Adding Computer Enemies for Single Player Mission.

#1 This is actually a challenge! I've explored multiple concepts while trying to put together a good design, but the main challenge is the fact that RTSUnit automatically "implies" having an RTSConnection.

There are a couple of strategies worth exploring:

A) Create an RTSAIConnection similar to the AIConnection from TGE and assign your computer controlled teams to that connection.
B) Hack through and intercept all communications to/from a client that are implied expected by the use of RTSConnection. In other words, find a way to short circuit what is sent to and expected from the player's RTSConnection, and set a boolean that allows your code to handle each type--an RTSConnection with a real player connected, and an RTSConnection without a real client attached to it. This shouldn't be too difficult, but will be very time consuming as you will need a large amount of test cases to make sure you tighten up -all- of the code associated with the modification.

#2 I want to go for a RTSAiConnection, but how do i have them actually join the game? where do you describe that there will be lets say 1, 2 or 3 computer opponents in a mission? =)

#3 You would call the usual on-game-join code, just passing it the RTSAIConnection instead of a normal connection?

#4 I'm sorry to bother you guys, but i just can't get it to run. i guess i'm confused on the ways multiple connections are created on one machine. i tried editing the "start demo" function.

function SM_StartDemo()
{
   %id = SM_missionList.getSelectedId();
   %mission = "starter.rts/data/missions/frenzy.mis";

   createServer("SinglePlayer", %mission);
   %conn = new RTSConnection(ServerConnection);
   RootGroup.add(ServerConnection);
   %conn.setConnectArgs($pref::Player::Name);
   %conn.setJoinPassword($Client::Password);
   %conn.connectLocal();
   
   // Just auto join
   commandToServer('PlayerReady', true);
}

Now i tried adding a bot, by adding the following code at the bottom of the function:

%conn = new AIConnection(Bot1Connection);
   RootGroup.add(Bot1Connection);
   %conn.setConnectArgs("Freud");
   %conn.setJoinPassword($Client::Password);
   %conn.connectLocal();
   
   // Just auto join
   commandToServer('PlayerReady', true);

now - the mission starts loading - but just never appears. it is indicated that one of the players is [Super] and the other is [Bot] - so that's something already. as mentioned; i think my reasoning about the creation of the connection and who owns them and controls them is clouded. would you guys minding shedding a little light? all i want is actually a few units that belong to the enemy and just stand around (and auto attack back when attacked; but got that code already)...

it's just that i got a deadline by the end of the month and doing a million things at a time; just getting rather paranoid. haha! thanks in advance guys :)
rutger

#5 Anyone? :(

#6 You don't need to do any connection stuff. That's all to... you know... establish a connection over the network. Which won't work. Because it's an AI. There's nothing there.

Just add it t o the group and go to town.

#7 Add it to what group? lol - i'm sorry man, but it's not as easy for people newer to the engine to have a clear overview of all these structures...

#8 Just set the connection to the same as the player, and have it so you cant control the AI's units.. because essentially it is the same connection.

#9 Do this:

%conn = new AIConnection(Bot1Connection);
   RootGroup.add(Bot1Connection);

connectLocal is blowing up for you.

#10 Robert: "Just set the connection to the same as the player, and have it so you cant control the AI's units.. because essentially it is the same connection."

I tried doing this; i add a few units with the %player.setControllingConnection(%this); set to the client - and if i had 1 unit with no controllingconnection, it crashes. It's either all controlled by 1 connection or none controlled by a connection. Any mixed combination crashes the engine.

Ben:
I removed the connectLocal code; and tried fiddeling around with it. I mean the code works, but as soon as i try to spawn a player for that connection, the thing crashes (i re-assigned: RTSConnection.createPlayer(...) to GameConnection.createPlayer(...) - so they both inherit the function. Guess it still doesn't like it much though.

i thought it wouldn't have to be as hard adding a few units that aren't controlled by the user and whom just fire back when encoutered. but i'm going banana's, my deadline is in 3 weeks and i really need to get this to work! :( please, any more suggestions or code would help me out... cheers.

