Map assessment and pathing enhancements

[Nelsona]

A couple of testing results.
Since map is poorly loaded with items categories, when Bot goes loaded it won't have too many plans for roaming forward. If it comes to other Bots oriented in hunting things turn out in a different way. Mainly out of any external support, using original UT, this network looks operational with a good response disregarding the size.
I'm thinking if it needs more other completions - they actually don't help if Bot has no purpose to move...

DM-ViceCityFinal_rS1948.7z

(1.15 MiB) Downloaded 227 times

The thing is I won't play such thing, it takes time to find and destroy two enemies - I lost matches because I did not find any available victim in the right time. Loque was able to deliver more kills... Loque as MBot not plain Bot...

[evilgrins]

The thing is I won't play such thing, it takes time to find and destroy two enemies

I'm hoping XV will help that, as most of the vehicles cover more ground faster than a player on 2 feet can.

But we can tinker on that as it goes.

[Nelsona]

For "tinkering" from my point of view it would be nice a bit of polishing at the cube claimed SkyBox, play area cut at 1/3 of current size and height of map reduced at 1024. This size makes no sense to me for a plain DeathMatch, here and there using semi-solid brushes... but maybe is just me and my view...
In addition last time I was playing a lot that map DM-ManorFarm and the other DM-Giza... there is action, killing, being killed, ambushing and all specific DM party. Compared with fore-mentioned two maps here is like a dead place without any life form even using 8 Bots...
Such size of UT maps like I mentioned in the past is pretty much useless. Not a single time ON-Line players decided to vote another one.

In logic considerations, if you learn it, you will play where players are spawning and around items for having score... and then, the rest of space doesn't have any purpose...

[evilgrins]

I reached out to Anubitk, my skybox guy, or that... but haven't heard back from him yet.

[evilgrins]

Question:

When placing a new PlayerStart onto a map, other than specifying what team it's supposed to be for do I need to do anything else to it?

[Nelsona]

PlayerStarts as far as I know are working as follows:
- they are pointing places where Players are Spawned/Created:
- they are part of Navigation Chain and are hosting paths - if have a normal placement;
- certain Team games are using "Team" variable;
- PlayerStarts can be activated/deactivated when are triggered. Here 16 "Starts" can be "replaced" with other 16 "Starts" which will increase/change Spawning/Re-Spawning options.
With the rest of settings I've never messed up, it's not like a map needs sudden restrictions for some lousy reason.

Misc:
In random maps with a high charge in spawning room I prefer to except them from having paths and placing them higher for reducing "spawn-and-frag" events.

Techs: PlayerStarts normally added in navigation chain (placed before building paths) will recognize team deals. When Navigation Chain lacks in PlayerStarts, "TeamGamePlus" will try to operate with an iterator for finding a PlayerStart with any matter. Team looks ignored in this case and then maps requiring a "Team Area" for Spawning will go buggy, players will spawn elsewhere. If "Team Area" is mandatory all PlayerStarts must be in chain or else the rule is ignored.
Probably this issue was solved in 469 patches because Navigation Chain is being rebuild in run-time. Not the best idea for buggers placed in void and chained with no purpose. For me this 469 should detect a PlayerStart placed in wall and simply DELETING it and then relinking chain - which is doable using an external server actor / mutator instead of implementing it hard-coded in Engine without allowing this option to be disabled in case of some sudden damage.

[evilgrins]

My issue with them, at the moment, is determining if once placed are they active? Because I added 4 to a map and near as I can tell, no players are spawning out of them.

[Nelsona]

If "Team Area" is mandatory all PlayerStarts must be in chain or else the rule is ignored.
Probably this issue was solved in 469 patches because Navigation Chain is being rebuild in run-time.

[evilgrins]

Like the forum's new look, though it's a bit BRIGHT.

Back to basics, ish.

Centralized playing area with a surrounding outside but playable boundary.

Don't need Titans pathed, leave them as is.

When players fall out of the main playable area into the Titans' area, they have a hard time getting back into the playable area without getting killed. There's side ramps that can get them up there if they can reach them.

Though the biggest and most annoying issue is that each base has a ramp around the backside but bots never seem able to get up that ramp. They either stay near the bottom of it or simply run back & forth on it.

[Nelsona]

I'll look here in this afternoon.

Edit:
In da house... Oh well I opened map for figuring what's up.
Yes, it's interesting - somehow.
PathsChecker is reporting all items available from each PlayerStart. Here it comes that reversal might not be truly available, at least movement might not be pointed everywhere.

BC_0.PNG (332.96 KiB) Viewed 5670 times

By example this node shows exactly what Polge described in ramps but every single mapper doesn't care... PathNode being defined truly big even for a Skaarj, in ramps it is causing the lack of paths and then a fracture, destroying ALL ROUTE. This node has a single incoming connection coming from higher spot and actually has nothing from down side pointing a "cross-through". As result Bots won't love this ramp - more to do as damage is adjusting radius of PathNode making it bigger and more incompatible - it's plain stupid. The fix would be easy since MapGarbage has an option called bBotifyMyNodes. At bottom of ramp was added an useless PathNode nearby Vials but actually the problem was not there. Vials are driving routing without issues, the rest of parts are broken. Also I don't see any reason for overcrowding map this way but... let's say it might work after a bit of polishing (and CleanUp)...