jeudi 1 mai 2014

Dem Bots (behaviour suggestions)

Its a vexing thing, but emulating real life players with AI seems somewhat of a challenge.



But Bots are good. They impact on pings far less than human players and could be a way to break the 64 player cap...



...If only they could act appropriately.



I suggest taking a new look at the tasks bot perform and redefine what they do with the assumption that robots can in fact do many things in an appropriate way. The ideal might be that servers kept 4-8 bots in game even after reaching 64 human players.



Here are a few suggestions as things to do in supplement to current bot actions.



REACH CAP AND HIDE. Or simply go prone behind cover once in cap zone (behind cover defined as cover relative to axis of attack).



REACH CAP, BOOBYTRAP AND HIDE. Note that this suggestion beckons boobytraps for more fractions. But does not require it.



TAKING FIRE OR WOUNDED? GO PRONE. Self-explanatory



TAKING FIRE OR WOUNDED? CHANGE FIREPOSITION. Self-explanatory.



AUTO-MISS FIRST SHOT. Have bots aim off target. For auto weapons its good anyway as (I at least) generally let recoil walk me into target. For bolt action its also good as it removes the laser aim feeling we sometimes get when shot by bots.



AMMUNITION RESUPPLY. Bots should be good at that. If anyone calls out for ammo, then bot delivers (note: preferrably not all the bots as that would look silly).



AMMODUMP RESSUPPLY. Would require a new feature for ammospots that track ammunition at the ammo spots (each player or bot reaching an ammospot hands off random xxxx ammo of yyyy type(s) in addition to automatically resupplying self Timer is removed and ammunition of each type at each dump is tracked). Justified by giving bots an extremely important job to do.



MAN ANY AND ALL STATIC MGSs. Engage in both blind fire towards enemy and at identified targets. Subject to taking cover or leaving MG if fired on heavily. Bots would need to automatically leave MG if a player wants to use it. Note that this function could be useful for mappers. Edge of some maps could have a zone of open ground before actual edge that is covered by static mg way back to rear. Nothing stops players from reaching edge of map except that pesky bot manned MG at the rear with oversight.



USE MORTARS. Bots can theoretically be very good at this. Move to ammospot location outside of active caps. Hide and fire indirectly at targets called out or revealed by arial recon. This is a good role to point of actually reserving a mortar to bot only. Beckons adding 50 and 60 mm mortars to more fractions.



USE MGs IN OVERSIGHT. Bots set up using normal covernodes, but at a minimum distance of 125 m from nearest identified enemy.



USE ANTI-TANK RIFLE IN OVERSIGHT. Same as above. Trick is keeping distance.



FOLLOW SQUADLEADER. Bots move to Squad Leader or where directed by SL. Similar as functions existing today, but bots need to be aware of spacing (stay 5 m away from anyone) and need to follow the 5 first points of these suggestions.



SURRENDER. Bots will under certain circumstances (for example when in spawn protection zone, or in cap that was just lost) drop their weapons, raise their hands and try to surrender. For example by walking directly to nearest enemy with hands raised or behind neck. After that they jog back to closest enemy spawn. Idea is to have a trickle of defeated enemy soldiers being passed by friendlies moving towards front. -1 point for killing surrendered troops. +2 points for accepting a surrendering soldier (you are the guy they walk up to). Perhaps add a ticket for each prisoner captured to team capturing them (defined as each bot reaching enemy spawn area. Dont blow them up though. Let them evaporate). Several achievements based on this.



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Thats all for now. But I think the general thought on what bots could be good at is valid. They suck at certain things they do now, so it would be good to de-emphase those roles and emphasise others.



Feel free to pass on to AI guy for his consideration :)




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