Spawning NPC units

[turtletommy10]

I belive that people should be able to spawn NPC's like marines, spartans, firebats, grunts, elites, some flood units, ect, (most covenant and UNSC , and few flood units included) Im not sure, but I might want to have AI units like spartans, elites that use armor abillities and, may have a map scanning system where it checks some or ALL possible paths and points of interest (such as weapons like shotguns and rockets or vehicles like scorpions or wraiths) That's all I have to say really but if anyone has any comments or ideas, you are free to share.

[Lord Satin]

i think this would be a be a cool idea, unfortunately, i doubt we'll see it happen in halo 4

[iTz Vplus2]

Meh, i think fighting bots is really, really boring, so i wouldn't care for this feature.

[Count Quacula]

Meh, i think fighting bots is really, really boring, so i wouldn't care for this feature.

 

The amount of things that could be done with the ability to place bots would be endless, simply saying that fighting them is boring is not reason enough to disregard the idea. I would like to see it, I've seen people talking about this since the release, of Halo 3, but I doubt we'll ever see it. People were able to place bots in Halo CE, but i'm not sure if that was done via a simple program or actual coding. It could probably be done, the only reasons I see for it not being done would be disk space and the amount of work required to put something like that into Forge.

 

Again, I doubt we'll ever see it. What I would like to see would be the ability to place objects similar to hills on the map and give them names, so that you could actually name parts of your map that would be visible under your radar instead of what is there by default. But alas, that too is probably incredibly wishful thinking.

[Real Talk]

The amount of things that could be done with the ability to place bots would be endless, simply saying that fighting them is boring is not reason enough to disregard the idea. I would like to see it, I've seen people talking about this since the release, of Halo 3, but I doubt we'll ever see it. People were able to place bots in Halo CE, but i'm not sure if that was done via a simple program or actual coding. It could probably be done, the only reasons I see for it not being done would be disk space and the amount of work required to put something like that into Forge.

 

Again, I doubt we'll ever see it. What I would like to see would be the ability to place objects similar to hills on the map and give them names, so that you could actually name parts of your map that would be visible under your radar instead of what is there by default. But alas, that too is probably incredibly wishful thinking.

 

What purpose would bots serve other than fighting them, using them for target practice or being used as test dummies. The bots would not be able to do anything to complex if they were to be put in. Its not that I am against the idea of putting bots in, I am just wondering the different things they could be used for.

[Adrian Radici]

well with bots they could be used for many things. some people like me never get people to play my maps with bots would be a easy way to play maps and id be happy to wait 10 min while the game creates AI scripts for my map. thay could also work to even up teams like if its 3 v 4 just add one legendary AI=)

[Kon3Z]

What purpose would bots serve other than fighting them, using them for target practice or being used as test dummies. The bots would not be able to do anything to complex if they were to be put in. Its not that I am against the idea of putting bots in, I am just wondering the different things they could be used for.

I could think of a few ways to use bots other than just fighting them. Maybe for aesthetics, you know? Maybe on an infection map, have a window showing UNSC fighting of flood and the flood overwhelming them. You could use them in linear infection maps to make there be much more zombies instead of just 2. I think it'd be great if they put NPC's into the game, but it's probably to much to ask

[Twinreaper]

The best use of bots, would be to finally add a style that supports gametypes like CTF, Assault, KOTH, etc...

 

One of the best and only ways to sometimes make a good forge map for a certain gametype is hours of coordination with friends to test thigns out. it would be much simpler to have a range of gametype styles that could easily allow AI to actively search for the oddball, or tactically make a flag grab etc.

 

But due to the way the engine is layed out, AI is easily added. Each map would have to have some sort of either pre-compiled AI pathfinding, or a standalone compiler process inside the forge environment that would allow you to update or creat a pathfinding data block. either one would require a lot of memory (RAM) and a whole lot of time to recompile those data fields into the tagsets. Unfortunatly those particular types of tags are not easily stored or referrenced. At least not in the same sense that the scenario_structure file is edited in memory.

[killerdude1635]

The best use of bots, would be to finally add a style that supports gametypes like CTF, Assault, KOTH, etc...

 

One of the best and only ways to sometimes make a good forge map for a certain gametype is hours of coordination with friends to test thigns out. it would be much simpler to have a range of gametype styles that could easily allow AI to actively search for the oddball, or tactically make a flag grab etc.

 

But due to the way the engine is layed out, AI is easily added. Each map would have to have some sort of either pre-compiled AI pathfinding, or a standalone compiler process inside the forge environment that would allow you to update or creat a pathfinding data block. either one would require a lot of memory (RAM) and a whole lot of time to recompile those data fields into the tagsets. Unfortunatly those particular types of tags are not easily stored or referrenced. At least not in the same sense that the scenario_structure file is edited in memory.

What's the difference between the AI in campaign then?

There is AI actively path finding in the campaign, i don't see why it won't work here.

[Twinreaper]

AI Pathfinding is a seperate set of tag data that is added to a scenario file thru the sandbox Ui known commonly as Sapien. basically this happens...

 

1. Scenario file is loaded.

2. Spawns are added to the map. (Crates, scenery, machines, etc)

3. A pathfinding tool is then used to calculate where objects, scenery etc are in location to where bipdes are able to be spawned.

4. The map is compiled into it's .map compressed format, along with every other item that requires compiling and compression.

 

Unfortunatly due to how the engine is layed out, as I had tried to explain, pathfinding data is a compressed set of spacial coordinates that tell the AI where and what is located on a level. Without this data, AI would just run around into walls, into objects etc...

