Map assessment and pathing enhancements

[Nelsona]

Mostly bots travel between bases on that path on the right side and don't go much of anywhere else.

I have to figure criteria about this "right side", but in other hand I'm not surprised to see such "Single-Route" available. Whoever does these maps is plain ignorant, did not reading anything about CTFGame. There are multiple directions and options but AlternatePaths are missing, at this mapping/pathing skill I doubt to see anything else locking/toggling paths from time to time. Here and there also there are pathnodes placed near defenses and items causing only a load with zero help. Pathing here it's just for the sake of moving Bots and not really playing CTF as it was intended in EPIC's assets.
In that cave there is a "shieldbelt". Without using newer assets with a better paths view but using plain oldskool view it takes a few seconds to see these flawed and broken COMBOs.

VisibleBroken_FV.PNG (1.5 MiB) Viewed 3224 times

Image and explanations are for learning purposes not for defaming. Defaming happened when this trash was released this way untested and guessing based. In other hand a Bot using translocator doesn't need "BT-ing" at walls - it's CTF, there is no time for jumpy goats and useless reachSpecs.
It's cleaning time...

[evilgrins]

I have to figure criteria about this "right side"

Not that complicated, I meant the path that was on the right side of the screenshot... as in the literal right side of the picture.

[Nelsona]

I got something right now, multiple attacking routes but I really don't like those UTDM reactions at enemies, blues looks badly screwed in 469 and even in XC assets - yeah... SetEnemy fixes...

[evilgrins]

I had Warlords on initially, when players ran by it got their attention and they'd attack but they always fell into the water which slowly killed them... and eventually they'd respawn back where they started, which isn't too handy as they tend to wander after the respawn.

I didn't have the UTDMS when I first got this map.

Ultimately I may just dump both and go with Titans... map is big enough it practically demands something other than just players.

[Nelsona]

Like I said I wrote an aggressor and I increased their sight range because they will react based on this visual capability but... all it's fine in 436 440 and not in "High Tech" a la 2020 2021 which is pretty sad.

CTF-UTDM-Falls-Valley_rS1480.7z

(788.55 KiB) Downloaded 171 times

If this will need anything else, let me know...

[evilgrins]

I saw the aggressor in action, and I like it... though it too awhile for me to work out what they were shooting at. They target things that have walls between them or mountains, at extreme ranges. That's not a complaint, makes things more interesting.

There is however 1 thing, though it may not be fixable.

Monsters aren't dying, exactly. They lose all their health but keep running around and fighting. Skaarj eventually can die again if shot, though bots don't see them when dead even when Skaarj with no health is firing on them. Warlords keep shooting with no health, but they're invisible too... and falling in the acid does not kill the already dead.

Probably can't be fixed, but thought I'd mention.

Doesn't happen all the time, but it's happened more than once.

[Nelsona]

So... I could see those delayed actions and I was curious if it's about my slow rig machine or it's map - engine lager - or... I might want to check all battling factors...
Let me look inside again.

Edit: I think we can talk about Scriptedpawn's StakeOut VS whatever mutator calling a PreventDeath - I don't get what the heck is that supposed to do in that SkaarjBerserker stuff. Anyway I've added for ghosts another damage which will be repeated until pawn is dying properly and RESPAWNING instead of going dumb. Gratitude Note: Thank you, Epic, for writing "attacking" while pawn is dead - not enemy dead, dumb lolzers...

Edit2:
I have Inspected that mutator from package UTDMSkaarjBerserker. It's A MESS - I must say. This is copy-paste not coding. Take a look at GARBAGE:

Code: Select all

function bool HandlePickupQuery(Pawn Other, Inventory item, out byte bAllowPickup)
{
	// Monsters don't pick up stuff.
	//! Add more here.
	if(Other.IsA('UTDMWarlord')) //Yeah... Sure... Berserker is Warlord - after some drugs even my hen is a tank.
	{
		//Log(class$":HandlePickuQuery : UTDM refusing a "$item);
		bAllowPickup = 0;
		return true;
	}

	return Super.HandlePickupQuery(Other, item, bAllowPickup);
}

Did you see what is this ? Actually SkaarjBerserker is TAKING A PICKUP because this doesn't preventing anything.
Me, You and Anybody can clearly see this, only "The Coder" has some visual troubles here...
Of course it's refusing "a item" - in dreams... in reality it is NOT REFUSING anything because this is a SkaarjBerserker and it would be advisable to have this Mutator RENAMED for preventing trashing classes in Editor. I'm not surprised about unexpected reactions...

In end: if some day I will do a rework of these packages, I will add skinning support according to Team used - taking a skin accordingly. This will prevent screwed skins looking like an 100 years old broken carpet to take place and mess with renders.

[evilgrins]

If this possibly leads to a UTDMQ, I am all for that... but that's a discussion for another day.

Moving right along, MASSIVE map in need of assessing.

[Nelsona]

This version has a bit of fine tuning, it was okay with 469 440 XC non XC and monsters packages a bit wrapped... I don't know if it's helpful for original "packages":

CTF-UTDM-Falls-Valley_rS1480_h0.7z

(789.38 KiB) Downloaded 161 times

Now let me look at the next one.
Edit: Yup, this has following needs:
- FlagBases placed Normally and not like here - it's why is a TDM map not a CTF map;

Code: Select all

NoIncomingPath: PathNode372 is not having incoming connections.
NoIncomingPath: PathNode396 is not having incoming connections.
NoIncomingPath: PathNode412 is not having incoming connections.
NoIncomingPath: PathNode439 is not having incoming connections.
NoIncomingPath: PathNode440 is not having incoming connections.
NoIncomingPath: FlagBase1 is not having incoming connections.
NoIncomingPath: FlagBase2 is not having incoming connections.

- removing "desperate" PathNodes nearby FlagBases because this is not helping;
- for this bigger one I don't see AlternatePaths;
- it needs Balanced:

Code: Select all

StartingChecks: Map has 7 PlayerStart Actors for team 0.
Settings: 0 are Disabled and 7 are Enabled.
StartingChecks: Map has 12 PlayerStart Actors for team 1.
Settings: 0 are Disabled and 12 are Enabled.

Note: There is a wrong placed variable at MapGarbage for PlayerStart checking (if enabled/disabled) it will be fixed in next release...
Add Info: This map is demonstrating that another cleaner is needed - by example we do have SniperRifle2 and SniperRifle4 which are somehow the same - this is another sort of duplicated type even if has another name, it's in the same place with the same rotation and everything is the same. I think here was used re-wrapping actors without actually to delete doubled classes from the same spot generating InventorySpots and multiple reachSpecs - now I'm not surprised about funky Bots reactions...

[Nelsona]

Progress so far:
- TeleporterZone (noticed later) - Actually this was a myth, all play area was leaked at TeleporterZone and then only Engine was the good boy here preventing redundant teleporting and we are grateful for original Engine assets preventing these dumb events to take place - now it's fixed;

No_TeleZone.PNG (750.98 KiB) Viewed 3148 times

- Paths reduced and getting a total number of reachSpecs = 1625 not 5000+ and not duplicated the same classes in spot;
- removed extra spam actors from same places - a sort of duplicates;
- using AlternatePaths, Moving as Reachable FlagBases and deleted spam nodes around.

Next stage: Testing !

...
Done ?

CTF-Aztec_rS1625.7z

(1.01 MiB) Downloaded 166 times

Let me know if something is not very good here...