Map assessment and pathing enhancements

[Nelsona]

I don't know how much this map will work with original pathing devs, I did not try anything like that yet, but... pathing in XC mode just using blocking flexible nodes without AlternatePaths do look like are helping with toggling routes.
I see custom textures which probably are going crapped in 227 and then... this will make things harder with AIR routes, (it needs manual work) I did not establish anything for that.

I have to admit that map looks great and... XC does around 735 reachSpecs making a ground CTF to take place without more headaches. I need to test it for a while for any potential navigation lock-downs...

See if this one has enough pathing

CTF-[R3P]-TOXIC-REDUX-[SLV]_rS735.7z

(3.87 MiB) Downloaded 133 times

Else we can switch to original devs but for those it might need too much load.

[evilgrins]

Most of what I see of SLV maps are videos players make and usually it's just them flying by themselves. I like the idea of making it more of a challenge for them, bots who can steal the flag or adequately defend their flag against the incoming flying menace.

At some point I may attempt (as this is so not my thing) to adapt the coding ZenCoder used on some maps, that enabled team bots for CTF. Not listed as "player" but with actual names and team colors. Keep meaning to, but I've yet to actually try it; I'm not a coder.

[evilgrins]

Okay, remove pathing into warp zones. Bots keep getting hung up by those, and anyway... I think the warp zones are more shortcuts for players flying.

Tried SLV, RX, & the Flying Saucer... bots don't fly well... but I guess for bots that works best when not inside a building no matter how much open area there is.

[Nelsona]

No, wait a minute, this is a sample for ground CTF play - this doesn't have air routes. However, I did not see issues at warps (honestly they don't have more reasons for using those). Raynor was freelancing for a HealthPack but... not a lot of times. As long as XC builder will add paths there with any matter you can select All WarpZoneMarkers and set their ExtraCost 100,000,000 - this will lock down paths through warps - make them visible first "bHiddenEd=False".

AIR paths in maps tweaked with a sort of extra paths are working ONLY in RX versions having Bot Support in Mod as first condition - not old RX SLV mods. Second condition is map itself - here is required 227 with my tool. I'm afraid that saving map from there will screw textures and they will need fixed, perhaps even a map re-build if zones are going damaged. 227 is good but very evil in the same time - hell knows why were needed those changes in assets - brain-farts I'm guessing. Maps with stock textures do not seem to have issues, I've done a lot of edits over there. Here if you want AIR paths for monsters and SLV RX whatever, map will need to be adjusted manually in hoping that 227 won't destroy custom textures and zones.

If you want I can show a map with doubled paths, Ground and AIR paths, and that one works with last RX09c mod. For other SLV RX mods I cannot say anything, I can only sample what I tested and it's working in big parts, as clumsy as they are... If map has full AIR support but the mod used is trash, Bot's flight will be a myth. So far original flight support with Flag captures included was available and executed only in RX09 mod.

[evilgrins]

It wasn't happening often, but on a map that big 1 bot stuck in a warp zone can seriously make a battle uneven... though I largely only noticed it with the SKtroopers. Could their being slightly larger than a standard player be causing the issue?

SLV flew okay, but not a lot or turning and mostly only on the side paths, for some reason bots using RX launched sideways directly into walls... with the noted exception of just shooting it as a nuclear guided projectile which chased down a flag carrier nicely.

[Nelsona]

Probably I could do more if this would be visible in my testing stages but... I could not see issues.
In other hand I could use kickers for Bots or whatever customized triggers for altering directions but... I don't know what exactly do I need to do as long as I could not reproduce these. Mainly I would send them at RouteCahe[3] or RouteCache[2] using a code from Bot itself - Epic were showing this "HowTo".
If are very disturbing, ExtraCost can be increased and then they won't be interested about those ways. Of course, MapGarbage is helpful for changing these hidden actors as well.

[evilgrins]

Don't worry about it... it works well enough.

[evilgrins]

Actually, funny thing... the pathing works best for SLV but not RX.

Although, even with that, they fly to the enemy base and either jump off the SLV or crash... if they're not shot down.

Suppose it's just as well, while fun I think it would be hard to deal with bots flying in on SLV and getting the flag and then flying back to their base... although this has shown that defense setup and bots can potentially shoot SLV down.

[Nelsona]

In SLV Bot Support it's mainly a legend, a sort of myth. If mod would be supposed to spread additional guiding "paths" based on real ground paths they should be normal, but it's not like that. In last RX where I touched codes I could see what "guiding" was there in initial stage... and I could do something more closer to real flight paths if anyone else can do flight mapped paths not run-time "adds" with borked guiding...

[evilgrins]

I think we're good, this morning's test showed something interesting.

A bot ran to the other side, snagged the flag, and then launched SLV to fly it back to its base.