

[Pierre-Marie Baty]

POD-bot mm does that already...

[zaf]

Well it does to an extent, I meant commands where a bot will go the the exact or close to the spot where your pointing at (in brothers in arms it is determined by a colored marker) or maybe even a supressing fire where they'll momentarily shoot for a bit at the spot you pointed. Podbotmm can only follow you or stay their current position or go in a general direction(and its not really well implemented, they move to much). Im thinking of the bot staying where you exactly told it to do so(without moving too much or at all), or going in the exact direction your telling it to. So basically im ripping off the system in brothers in arms which looks pretty simple. Imagine the power you'd have over them! you could set up ambushes(camp) or flankng and things! all just by pointing(as done in brothers in arms). It sounds awesome. to me. and maybe you.

[Cheeseh]

Of course it's possible but If I were asked to do this I would not really add much of this functionality for a multiplayer bot. Remember these bots are supposed to simulate real players as if you were playing a proper internet game, no-one hardly ever listens to you and commanding is not part of the counter-strike interface (All there is is a radio/voice/text communication) i.e. no 'point to the places where you want people to go' type thing.

I added squad support in my rcbot for HL1 which allows formations, suppressing fire, stealth/crouch modes etc but I don't think it would be going into rcbot 2. I'd rather get the bots to learn human behaviour over an internet game, much more interesting and challenging.

[Maleficus]

Originally Posted by Cheeseh

I'd rather get the bots to learn human behaviour over an internet game, much more interesting and challenging.

Agreed. Its one thing I've championed for Fritz.

I like bots who act human. And on a internet game, humans can vary and be stupid, heros, loners, brilliant, teamplayers, etc, etc.

So I want the bots to reflect that in every possible way (except for the lame stuff - no cries of cheater, no wallhacking/aimbots, no TOTAL stupidity).

In some games, that kind of cmd system would make sense, but for CS, and ESPECIALLY for a game like Wolfenstein, it doesn't.

[zaf]

Well, i suppose thats what bots are for, to simulate other players in a multiplayer game. I wasnt really thinking of that, i was thinking of an imaginary game of CS where someone had a squad of bots following him doing what he says. Doesnt really behave like a normal player, but serves your ally who''ll cover you and go to places for you, kinda like single player games where you can command (ie. Brothers in arms, Half-life 2). I dont really imagine it being useless, CS isnt that fast paced and commanding the bots with point and click wont take too much time. You can put a new interface It can use a new menu just like the botmenu. I really think it would be fun. Just think of it as an extra feature that a lot of players would have use for.

Cheeseh, ive played your rcbot. I use it all the time when i play svencoop. I always have at least a bot in a game even when i play with others, the reason being that squad option you put in. I Loved it. In a clan game or lan, players usually actually do teamwork because they can talk to each other comfortably and tell them what to do and stuff, This really made things work well(since its a team game) and rambos that try and go singlehanded end up dead quickly. Thats the feature i want with bots, its a next step. As a normal player, you first go alone and play, then you make friends and tell each other stuff while playing, soon you join a group and use teamwork(This actually exists), and maybe im the only one but thats so fun.

My internet connection has always been slow so i cant play online. I always play bots when i play on lan at home, theyre fun they go off by themselves and shoot and stuff. Having them follow you was great and most bots already allow this but i really wished i could tell the to "go there and guard" or "move towards there so we can attack them from both sides".

Playing brothers in arms or even half-life 2 felt like a team game. for some reason.

[Pierre-Marie Baty]

PMBot, the first bot I worked on before moving to RACC used to be able to respond to commands the way you describe it. I would say "hold position" and the bot would not move a iota. "Follow me", "you take the point" and the likes were also working. Having a bot following strict orders is not a hard part in bot programming, that's why I started with that. I see your point, but I can also say that if you had such a bot you would find the gameplay very boring over time.

[sPlOrYgOn]

another thing is those kinds of bots are made for single player...
if multiple people tried to control a bot, who gets control?
or would another person's command override previous commands by other people?

[MarD]

Heyyo,

Well, the only time I know you could tell a bot what to do was on NS with RCbot when you were commanding, and you are supposed to tell players what to do.. but just like players, sometimes RCbot won't listen to you.

If you wanna command bots, I say wait for BF2, that'll be a good one for commanding and teamplay as long as players don't act all lame n' like renegades...