Couple General Podbot_mm questions

[Spiffyguy01]

I have been running podbot_mm on my server for a few months. It works very well and gives my players a beating. Thank you for writing it. I haev a few questions.

1. I have noticed of late that my bots seem to crowd up on a single waypoint and generally get in each others way, stuttering towards the goal. I am using beta 3.12 version now but I was seeing this behavior on the version before beta. I am wondering if this has anything to do with the PXP file. Is there too much information for them to process and they sort of run in circles.

This does not happen on every map and every occasion but it is becoming more frequent. I had the danger factor set to 900 since I had no CPU problems at all. I have since backed it down to the default 800 but I have not noticed much difference. The bots still do their job it just takes a little longer. Any suggestions?

2. Auto waypoint? Is this a new feature in the beta? How exactly does this work? I am starting to make my own map and this feature will probably be useful. Also will this be useful in resolving broken waypoints I have found on a few custom maps I have downloaded?

So far the beta works very well on my server. It is running AMXX 1.6 but I have tested it on my test machine with 1.71 and have had no problems at all. I can get you specs if you want them.

[Ancient]

In the short time I have been waypointing, I have had alot of trouble.

I don't think there is to many waypoints to actually have. I'm waypointing aim_awp3 right now, and I have tons of waypoints some really close some very far, and some clumped up and they don't get stuck. If they get stuck I would recomend adding other waypoints close by so they will brake apart and not clump and get stuck to eachother. I'm very noob at waypointing, it's seems to be the most logical method to me. They get stuck alot in militia and dust maps alot.

Auto waypoint, I have tested once, but it doesn't seem to help much when jumping around or doing ladders.

[Spiffyguy01]

well most of the maps I have are older maps. I did not waypoint them. In fact I think most were waypointed by soulfather. I have checked the points on the map and they are not too close together. The radius do not overlap. It just seems like they are trying to pile onto one waypoint rather then spread out.

[Ancient]

Deleteing and seperating waypoints and shortening the radii's will help prevent pile ups.

[Spiffyguy01]

I don't really think it is a problem with the way points but an issue with their choice of which one to go to. They all just seem to choose to go to the same one. Then they get piled up. As I said I am not sure if this is due to accumulated data in their expierience file that causes them all to choose the same path.

Setting danger level to 800 did not see to solve any of the pro

[Ancient]

Well bots love to choose a certain way, if it has a CT or T important infront of the way they should go.

Like dust2, where CT Start there is two ways out, and both ways should have a CT important before the exists. Also their spawn waypoints could be to close or not enough of them.

I experienced the pileup issue in de_ancient CT's kept piling up in CT Spawn, so I added more CT Importants and waypoints around and in their spawn area. The issue was solved

[KWo]

Originally Posted by Spiffyguy01

1. I have noticed of late that my bots seem to crowd up on a single waypoint and generally get in each others way, stuttering towards the goal. I am using beta 3.12 version now but I was seeing this behavior on the version before beta. I am wondering if this has anything to do with the PXP file. Is there too much information for them to process and they sort of run in circles.

They are trying to use:
1. Normal bots - safe and shorter paths (some avverage of these both elements)
2. Defend bots - a path safest as possible
3. Aggressive - the shortest path

They keep collect data about where do they got hurt / killed - then - normal and defend are trying to use the data to choose some good path . It almost doesn't affect aggressive bots (as they are also called psycho ones).
Once a bot decides about a path - it keeps continue it - if it stucks with some teamnate - it is trying to strafe a bit to unstuck and go ahead.

Originally Posted by Spiffyguy01

I had the danger factor set to 900 since I had no CPU problems at all. I have since backed it down to the default 800 but I have not noticed much difference.

I don't think You can notice some difference between 800 and 900. It's possible You are able to see the difference between 800 and 2400, but I don't know if your server has so much power to don't lag. But You can try.

Originally Posted by Spiffyguy01

2. Auto waypoint? Is this a new feature in the beta?

No - it's since oldest version of podbot mm I remember probably since 2.0 released by Count Floyd. Maybe it was even earlier, but I didn't try to make waypoints with 1.4c nor 1.4x versions.

Originally Posted by Spiffyguy01

How exactly does this work?

It checks if there is some waypoint in the area You should cover at Your origin (when You are moving as a host player or spectator on Your listenserver). Then - if in some certain radius there is no WP placed yet - the function places the "Normal WP" and connects this new WP to all existing ones they are in the AutoPathMaxDistance radius/area (max 8 ) - the same as when You place the WP manually.

Originally Posted by Spiffyguy01

I am starting to make my own map and this feature will probably be useful. Also will this be useful in resolving broken waypoints I have found on a few custom maps I have downloaded?

This function - no. But from the WP menu You can use the function "Check" and it teleport You to the first problematic place You need to fix. If it says "All nodes work fine" - t means there is no more problems with waypoints on the map.

You can take the All-In-One with podbot mm V3beta12, AMX X 1.71 and mm 1.19 - it works on windows and on linux. You just need to unzip everything into Your ...\cstrike (or ...\czero) folder.