Map assessment and pathing enhancements

[Nelsona]

Tons of paths, AlternatePaths, less items that can be picked, No entry path at any of flags... Clearly it needs to be adjusted...

[Nelsona]

Here is something. You will point me any potential missing things.

CTF-UTDMS-7thHole_rS951.7z

(1.33 MiB) Downloaded 388 times

Edit Info:
- Cleaned Internal Spam data hosted in map;
- Deleted useless DistanceLiughtning0 (placed in void anyway);
- Deleted All 249 AlternatePath actors (only for Team0 Red) and remapped new ones;
- Deleted all Nodes and added new ones;
- Deleted HomeBase actors (they are useless in this context as they did not include anything set);
- Deleted Spam PatrolPoints as they were not dealing with anything neither linked each-other;
- Added combo for SniperRifle;
- Deleted Item from tree as it doesn't create a logic movement link;
- Corrected Both FlagBase actors - they will cause valid links even if they look un-chaged - I already explained elsewhere this "design" stuff in how to not trash out map);
- applying prepathing tweaks, built Goblin paths;
- nulled and deleted PrunedPaths;
- Replaced "Masked" Texture from "TreeLine" with one that is natively Masked and looks normal for all renders (even with this new MyLevel stuff, map went smaller as size on disk) - lol.

Does it need anything changed ? Let me know.

[evilgrins]

Does it need anything changed ? Let me know.

One thing, and I already know it without checking.

As you tend to not do this I normally do, but I currently can't.

Somewhere under LevelInfo you should add "pathed by Nelsona" as I like to credit all involved but you frequently don't credit yourself.

[Nelsona]

Ummm... Some of these edits with "Pathed by Nelsona" are getting modified and screwed up later. I do not have plans to mention my "contribution" for those future screwed up things. This version is normal, next one will be clearly rebuilt by someone which doesn't have any clue about sh!t when it comes to "Bot Pathing", and will generate a piece of crap, all players later saying that Nelsona claims pathing "skills" which he doesn't have... like that boy was doing in his amazing CTF lagger map, all my settings were properly trashed and saying that I helped him - fake news - it wasn't my work, I do not load useless data just for the sake of having paths.

[evilgrins]

General assessment overall, but 2 distinct issues.

1. For some odd reason some bots keep winding up on the far outer edges of the map when they spawn in. That's bad.

2. A couple spots have bots stuck running in place.

UTDMS are good as is, they don't need any help.

[Nelsona]

1. For some odd reason some bots keep winding up on the far outer edges of the map when they spawn in. That's bad.

Because those PlayerStart actors are mainly isolated out of paths - no routing can be mapped from there. They need some "easy to do" connections - unknown by mappers. For sure Read Team need to defend Blue Flag...

2. A couple spots have bots stuck running in place.

Yes, because certain PathNodes are for butterflies and others that are flying not for tiny Bots running on the ground... either way some PathNode was buried because probably he died for some reason...

About the stage, I have to do a direct examination at map because there are movers which I want to check what are doing (or not doing), and those places with "aerial routes" why PathNodes were placed that way (BSP problems or something else).

[evilgrins]

About the stage, I have to do a direct examination at map because there are movers which I want to check what are doing (or not doing)

There is an orbiting UT symbol which seems to serve no purpose, within the ring of stones... but I did see someone run into it and it teleported them, which either is due to it being a roving teleport or intersecting one.

May also be some secret passage stuff, could swear I've seen some of the stones move.

[Nelsona]

YES... There is some problem when it comes to Bot Support. Those are Teleporters which are connected in Editor with nearby PathNodes. When these are moved due to their embedded rotation paths are still connected going through walls and making engine to process useless dummies, either way making Bot to move in rocks.
Solution would be writing some "paths manager" running in background and removing those paths when are not in logic place, but I don't think it worth wasting time only for a map which is too "creative". I went to something more simple, removing forever all paths passing through those "mobile" Teleporters. If a Bot is being "kidnapped" by such a Teleporter it will resume navigation from top of rocks to main area - I added paths from top. Other "creative" spots I did not connected, it's only loading data in map and it's not like you have time to jump on walls when you play with 13 "players" in high skill. I added paths at edges because there were "resting-with-flag" places which I disagree and using AlternatePaths in said useless spots.
Basically here I see Bots playing well - still human player with Brain owns the game...

CTF-UTDMS-Stonehenge_rS1768.7z

(622.38 KiB) Downloaded 349 times

If somebody else wants to write some tool for managing paths when are not valid and back, feel free to do it.
Edit notes:
- paths are normal UT paths but... without PrunedPaths and dummies;
- deleted weapons from void;
- deleted duplicated weapons;
- adjusted "portal" for being used if Bot wants to do that;
- adjusted network properties for preventing lousy things in client player connected at a server;
- flushed useless bytes.

[evilgrins]

Stonehenge is working great!

Now, this one may seem familiar. I submitted it to ut99.org years ago for pathing help, and one person added weapons to it that I didn't want and put extra deemers where they weren't needed... long story short, I hated his version of it.

This I'm sending is my original edit.

So, assess please.

Also, if you recall the first teleport about halfway through causes confusion in bots.

[Nelsona]

There are more lousy useless things that are simply too many, they are bugging the stage more than helping if we talk about A.I. habits.
For those reading these and are slow minded there is a simple information: Any INVENTORY has a "RESPAWNTIME". Instead of loading a lot of trash this can be accelerated normally at 6 seconds or less and nothing gets hurt.
The rest of dumbness means 6000 health for a "WoodenBox" - it will require firing 6000 points damage for a free way. Any reason for such thing except some mental issues ? Are we hunting monsters or decorations ? This is "MonsterHunt" after all...