Tactical AI Kit 2.0 + Weapon Pack Released!
by Bryce · 02/27/2014 (10:55 pm) · 43 comments
First of all, I want to start this off by saying that I'm sorry this update took... oh God... that really took 3 years, didn't it? Sure did. If you want some assurance that this update is going to be a big one, the three years of feature creep the kit went through should be some consolation.
The much anticipated (I hope?) update to my AI solution is now available to download through the HNGamers store . This update comes with plenty of bugfixes, tons of new features, and an improved Creator interface to improve workflow. We also see the introduction of the TAIK Weapon Kit, which provides weapons and polished FPS mechanics to aid in the production of your game.
Never heard of the Tactical AI Kit? Fret not. Over the last several years, I've been building a set of artificial intelligence code and artwork that you can plug into your project. The AI is set around typical FPS combat, and they are smart -- scarily smart, but without cheating. They can only see things that they can actually see, so there will be no magically knowing anyone's position or anything unfair like that. They'll use cover, toss grenades, assist their friends, and much more. My ultimate goal was to be able to fight an enemy that was smart enough to be a formidable opponent without resorting to making them superhuman; I wanted to be outsmarted, and that's what I made.
Take a gander at the full feature list:
New Features
- Integrated Recast pathfinding allows you to define walkable area in your map in minutes
- Refined Creator interface
- Precompiled grenade trajectories: AI can now throw grenades to places they cannot see by tossing them through windows or bouncing them off of walls.
- "Battle Chatter" system allows AI to dynamically and audibly communicate with each other
- New animations for using and sliding into cover, throwing grenades, walking, and more
- LOD for AI: fine tune AI resource usage through the Creator by limiting cover searching and thinking based on distance from human players
- Improved AI assist functionality: AI Players will actively move toward the sound of combat
- Revamped cover functionality
- AI players will sneak up on close, unaware enemies for a clean melee kill
- Many bugs fixed, a huge amount of settings and behaviors redesigned and tuned up
Existing Features
- Fully dynamic AI solution that encourages replay value by randomizing select behaviors and avoiding doing the same thing twice. Players are able to sneak past AI to avoid conflict if they want to (and if map design permits)
- Complete multiplayer compatibility
- AI Players will seek out cover when attacking threats, hiding while taking fire and leaning out to attack threats
- Complex reaction state for realistically reacting to gunfire, bodies, sniper fire, and much more
- Alert level system starts NPCs off in a casual, non-alert state. This alert level changes depending on what happens around them.
- Zone system and an AI Manager will disable AI Players in a level depending on the position of human players to improve performance
- Squad support allows you to group any number of AI together. Objectives can be given to an AI squad leader to lead his men, or a human player can command them to move, hold, and regroup.
- Built-in respawning capability
- Complex vision system will factor in light, fog, and the color scheme of your level
For those looking for an easy way to implement common FPS mechanics, look no further. I am including this pack with the Tactical AI Kit because I got a lot of requests for assets from the demo, so this is for those who were interested in getting features from it.
- 28 weapons from the demo included
- Attachment support for sights, sound suppressors, and grenade launchers
- "Aim down the sight" mechanic supports iron sights, various optics, and sniper scopes
- Weapon reloading, bolt-action and pump-action supported
- Two primary weapon slots and one pistol slot
- Bullet penetration: rounds will punch through thin surfaces
- Melee takedown system lets you make flashy up-close fight animations that work for both humans and AI
- High quality sound and particle effects for gunfire, bullet impacts, and explosions
- Full multiplayer support
- Custom weapon GUI showing ammo count, attachments, weapon name and graphic
This is essentially a true FPS starter kit, this is a very good solution for those looking for a good starting template to build a FPS off of. With most of the common shooter mechanics already built in, you'll save yourself a lot of time.
TAIK 2.0 comes with the AI Kit, full documentation in text and video form, the latter now being available on YouTube, and the code + assets for the Weapon Pack.
If you already bought a copy of the kit, you get 2.0 for free! That includes the weapon pack. I'll send an email out to current TAIK owners, but if you didn't get it, give me a heads-up at tgebryce@yahoo.com and I'll make sure you get hooked up.
You can be the judge of that; I encourage you to play the demo! Keep in mind the AI has changed since the demo, so they are even smarter and run more smoothly now than they did when I released this demo last spring. TAIK 2.0 will contain all artwork, weapons, and mechanics you see in the demo -- the AI is in the AI Kit half, and everything else is included with the weapon pack.
