making units better via map actions and templates...

[Point]

in monster tag there are a bunch of map actions to choose from .... even more coming it seems...


how can these be used to make ai units or even the units you control better...

and do they all need aditional scripting...

say set ai medic always to heal wounded allies via just the map actions tag...

or set conscript units to run like scared rabitts if they suffer too much damage just via the map actions selection in the monster tag?

HOW bout a map action template that when a monster changing artifact was used had the other troops follow that unit.... like the rats follow the pipers music.... or better said the troops follow a commander when it had the artifact active...



this is all the documentation on it...

"Map Action Tag - This pop-up is for selecting a map action that will automatically be created for this unit when it is created in a level. Chickens and ambient life use this to create their wandering effects, and it is possible to create such things as ambient Wights with this tag."

[A-Red]

Giving a map action tag to a monster will not give it custom AI. It only works with actions that were made specifically for being assigned in the monster tag, and which don't have any variable parameters whatsoever. I think Peasant, Chicken, and Deer are the only ones.

But you're talking about things like having a Journeyman look for wounded units to heal, or a Dwarf who will dodge incoming arrows, yes? I've written pretty extensively about this sort of thing on the Wind Age forums, and my Advanced Scripting Tutorial should give you some pretty good ideas as well. In fact, I think there was a section in there that explains the medic AI you're asking about.

A-Red

[A-Red]

HOW bout a map action template that when a monster changing artifact was used had the other troops follow that unit.... like the rats follow the pipers music.... or better said the troops follow a commander when it had the artifact active...

This map action exists. It's called Follow--think Ruric in Broken Path, or Alric in Out of the Barrier. You'll have to test for the artifact and filter the unit holding it first though.

[Pyro]

He knows of the map action Follow. He means if there was a way to use map actions using the Fear feature the way you can use map actions chicken and deer without actually adding the script to the map via Loathing.

[vinylrake]

He knows of the map action Follow. He means if there was a way to use map actions using the Fear feature the way you can use map actions chicken and deer without actually adding the script to the map via Loathing.

supposedly Myth was supposed to have LOTS of these type of unit behaviour scripts that people could modify or create their own and then a player could assign an action to unit _in game_.

That was midway on in Myth's development and the person working on it left such a mess of indecipherable code they decided they didn't have the time to hire someone else to finish it or do it over from scratch.

[Point]

He knows of the map action Follow. He means if there was a way to use map actions using the Fear feature the way you can use map actions chicken and deer without actually adding the script to the map via Loathing.

supposedly Myth was supposed to have LOTS of these type of unit behaviour scripts that people could modify or create their own and then a player could assign an action to unit _in game_.

That was midway on in Myth's development and the person working on it left such a mess of indecipherable code they decided they didn't have the time to hire someone else to finish it or do it over from scratch.

So does this mean that some could be added by brilliant myth II map makers.... so not so bright ones such as myself could use them ... ;

some of these units do a little already would be fun to magnify and simplify the effect by a map action

=is a volunteer will retreat when fire is near or explosions
=is a soldier will scatter when explosions near
= is a Leader
=will follow the leader
=is artillery
=will follow the Artillery is artillery crew
= is a Hero
= is a veteran
= is a berzerker = will charge after a few kills
= is a coward 1 = will panic when sprayed with gore
= is a guard will sentry and engage units it finds
= is a scout will patrol without engaging

etc...

[A-Red]

If the engine did all the work, scripting wouldn't be any fun

[vinylrake]

If the engine did all the work, scripting wouldn't be any fun

My recollection is that this was for PLAYER controlled units. The example I have heard mentioned by someone in Bungie at the time of development was "select a squad of ghols and assign them the task of roaming around, collecting all the skulls they find and return to base and build a pyramid with them" -- or something like that. Or, 'scatter if ghols come within 2x of pus range'.

Kind of like bots in some fps, the scripting/actions you could attach to one or more units just let you put your units on auto-pilot so you could focus elsewhere with the comfort that you wouldn't come back to find your units standing there in a clump getting pussed and hacked to death.

To answer the the other question, I don't believe any of the architecture for the user selectable unit scripts was left in TFL .


--- ah, I lurv google. I just found the article that talks about the scripting. (link at bottom) from the article...

2. Scripting.
The biggest announced feature that didn't make it into the final version of Myth was a scripting language that would allow the player to modify elements of the game. We had hoped that user scripts could be written for extensible artificial intelligence, as well as custom formations, net game rules, and map behaviors.

We selected Java as a good basis for the Myth scripting language because of its gaining popularity, good information-hiding capabilities, and relatively simple byte code interpretation. After several months of work, early versions of the game loaded, compiled, and ran code from tag files. A few simple scripts worked for presentation purposes, including one that instructed a unit to search the battlefield for the heads of the enemy and collect them in a pile.

Unfortunately, when the programmer responsible for the scripting language parted ways with Bungie, we were left with a number of features to implement and no library of user-friendly interfaces with the game code. Given its incomplete state at such a late stage of development, there was little choice but to drop this functionality.

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19980 ... ier_01.htm

[A-Red]

My recollection is that this was for PLAYER controlled units. The example I have heard mentioned by someone in Bungie at the time of development was "select a squad of ghols and assign them the task of roaming around, collecting all the skulls they find and return to base and build a pyramid with them" -- or something like that. Or, 'scatter if ghols come within 2x of pus range'.

Sure, but if it's assignable as a map action tag, you can give it to coop enemies too.

I mean, clearly it would be extremely useful and convenient. All I'm saying is that I personally would still be painstakingly scripting all the events that would now be assignable with the touch of a button, and grumbling about kids these days and their newfangled contraptions.