WayPoint
Basic Information about WayPoints.
Contents
What are WayPoints?
WayPoints are spots on maps that contains instructions for Bots on how to move in the map, it translates in-game for the paths bots "choose" to take. Each map has it's own WayPoints.
When a bot spawns, it is programmed to be defensive. If there's no ongoing attack, the bot will keep going at the designated map WayPoints unless there aren't any on the map's initial design.
WayPoints ensure that bots can interact with other players or other bots and progress through the map in an effective fashion.
How does WayPoints Work?
Bots are programmed through the following instructions (single or combinations):
- Move Left (Default Key: A)
- Move Right [Default Key: D)
- Jump (Default Key: W)
- Crouch (Default Key: S)
- Use Jetpack (Default Key: RMB)
- Wait X seconds before following further instructions
- Stop and camp
Note: Some of these combinations are impossible and will cause a bot to malfunction.
Instructions
The instructions are read as soon as the bot makes contact with the WayPoint. At that point, any instruction the bot was following from a previous WayPoint are terminated and it henceforth begins to follow the instructions read from the current one.
The bot will follow the instructions until it makes contact with another WayPoint in the current path or encounters an enemy player / encounters a team-mate with the enemy flag or objective / discovers that it's corresponding team's flag was taken and not in the base.
- In the instance when a bot meets an enemy player, it will ignore any other given instructions it was following until the enemy is no longer in it's field of view.
- In the instance when a bot encounters a team mate with the enemy flag or objective, it will once again ignore any other given instructions and instead revert to following it's team mate until the flag or objective has been successfully captured or has become no longer in it's field of view.
- In the instance when a bot encounters corresponding team's flag taken, it will once again ignore any other given instructions and instead make it's way to the flag until the flag has been returned to base or has become no longer in it's field of view.
When these conditions are met, it will recall the instructions it was following from the last WayPoint.
Paths
Paths (or routes) orgnaize WayPoints into groups whicch allow creation of 1 or 2 paths for bots to follow on a map. Paths are created by linking WayPoints together. For instance, if a bot follows instructions from Path #1 and makes contact with a WayPoint from Path #2 it would ignore it.
Bots will only follow a WayPoint's instructions if it is in the same path as the last WayPoint. It is possible for WayPoints to link to more than one other WayPoint and form separate "branches" of the same path. This is a powerful tool of the WayPoint function and allows bots to randomly decide on the next course of action.
WayPoints in CTF Gamemode
In the Capture the Flag game-mode, each team should have a path originating from their spawn. Each path must have at least 1 branch that leads to the enemy team's flag.
Also, Path #1 corresponds to the Alpha Team and should lead to the blue flag, and on the flip-side, Path #2 corresponds to the Bravo Team and should lead to the red flag.
WayPoints in Infiltration Gamemode
In the Infiltration game-mode, Path #1 corresponds to the Alpha Team and should lead to the objective, where as path 2 corresponds to Bravo Team and should lead to, some sort of defensive position around the objective as well as the Alpha Team's base.
Bravo Team's defensive "positions" are best described as WayPoints ordering the bots to "stop and camp". If the objective is taken from the blue base, the Bravo Team bost will stop camping and follow the WayPoint paths to the red base provided that they are there.
FAQ
- Q: I've WayPointed my map but the bots get stuck a lot, what can I do?
- A: This might not be a WayPoint problem at all. Make sure your polygons are smooth first. If you think your polygons aren't causing any problems, then tweak the positions of your WayPoints a bit. Go through the map yourself and get a feel for how you move about it, then base your WayPoints on that.
- Q: I've WayPointed my map but the bots don't move ata all, what can I do?
- A: Remember that a bot needs to come into contact with a WayPoint from the start, so if the bot spawns in a place where it doesn't touch a WayPoint, it won't start moving at all!
- Q: The bots run around maps in loops, what can I do?
- A: It's pretty hard to make this happen! Just make sure you haven't linked WayPoints together in a messy pattern or made two WayPoints that say "Move right" and then "Move left"!