The TAIK Stealth Challenge is still a thing! In my last blog, I mentioned that anyone who could complete the Snatch and Grab mode in the airport without killing or alerting anyone would get a free copy of the kit. Turns out you guys are actually really good at that, making that a huge mistake, but I'm still willing to offer %20 off the kit to anyone who completes the challenge.
Is it time for the big link to the store? Yes?
Drop a comment below if you have any questions about features or otherwise, I'll be glad to answer them. Happy Torque'ing everyone!
The Tactical AI Kit 2.0 + Weapon Pack
Now available for Torque 3D 3.0 and 3.5
The much anticipated (I hope?) update to my AI solution is now available to download through the HNGamers store . This update comes with plenty of bugfixes, tons of new features, and an improved Creator interface to improve workflow. We also see the introduction of the TAIK Weapon Kit, which provides weapons and polished FPS mechanics to aid in the production of your game.
Wait... what?
Never heard of the Tactical AI Kit? Fret not. Over the last several years, I've been building a set of artificial intelligence code and artwork that you can plug into your project. The AI is set around typical FPS combat, and they are smart -- scarily smart, but without cheating. They can only see things that they can actually see, so there will be no magically knowing anyone's position or anything unfair like that. They'll use cover, toss grenades, assist their friends, and much more. My ultimate goal was to be able to fight an enemy that was smart enough to be a formidable opponent without resorting to making them superhuman; I wanted to be outsmarted, and that's what I made.
Take a gander at the full feature list:
Tactical AI Kit Feature List
New Features
- Integrated Recast pathfinding allows you to define walkable area in your map in minutes
- Refined Creator interface
- Precompiled grenade trajectories: AI can now throw grenades to places they cannot see by tossing them through windows or bouncing them off of walls.
- "Battle Chatter" system allows AI to dynamically and audibly communicate with each other
- New animations for using and sliding into cover, throwing grenades, walking, and more
- LOD for AI: fine tune AI resource usage through the Creator by limiting cover searching and thinking based on distance from human players
- Improved AI assist functionality: AI Players will actively move toward the sound of combat
- Revamped cover functionality
- AI players will sneak up on close, unaware enemies for a clean melee kill
- Many bugs fixed, a huge amount of settings and behaviors redesigned and tuned up
Existing Features
- Fully dynamic AI solution that encourages replay value by randomizing select behaviors and avoiding doing the same thing twice. Players are able to sneak past AI to avoid conflict if they want to (and if map design permits)
- Complete multiplayer compatibility
- AI Players will seek out cover when attacking threats, hiding while taking fire and leaning out to attack threats
- Complex reaction state for realistically reacting to gunfire, bodies, sniper fire, and much more
- Alert level system starts NPCs off in a casual, non-alert state. This alert level changes depending on what happens around them.
- Zone system and an AI Manager will disable AI Players in a level depending on the position of human players to improve performance
- Squad support allows you to group any number of AI together. Objectives can be given to an AI squad leader to lead his men, or a human player can command them to move, hold, and regroup.
- Built-in respawning capability
- Complex vision system will factor in light, fog, and the color scheme of your level
TAIK Weapon Pack
For those looking for an easy way to implement common FPS mechanics, look no further. I am including this pack with the Tactical AI Kit because I got a lot of requests for assets from the demo, so this is for those who were interested in getting features from it.
- 28 weapons from the demo included
- Attachment support for sights, sound suppressors, and grenade launchers
- "Aim down the sight" mechanic supports iron sights, various optics, and sniper scopes
- Weapon reloading, bolt-action and pump-action supported
- Two primary weapon slots and one pistol slot
- Bullet penetration: rounds will punch through thin surfaces
- Melee takedown system lets you make flashy up-close fight animations that work for both humans and AI
- High quality sound and particle effects for gunfire, bullet impacts, and explosions
- Full multiplayer support
- Custom weapon GUI showing ammo count, attachments, weapon name and graphic
This is essentially a true FPS starter kit, this is a very good solution for those looking for a good starting template to build a FPS off of. With most of the common shooter mechanics already built in, you'll save yourself a lot of time.
So What Do I Get?
TAIK 2.0 comes with the AI Kit, full documentation in text and video form, the latter now being available on YouTube, and the code + assets for the Weapon Pack.
What If I Already Own the Kit?
If you already bought a copy of the kit, you get 2.0 for free! That includes the weapon pack. I'll send an email out to current TAIK owners, but if you didn't get it, give me a heads-up at tgebryce@yahoo.com and I'll make sure you get hooked up.
How Do I Know This is Any Good?
