RTS Starter Kit Questions.

#1 I might be wrong, but I don't believe there is any intelligence built into the RTS starter kit, as it's a basic starter kit and every game will have a different pathfinding implementation... If there is anything, it'll be a very simplistic move to location function with no obstacle avoidance built in.

Personally, I've never used it, my reply is based soley on the posts I've read...

#2 Well cause if you do a normal setmovedestination.. they will walk and say.. hit a wall... and keep trying to move forward. I don't see how it's possible to make a RTS game without the ability to not run into things. Especially from the pictures. shows like 100 troops on the screen.. i don't see how you could get anything done if the characters run into each other and stop.

#3 The whole point is you're supposed to start with the starter kit and write the extra functionality you need. It's a starter kit, not a "game-in-a-box".

#4 Well personally, i feel that's something that should be part of a starter kit, if not the base engine. I don't see pathfinding as something so different from game to game. Most creatures will avoid running into things if they can.

#5 Hi Ramen.
Pathfinding is closely tied to the game. There are a *lot* of different situations that different games implement in different ways.
For example, if I want that my troops are capable of entering into a building (think about the terran bunkers in starcraft, for example) they should *not* try to avoid the building. Enemy troops, on the other side, must avoid it...
What if my troops are able, as another example, to climb some walls and other troops can't?
Maybe some units can walk through some obstacles while others can't. There are a lot of possibilities...
However, pathfinding is not so difficult to implement, and if you search on the web you will find many different solutions (A* for example). Just choose and modify one that suits your needs.

In the RTS kit, you will find a lot of useful code (unit selection, camera movement, minimap, etc.) and it will help you a lot, if you are making a strategy game.

Bye,
Jacopo

#6 Yes, the "missing" path finding thing was a suprise on one hand, but on the other, i can understand the arguments for a different project-by-project solution. for me it's a difficult situation, cos my area of skills isnt programming, and, believe me, it is quite almost impossible to find people, who are really wanting to join a gameproject, if there is no financial output involved in first place.

what i really had appriciate is a basic pathfinding solution added in the rts kit, which, for example is just used for evading dts objects with a collision mesh, so, for a prototyp, it is actually possible to create a multiplayer test version to attract interested people.

sure, if someone, and that will happen for sure, needs a more specific implementation of pathfinding, it wouldnt hurt if there was still something easy in first place.

ka
www.3dtowns.at

#7 @Philipp
Yes, I understand your situation, and the difficulties that you are finding.
I see from your profile that you are an artist. Maybe the best solution for you is to make a prototype showing your skills (a few maps, with some buildings and units that you created). This way you could show to other people what you can do, and find someone interested in joining you. It doesn't matter if the units walk through the buildings... fixing that is a programmer's job, and not an artist job.

BTW, if you search the forums and resources, you will find some pathfinding code for torque. Maybe that could help you.

Bye,
Jacopo

#8 Wow sure would make the package a lot more desirable if it had pathfinding. that seems really basic to a RTS!

that said, seems like torque needs a general ai/pathfinding module for $49 or $99 or whatever.

#9 @ Ryan,

I feel your pain.

Collision would be nice.