 

Campaign maps have the AI Pathfinding already compiled and included into the map file, and cannot be edited as this would change more than just the scenario file or globals. Most players are not aware of this, but all of the Forge features we use are simply memory edits on sections of the scenario_structure file, globals.globals and globals.multilingual_global map files. While yes there ar eother edits that we do such as physics of an object or it's spawning time, but every other edit we are capable of doing is an edit that does not require a complete re-compiling of a map file.

[Robius5991]

AI Pathfinding is a seperate set of tag data that is added to a scenario file thru the sandbox Ui known commonly as Sapien. basically this happens...

 

1. Scenario file is loaded.

2. Spawns are added to the map. (Crates, scenery, machines, etc)

3. A pathfinding tool is then used to calculate where objects, scenery etc are in location to where bipdes are able to be spawned.

4. The map is compiled into it's .map compressed format, along with every other item that requires compiling and compression.

 

Unfortunatly due to how the engine is layed out, as I had tried to explain, pathfinding data is a compressed set of spacial coordinates that tell the AI where and what is located on a level. Without this data, AI would just run around into walls, into objects etc...

 

Campaign maps have the AI Pathfinding already compiled and included into the map file, and cannot be edited as this would change more than just the scenario file or globals. Most players are not aware of this, but all of the Forge features we use are simply memory edits on sections of the scenario_structure file, globals.globals and globals.multilingual_global map files. While yes there ar eother edits that we do such as physics of an object or it's spawning time, but every other edit we are capable of doing is an edit that does not require a complete re-compiling of a map file.

 

Wow, thank you for such an informative post. I really didn't understand the possible issues with A.I but you've given us a ton of well-explained information.

[Ventus]

I would love this, but I can't see this happening as the Xbox is pretty old when it comes to hardware...

[Real Talk]

AI Pathfinding is a seperate set of tag data that is added to a scenario file thru the sandbox Ui known commonly as Sapien. basically this happens...

 

1. Scenario file is loaded.

2. Spawns are added to the map. (Crates, scenery, machines, etc)

3. A pathfinding tool is then used to calculate where objects, scenery etc are in location to where bipdes are able to be spawned.

4. The map is compiled into it's .map compressed format, along with every other item that requires compiling and compression.

 

Unfortunatly due to how the engine is layed out, as I had tried to explain, pathfinding data is a compressed set of spacial coordinates that tell the AI where and what is located on a level. Without this data, AI would just run around into walls, into objects etc...

 

Campaign maps have the AI Pathfinding already compiled and included into the map file, and cannot be edited as this would change more than just the scenario file or globals. Most players are not aware of this, but all of the Forge features we use are simply memory edits on sections of the scenario_structure file, globals.globals and globals.multilingual_global map files. While yes there ar eother edits that we do such as physics of an object or it's spawning time, but every other edit we are capable of doing is an edit that does not require a complete re-compiling of a map file.

 

Another good lesson from Twinreaper.

 

The more you know.

[Proxzki]

Well I've been waiting for an NPC/Bot adding/editing feature since Halo 3. As I stated in another thread, I'd use this feature exclusively to make what are more or less survival maps. Create a large stronghold with an array of defenses inside and out and have allied NPCs defend the base with you against an endless assault of enemy NPCs, more than likely Flood(mostly because your NPCs could get infected and all, which makes it more interesting).

 

Yes, fighting bots can get boring, but since you'd be able to test it out in Forge you could use your Forge mode to watch the brawl and see how long your defenses and allies would last against the attackers without your aid.

 

If the game had NPCs as a feature that would probably be what kept me coming back in the long run. Multiplayer's nice but I prefer the bare-bones multiplayer of Halo 3...but I digress.

[Twisted Oracle]

NPCs in forge would awesome but they will probably never do that

 

[Adrian Radici]

AI Pathfinding is a seperate set of tag data that is added to a scenario file thru the sandbox Ui known commonly as Sapien. basically this happens...

 

1. Scenario file is loaded.

2. Spawns are added to the map. (Crates, scenery, machines, etc)

3. A pathfinding tool is then used to calculate where objects, scenery etc are in location to where bipdes are able to be spawned.

4. The map is compiled into it's .map compressed format, along with every other item that requires compiling and compression.

 

Unfortunatly due to how the engine is layed out, as I had tried to explain, pathfinding data is a compressed set of spacial coordinates that tell the AI where and what is located on a level. Without this data, AI would just run around into walls, into objects etc...

 

Campaign maps have the AI Pathfinding already compiled and included into the map file, and cannot be edited as this would change more than just the scenario file or globals. Most players are not aware of this, but all of the Forge features we use are simply memory edits on sections of the scenario_structure file, globals.globals and globals.multilingual_global map files. While yes there ar eother edits that we do such as physics of an object or it's spawning time, but every other edit we are capable of doing is an edit that does not require a complete re-compiling of a map file.

 

Basicly hes saying that the reason AI's work fine in campaign are because all there allocated scripting is allready in built and fine tuned like 10 times over.

 

the reason it wouldent work in forge or customs is because adding AI is very complex. even if they did add this feature you would have to be online consistently so the game can run the AI through the net. reason for this is because its the only way that a custom built map can have consistent working AI. and there would be major! lag issues as well as sitting there waiting for the game to code your map for AI functions. which would take hours.

[Tealvipa]

I agree 343 stand out and go all out and bring AI spawning in halo 4 fordge I'm 15 and Ben playing halo from combat evolved till today do this and a lot of new ppl will join you franchise pleas concurrent this take this were bunji hasn't