• Dnamro
  • First Strike Team Leader
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Topic: SP support plans for FS maps

This is an overview of the plans for each of the FS maps for SP/COOP support:

Bandomeer - I have the tops of the Imperial landing pads used extensively in this map as bases so that they can be pathed for bots.  Just need to test it out.

Ryloth - Still need to set up the Ryloth objects for bot pathing.

Yavin - Want to update the bot pathing for the space craft to avoid running into the towers.

Dathomir Prison -  This needs to be two maps.  One with just the prison complex, but I need to path the prison for the bots to use.   The other with the whole map, of which I have set up and in testing -- just need to track down some crashing issues with the pathing.

Endor Clearing -  The Ewok Water village is now bot pathed and being tested.   This map had a lot of changes since it was first pathed for bots and needed a new path to stop the bots from constantly running into trees.

Endor Strike Team - Pathed many of the buildings and structures for bots, but need to test them out. 

tattoine maps (Mos Entha, Bestine, Mos Espa)  - The space docks are now bot pathed and new expanded pathmaps have been created for Mos Entha and Most Espa.  I was working on updating the pathing for Jabba's Palace structure and some other areas to allow the bots to access the rooftops in some areas of Bestine.

Jundland Wastes - Testing the pathing for the Cantina and a Sandcrawler.  Have not done the pathing for the Lars Homestead Complex.

Lok Wastelands -  Need to finish pathing the large building in the center of the map along with the bridges that connect to it.

Null Sensor station -  This can be two maps.  One with the current SP support with a small battle at the base of the mountain.  The other is to support the full map, but I need to finish pathing the same large Building as in Wastelands.

Escape From Hoth -  This is workable as a SP/COOP map.  I need to set up the ISD model in the editor at water level to create an Aerial Height map to give the bots an artificial horizon so they won't crash into the ISD.  Then the same trick we used in Talloran -- we can autopilot a cap ship to fly to the objective.  The Bots will spawn in Ties in the sky as in Parmel instead of the ISD hanger.  Players can still take off from the hanger, but there is no way to get the bots to take off without crashing into it.

Silver Station - Tested this but there are too many automated sat systems to support a full 64 sized map.   The game engine is not designed to handle that many automated systems plus bots.   So a scaled back version is what would be required, possibly even making several versions of the map to be able to explore the whole map while playing with bots.   A version with fewer sats could also be used, but then the challenge is keeping the gameplay fun and exciting over a large area map.   The challenge of multiple versions of the maps is to make each map play differently because three maps that look a little different, but play exactly the same are boring.  What I see is the potential in this map for using this map for a variety of different gameplay modes.  The best part about this map is that it is not empty space.  There are a lot of things to see and fly around.  This overcomes the biggest problem of space map gameplay - that space is mostly empty and boring.  It also has a lot of objects that give the pilots an artificial horizon and helps to avoid disorientation.  One idea is an escort mission in support of automated shuttles or a cap ship.

  • Dnamro
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Re: SP support plans for FS maps

Update

- Endor Clearing has been updated and the improved AI support is ready.

- Silver Station - Figured out the crashing issue was due to bots flying outside the map boundaries, not because of  too many automated sats as I originally surmised.   Fixed with a custom combat area for the map.   Just need to find a way to liven up the game play for SP/COOP.  One problem is that the EMP sats are over powering.  It's like a trap, but once your stuck, without coordinated gameplay from your team mates to take out the EMP sat, you can't get free.    I am going to try replacing those with regular laser sats.

Tattoine map re-work of bot pathing - Have tested and  updated the AImeshes for some of the buildings where the bots were having some issues.  I  have updated AImesh  for Jabba's Palace that will allow bots to use both the top and bottom floors.   Just need to figure out the bug to get it to work.   Once I get that working, then I will be ready to redo the bot pathing for all the Tattoine maps in full 64 player sizes.

  • Dnamro
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Re: SP support plans for FS maps

Almost finished with AImesh for Jaba Palace.   Took a more in-depth look at the Dathomir Prison complex and the circular stairway in the center tower and that stairway is not going to work for the bots.  With only one other set of stairs to the second level the capability for the bots to fight on the second level is very limited.  Even though it is currently not required, it would greatly improve map gameplay with bots to give them more access to the prison.   The alternative is to create a version of the map with some extra ramps that will give the bots access to the second floor of the prison.   In the meantime, I can do a version of the map with only access to the first floor.

  • Dnamro
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Re: SP support plans for FS maps

I am keeping an updated status on a wikia page.  Some countries are blocked from reading this site:

http://firststrikemod.wikia.com/wiki/Si … ort_status

  • Kampher
  • Kampher
  • The Savior of First Strike 1.2
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Re: SP support plans for FS maps

Hey Dnamro,

I still check in from time to time. How's it going with the singleplayer maps?

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/3958/kamphersig4si.jpg
  • Dnamro
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Re: SP support plans for FS maps

Hey Kampher,

Good to hear from you.  I have renavmeshed a few of the maps with the updated AImeshes that I have been working on the past few years.  I found some issues and went back and fixed up some.   Finishing up AImeshes for the wrecked sandcrawler, main base on Null and doing some testing on Dath.   

Recently, I made a breakthrough with LOK and am now moving forward with that one.   That map has been a navmesh issue ever since it was released.  One of the lamp objects was sharing a collision mesh and the navmesh program did not like that.  Replacing the object fixed it.   Also, the map used several bundles that the navmesher did not work with such as the bridge and mining platform bundles.  I tried several things, but finally figured out that the best thing is to make custom Aimesh for each bundle.  So far, testing is going very well.   

As far as the multiplayer version of the mod, I have been having issues with Bandomeer.  Ever since I added Air only sp, it has issues stability issues.  It shows up in the coop rotation list even though it does not have that mode.  I tried removing SP and now it wont work CQ mode on a server.   I am planning to remove the map for now until I can add full SP support to the map, which I am working on.  That way we can post new updated server and client versions of the mod to prevent any of the compatibility/updater issues. 
Once I the map is ready, I can release it separately for the mod.  I am interested in playing around with autopiloted vehicles, like for an escort mission or just for effect.

Then I plan on releasing an updated sp focused version of the mod.  I was thinking about trying to integrate my sp updates into the main mod, but it takes so much time to test and without a team, it's just too time consuming.  There are a lot of changes that I made to the SP version of the mod that change the MP game, such as removing squad based unlocks, making more use of automated weapons.  By focusing on a separate SP version of the mod, I can release updates more often.   If there is enough interest in some map changes we can test that on MP just by adding a renamed map so the old map modes does not have to change.    Other stuff, like kit changes can be implemented into new version of maps.

I am hoping that with the MP issues resolved and new things being released for SP, that we can generate interest in getting help to continue the MP side of the mod.

  • Dnamro
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Re: SP support plans for FS maps

LOK, is working out nicely for SP.  Infantry navmesh could use some tweaks, but it is a working state right now.  I just redid the vehicle navmesh and need to do some testing.   I have come up with some new tricks for navmeshing those bridge bundles.   In fact, once I am done, the bots will be able to go just about anywhere the players can.

Once I have the AImesh for the wrecked sandcrawler completed, I will generate a test navmesh that will include all but the Lars Homestead area.

After that I will finish up testing on Bandomeer.