You can be the judge of that; I encourage you to play the demo! Keep in mind the AI has changed since the demo, so they are even smarter and run more smoothly now than they did when I released this demo last spring. TAIK 2.0 will contain all artwork, weapons, and mechanics you see in the demo -- the AI is in the AI Kit half, and everything else is included with the weapon pack.
The TAIK Stealth Challenge is still a thing! In my last blog, I mentioned that anyone who could complete the Snatch and Grab mode in the airport without killing or alerting anyone would get a free copy of the kit. Turns out you guys are actually really good at that, making that a huge mistake, but I'm still willing to offer %20 off the kit to anyone who completes the challenge.
Is it time for the big link to the store? Yes?
Buy the Tactical AI Kit 2.0 + Weapon Pack for $84.95!
Drop a comment below if you have any questions about features or otherwise, I'll be glad to answer them. Happy Torque'ing everyone!
#2
Good job Bryce, congrats on the update.
02/28/2014 (1:06 am)
Woohooo ... can't wait to get my email. 8-}Good job Bryce, congrats on the update.
#3
02/28/2014 (2:53 am)
So cool. Really glad to see you back, Bryce, and congrats on the release! Time does fly, doesn't it? 
#4
02/28/2014 (3:47 am)
Welcome back, the update sound good.. 
#5
Basically, how flexible is the kit? Is there a way to have a look at the full documentation?
Again, congrats on the release!
02/28/2014 (5:36 am)
Very cool...I already thought further dev on the kit had stopped. Obviousely the kit is very geared towards FPS, but would it be easy to use for other gametypes as well? For example, a top down shooter, or using the rts tutorial from the T3D docs with this kit....Basically, how flexible is the kit? Is there a way to have a look at the full documentation?
Again, congrats on the release!
#6
02/28/2014 (5:44 am)
Cool stuff Mr.B! And congratulations that you are still going strong. 
#7
I am pretty sure I bought your original kit (not at home atm) and even if I didn't, am sure I will garb this asset when I get time.
Congrats on the release, and I hope it brings you many sales, so you can continue your work in this area of T3D development.
Hewster
02/28/2014 (8:36 am)
The release of this update after such a long gives me an odd wobbly feeling in my stomach :)I am pretty sure I bought your original kit (not at home atm) and even if I didn't, am sure I will garb this asset when I get time.
Congrats on the release, and I hope it brings you many sales, so you can continue your work in this area of T3D development.
Hewster
#9
02/28/2014 (2:57 pm)
Woo! Awesome work! 
#10
I have sent u a e-mail regarding the update
my Brycesoftware Order is #58
hope you can fix me up with the new taik, thanks and godpseed
02/28/2014 (3:11 pm)
@Bryce, nice one finally ;)I have sent u a e-mail regarding the update
my Brycesoftware Order is #58
hope you can fix me up with the new taik, thanks and godpseed
#12
02/28/2014 (6:55 pm)
Order 56, can't wait to play with this!
#15
You get the full source code, so you'll be able to modify it to your liking! It's definitely geared more toward a typical FPS, but by adjusting a few things like sight range, it could work in a top-down perspective as well. If you're just using TAIK and not the weapon kit, it's just AI -- how you use it is up to you. The video documentation is on the YouTube channel, the text documentation can be found here.
It's hard to avoid modifying files, but I tried to keep that to a minimum. The documentation shows you how to use WinMerge to integrate changes, so you can either replace entire files or just specific parts at a time, and all changes are marked with either //TAIK or //TAIKWeapons. I tried to make the installation process easy enough for me to do repeatedly without wanting to pull my hair out, and I'm willing to help get it installed if you need to! As far as UAISK goes, I haven't the slightest clue, I've never used it. TAIK AI code goes in their own separate files (as opposed to modifying aiPlayer.cs), so it might not take too much effort to get them to coexist.
03/01/2014 (12:27 pm)
I re-sent the email, if you guys still aren't seeing it let me know!Quote:...would it be easy to use for other gametypes as well? For example, a top down shooter, or using the rts tutorial from the T3D docs with this kit. Basically, how flexible is the kit? Is there a way to have a look at the full documentation?
You get the full source code, so you'll be able to modify it to your liking! It's definitely geared more toward a typical FPS, but by adjusting a few things like sight range, it could work in a top-down perspective as well. If you're just using TAIK and not the weapon kit, it's just AI -- how you use it is up to you. The video documentation is on the YouTube channel, the text documentation can be found here.
Quote:Do you have instructions ore something to show us; I'm asking this because I would like to know how deep the changes are. I bought other kits in the past and never used those because they replace significant parts of the files instead of replacing pieces of code. With an existing project it's always a bit problematic.