#11 No spawn the AI exactly like you spawn the players. Same controlling connection. Add something to the unit when you create him like %player.isai = "1";
Then in side this code in commands.cs

function serverCmdAddToSelection(%client, %objID)
{
   %obj = %client.resolveObjectFromGhostIndex(%objID);
   %client.selection.add(%obj);
   
   sendAllStatsToClient(%client, %obj);
}

change it to this

function serverCmdAddToSelection(%client, %objID)
{
   %obj = %client.resolveObjectFromGhostIndex(%objID);
if(%obj.isai != "1")
{
   %client.selection.add(%obj);   
   sendAllStatsToClient(%client, %obj);
}
}

That should work, although it should be easier than that. Let me acually see how I do this in my game.
Acually couldent you skip all that and when you create on same connection just put on different team?
I know the way I do it is that all units have a .owner tag and so only the proper owner can control it. simmiliar to this.

#12 Have you considered just having "orphan" AI units that aren't tied to a connection at all?

#13 Did anybody get this to work?

#14 Did anybody get this to work?

#15 Reposts are bad. :)

#16 I just followed Robert's last post as a guideline; when creating the unit you set a 'newplayer.isai' variable indicating that it isn't controlled by the user. after this i set this enemy opponent's team to a different one from the user.

having set the units auto-attack any unit that is closeby and is not on their team; they started attacking each other. which is fine. this method is not very neat; but it gets the job done if you want it something simple like this =)

#17 @Ben, Ok my curiosity is piqued, how would one go about creating an Orphaned AI unit? What would the code look like. For my purposes, I basically just want a couple of units standing still or walking to random places, but I don't see how to spawn a computer controlled unit at all.

#18 Here is what I'm trying but it seems to segfault, and since I can't get RTS to compile, I'm stuck without the debug symbols to run a back trace, so at this point I'm a little clueless.

function addAIPlayer(%index,%spawnpoint,%name){
	//%index removed for testing, for now just spawn the botBlock
	echo("Entering addAIPlayer");
	%player = new RTSUnit() 
	{
		scale = "1 1 1";
		dataBlock = botBlock;
		shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/player/player.dts";
		path = "";
	};
	echo("AI Player was spawned");
     MissionCleanup.add(%player);
   %player.setShapeName(%name);
   %player.setTransform(%spawnPoint);
   %player.setMoveDestination(GetRandomLocation());
   return(%player);
}

#19 Ok, oddly enough I have found that this only segFaults if it's called before or after RTSConnection::createPlayer
If RTSConnection::CreatePlayer is never called there is no segfault, however the player created seems to have no body either.
There are no errors even with trace(1); invoked.
I'm stumped.

*update*
Taking cues from starter.fps I wrapped things up into a ScriptObject and am trying to use an aiPlayer.cs type of setup. Now I have no more segfaults, however even though the aiPlayer spawns, I cannot see him at all. If I go to the WorldEditor I do however see a bounding box.

I'm getting closer I feel it. Here is the code for my AIPlayer.cs for those interested. Also I just copied the code from game.cs that makes Kork spawn, it's in an identical location.

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// AIPlayer static functions
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

function AIPlayer::spawn(%name,%spawnPoint)
{
   // Create the demo player object

    %player = new RTSUnit() 
   {
      scale = "1 1 1";
      dataBlock = botBlock;
      shapeFile = "~/data/shapes/player/player.dts";
      path = "";
   };
   MissionCleanup.add(%player);
   %player.setShapeName(%name);
   %player.setTransform(%spawnPoint);
   return %player;
}

function AIManager::think(%this)
{
   // We could hook into the player's onDestroyed state instead of
   // having to "think", but thinking allows us to consider other
   // things...
   if (!isObject(%this.player))
      %this.player = %this.spawn();
   %this.schedule(500,think);
}

function AIManager::spawn(%this)
{
   %player = AIPlayer::spawn("Kork","0 0 400");
   return %player;
}

#20 Does anyone having a working Computer AI

if so please leave a detailed step by step process with source code :)