bots build but won't attack Options

[billcat]

Hello,

I'm running linux rcbot1.1. via metamod using the new steam hlds and natural selection. NS/hlds/whichbots seem to work ok otherwise. I seem to be having the oppsosite problem sandman is having. I have bots that will build all over the place but won't attack at all. The bots will build RTs and hives and move around quite a bit. They do rush the marine base but when they get there they just wander around and do nothing. Also, if I run towards their base I can enter their hive area and fire on the hive with no response.

Sandman had suggested I try the non mm version but I can't get the non mm version to work because of the existing i386 file missing error that other people reported in another thread, but I'm happy using the metamod version otherwise.

Currently I'm limited to having the whichbots as aliens and the rcbots as marines.

Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks,

Eric

[Sandman[SA]]

I did try to help billcat out the other night. I joined his server because I just had to see this. All his server settings seem correct. From what I saw, the aliens did have a 2nd hive up and had rt's everywhere but both teams refused to attack anything.

Makes you wish the marines could kick things cause it would have been funny as hell kicking them stupid skulk bots in the teath when they just stood there and stared at you, lol.

[billcat]

hrm, I wasn't aware that the marine bots weren't doing anything either, good catch sandman. In any case this seems odd. I'd be more than willing to allow some developers access to my box if it'd help solve this.

Thanks,

Billcat

[Cheeseh]

Bots not shooting wth? Make sure you're configs are set properly... installed right, all the rest...

make sure

config dont_shoot

is set to 0

i.e. config dont_shoot 0

I suggest using which bot for aliens anyway...

[billcat]

Here is my current config:

config commanding 0
config wait_for_orders 1
config dont_shoot 0
config chatting 1
config real_mode 1
config max_bots 8
config min_bots 4
config gorge_amount 0.4
# max path revs, the lower the setting
# the better CPU performance in the
# path finding algorithm, but it takes
# longer to find paths.
config max_path_revs 100

Which if I'm not wrong, is just the standard config, I think I changed the max/minbots but that's it.

I'd use whichbots as aliens but they are attacking and not building!!! I'm trying to nail down if this is a map problem, I know it's not related to rcbot, but that's why I'm trying to use rcbots as aliens. So far I've got whichbots that attack well but don't build, and rcbots that won't attack even if you kick them in the head, but build great. At this point I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong with the NS/steam install, but a player vs. player game goes without a hitch.

Anything else I can try?

[Cheeseh]

all I can think of is Steam, it's evil for me bots I haven't got it so I can't test on it, and I don't intend to get it unless absolutely necessary. And it's already killed off a lot of bots & mods out there with their client stuff.

[billcat]

Hrm. Not to be pro-steam, because I know it has caused some people issues, but you really should try it. having all the mods my server runs get updated on the fly is pretty nice, I used to have to dl patches all the time and keeping several mods running up to date all the time was a pain in the ass before.

On my linux box I created a seperate steam dir from my existing hlds install and had it install there. This way I can run hlds orig or steam, so you should be able to at least try it without hosing yourself up too bad. Be sure to not choose to remove your existing files if/when you install the client and then you can do the same dual play on the client as well.

99% of the steam/NS issues have been resolved at this point so if you're into NS that's not an issue either.

As for it being "absolutely necessary" I know valve has plans to remove the WON servers at some date, and while that date has been pushed back quite a bit due to the delay of HL2/hacking issues, I've got no reason to not be an early adopter. At the very least I get to experience interesting issues with bots like this one. I know sandman has been running it on his servers as well and doesn't have any issues under windows, so perhaps this is a linux only issue and has nothing to do with steam.

[billcat]

OK, I've now seen this via both the MM and native dll under linux and they both appear to work the same. I playtested it some more and I think I have some idea what's going on. The bots seem to get in their head that they are going to attack a given target and won't change their minds. For example once they decide to attack a TF they continue attacking it even if I come up behind them and start blasting them. If nothing is in the area and they decide to attack me that works a bit better, they will attack me.

Is there code to get a bot to change targets from say a static TF to an active player? The TF was electrified and attacking the alien bot but an active player is a much larger threat.

Also I noticed the bots get stuck a lot. After a bit(5 min or so) they finally just drop off the server and another bot joins. The whichbot has portions of the unstuckpro code in it that the bots seem to use, and quite well. I'm not sure what the code reuse policy is with unstuck and bots but it'd be nice if bots could do that. In the NS mod it happens pretty often with cmdrs dropping objects in on top of players/bots. At the least it'd be nice if they would try 'say /stuck' on servers that have unstuck pro loaded.