And it's not compatible with UAISK I assume?
It's hard to avoid modifying files, but I tried to keep that to a minimum. The documentation shows you how to use WinMerge to integrate changes, so you can either replace entire files or just specific parts at a time, and all changes are marked with either //TAIK or //TAIKWeapons. I tried to make the installation process easy enough for me to do repeatedly without wanting to pull my hair out, and I'm willing to help get it installed if you need to! As far as UAISK goes, I haven't the slightest clue, I've never used it. TAIK AI code goes in their own separate files (as opposed to modifying aiPlayer.cs), so it might not take too much effort to get them to coexist.
#16
By the way, I also have no download link after purchase. I was order number 61.
Anyway thanks, I look forward to using this kit.
03/02/2014 (12:11 am)
After playing the demo and seeing the weapons with iron-sights in action I had to get this. Awesome job! This will save a lot of time. I also just got UAISK so perhaps I can find out if they work together, either way I will most likely use them separately for different projects.By the way, I also have no download link after purchase. I was order number 61.
Anyway thanks, I look forward to using this kit.
#17
would one use a navmesh enabled build?
or follow the instructions as in the docs on a non navmesh enabled project?
03/02/2014 (4:43 am)
how will the build for 3.5 work with the inbuilt navmesh support?would one use a navmesh enabled build?
or follow the instructions as in the docs on a non navmesh enabled project?
#18
Emailed you the link!
There were some very minor changes to the nav code in the TAIK version (default settings, I believe), I think you can either use the TAIK nav files in a non-navmesh enabled build, or skip the TAIK nav files and use a navmesh enabled build. TAIK uses one navmesh called "Mesh1" in your levels, so as long as your walkable area is set up using a navmesh called "Mesh1," you shouldn't need to do anything else.
03/02/2014 (6:29 am)
Quote:I also have no download link after purchase
Emailed you the link!
Quote:how will the build for 3.5 work with the inbuilt navmesh support?
There were some very minor changes to the nav code in the TAIK version (default settings, I believe), I think you can either use the TAIK nav files in a non-navmesh enabled build, or skip the TAIK nav files and use a navmesh enabled build. TAIK uses one navmesh called "Mesh1" in your levels, so as long as your walkable area is set up using a navmesh called "Mesh1," you shouldn't need to do anything else.
#19
03/02/2014 (6:43 am)
Great! Got it, thanks for the quick reply. 
#20
It can be, to a limited extent. I worked on a 1.2 project with Sean Rice in which we merged TAIK, UAISK and my own Beast/Vehicular AI. Things to bear in mind:
Bryce, Acaster's 'recast resource' and my AI use a 'Player Array' in which all players/bots are kept. UAISK and the old FGE use SimGroups. My solution was to copy AIPlayer.h/cpp to a new file, AITactical, and then replaced 'AIPlayer' with 'AITactical' in the TAIK scripts. I then modded the targeting to account for the new class. Then I was able to use UAISK as the 'extras' in a scene, i.e. cannon-fodder and nps for the Tactial bots and human players.
Essentially, if you set them up as different classes, and only do the basic [non-team] install of UAISK you can get them to play together. IMHO, I think a full integration of the two would be so involved, you'd be better off starting off from scratch...
03/02/2014 (8:42 am)
Quote:And it's not compatible with UAISK I assume?
It can be, to a limited extent. I worked on a 1.2 project with Sean Rice in which we merged TAIK, UAISK and my own Beast/Vehicular AI. Things to bear in mind:
Bryce, Acaster's 'recast resource' and my AI use a 'Player Array' in which all players/bots are kept. UAISK and the old FGE use SimGroups. My solution was to copy AIPlayer.h/cpp to a new file, AITactical, and then replaced 'AIPlayer' with 'AITactical' in the TAIK scripts. I then modded the targeting to account for the new class. Then I was able to use UAISK as the 'extras' in a scene, i.e. cannon-fodder and nps for the Tactial bots and human players.
Essentially, if you set them up as different classes, and only do the basic [non-team] install of UAISK you can get them to play together. IMHO, I think a full integration of the two would be so involved, you'd be better off starting off from scratch...
Torque Owner Nils Eikelenboom
Studio DimSum
Congratulations with the release,
it's looking real good!!!
Do you have instructions ore something to show us; I'm asking this because I would like to know how deep the changes are. I bought other kits in the past and never used those because they replace significant parts of the files instead of replacing pieces of code. With an existing project it's always a bit problematic.
And it's not compatible with UAISK I assume?
Edit: Btw, you have a double blog post!