Leading NPCs, whatever the genre

[djkanuk]

Basically, I'll play any mod that makes really good use of HL2's new AI. The way the enemies and allies look like they will behave (eg, the Barney scene) would make it fun for a multiplayer game to also include a fair number of NPCs on each team.

For example, each human player would get to command a small squad (4-6) of NPCs against other squads of human players. It would be up to the other teams to figure out which was the human 'officer' to neutralize him and break the command and morale of the team.

This could work for almost any kind of multiplayer genre, DoD, CS, TFC, whatever.
-kanuk

 

[Stone]

Hmmm, I suppose this could be used to quench my first for propper scale online war gaming, where you could propperly simulate a battle field and not just have 4 sweaty cheats and you trying to score one frag, on an overly scaled or stupily cramped map.... something to think about really

 

[SidewinderX]

well, if you want to have a war simualtion, you proberly cant have very smart bots. Unless you are running 10Ghz with 10GB of RAM. AI routines are taxing on any syatem, and if you want a massive war going on....well...thats pretty hefty demands. but it would be awsome.

 

[Stone]

Well, Don't really need smart bots for a war simulation, espc if it's based in WWII, where you have the trench senario, where someone blows a whistle and they run at the other people firing randomly or was that WWI, hmm probably both..!

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

That was pretty much WWI. Perhaps the running of the A.I's could be pread out over all the clients or something. Also remember the old previews for TF2 they said about how you would have bots in multiplayer which would be pretty inteligent and if you wanted could back you up and follow you around as 'bodyguards'.

 

[ComradeBadger]

Originally posted by Stone
where someone blows a whistle and they run at the other people firing randomly

wow deja vu..... ever played Devastation....it's WW1 for PC, the same pointless combat, the same drab enviroments....i could go on for hours

 

[Stone]

Badger please don't get me started on that game..... :flame:

anywho, yer I it'd probably work if you sread it out over clients

and yes, I remember something like that, but then again TF2 promised the world... again proving the point about hype I made earlier...

 

[djkanuk]

If every human player had 4-6 bots running locally on their computer, how fast a connection would it take to keep all of their placement, direction, aim, etc, info in synch with the other players (each with their own 4-6 bots). Do you think there's a realistic chance of doing this with current machines (assuming most players will be on broadband, with some 56k-ers)?

I think the war scenarios sound good, but they're pretty much two-sided. I had been thinking about a sort of every-man-and-his-bots for himself... but team play with other squads of allies would be great as well and open up some interesting strategy options.

Another thought (I'm full of 'em tonight) is that you could have a wargame with the humans as infantry or whatever, and bots on either side contolling heavy weapons, tanks, armor, aircraft, etc. Ah, the mind boggles. Assault on Omaha beach, a la Saving Private Ryan (don't flame me if it wasn't actually Omaha beach they landed on in SPR!).

 

[Stone]

Yer, that sound cool

Although people do like to take contol of the tanks, planes etc, like in Battlefield 1942 (which i actually like, although those stupid planes GRRR!)

Anywho, It would be cool to use the computer to beef out the teams, and you don't necercelery (sorry, can't spell it or say it!?!) need to have it based on a real war, and if it was based on the World Wars, you could have several different sides: The Allies, The Russians, The Nazis, The Chinese..... Which all have their own individual advantages and disadvantages... for example the Chinese suicide bombers (which could be controlled by AI)

 

[Punisher454]

Basically, I'll play any mod that makes really good use of HL2's new AI. The way the enemies and allies look like they will behave (eg, the Barney scene) would make it fun for a multiplayer game to also include a fair number of NPCs on each team.

Invasion Earth: 1987 will use alot of AI characters. I'm planning the enemys to all be AI and you'll usualy be commanding a squad of soldiers. Sometimes there will also be a squad or two of friendly forcesin the same battle with their own objectives.
I too realy like commanding NPC's. I believe that from what we've seen so far the AI characters will be great.

I'm working on single player first, but if co-op pans out Co-op will be the only multiplayer. But always there will always be alot of NPS's around on My maps.
People all talk alot about graphics and physics in the newest generation of games, but the AI gets little attention. Thats why I totaly ditched UT2K3, it was worthless for mission based single player mods. I predict HL2 will draw some modders and mod players just because of the AI capability. Most of the other games out there right now suck for doing SP mods.