Release 3 change-list:

* A complete make over by the talented Djavdet
* Fixed some bugs in the path-finding
* Made Gauntlet compatible with B24

The Independent-class fully autonomous combat droid is a first attempt at scripting an actor AI that poses some sort of threat to the player. The AI is capable of selecting target based on threat level and moving to a suitable position for engagement using trajectory based jet-pack movement across open areas. Its Lua driven weapons are effective against most adversaries.

This should be considered a proof of concept. The code is very sloppy, potentially laggy, and there are many areas that still need plenty of work. There is no real path-finding yet so sometimes it will fall back to the native AI, typically when navigating narrow passages.

Includes a very simple mission called "Gauntlet". To make fighting the native AI more interesting this mission use custom actors with a view range similar to that of the player (scales with resolution, i.e. longer fighting distances at higher resolution).


Please feel free to use my code for whatever you want.


Credits
Djavdet: Graphics and sound

Hah that's awesome!
I love how it's somehow unlobotomized.

Abdul Alhazred Strikes AGAIN! I played the mission (and still is) and the only reason I still am is because I ordered 1 or 2 of my own!

Wow Abdul great release. You never release teasers and brag about your stuff, just straight up awesome releases.

The most intelligent thing I've ever seen.

I've just had a moment.


so smart.

AMAZING! Finally, an enemy that's a challenge. Excellent work!

I tried the mission and it was pretty amazing. First I was able to hold the entire army with just one robot, but suddenly that droid comes in and rapes my entire front defence. Lost 6 robots there. NUTS.
It really is tough to fight against and its AI is incredible. The unit itself looks good and the weapons are great as well. Wouldn't really call those sprites placeholders since I think they look fine.

Say, does that mission have a winning condition or is it endless?

The mod also caused me a plenty of crashes during gameplay when switching bodies, but I suspect its a bug within CC itself when Lua is used the way you do. I'm saying that because other Lua-heavy mods do this too. Probably related to creating and destroying actors and then the pointers go batshit insane or something.

Things I've noticed with this robot.

- If it doesn't have line of sight to an enemy, it will attempt to gain it by any approach necessary, including jumping to find a firing angle through a firing port or jumping over the barrier completely to bypass cover. Apparently there's a reason why the bunker on the right side of the map is open-topped.

Noticed the attack priorities go in this order.
1) Enemies actively firing at the robot, then
2) Enemies actively firing at friendlies, then
3) Idle enemies.

Sometimes it will ignore unarmed opponents completely.

All of these combined with an essentially-autoaiming blaster gun makes it a deadly opponent.

It also has a very good resistance to getting crushed by objects or other forces.

Very nicely done.

Amazing work as usual. I am now referring to these as rapebots.
I would suggest running some more checks against the target actor, such as gold cost, health, is player, etc.

Thank you all for the comments.

it is nice to hear that someone liked the sprites. The rockets are from Promster's art-tread so those are obviously fine (just realized I forgot the credits again), but I did not have time to do the legs and arms properly. What I really wanted was something like this.

For now the only winning condition is the Independent crashing the game.


That is absolutely correct. The original base I made was built in a more traditional way but it turned out to be much to difficult for the AI to navigate.

There is no system for "spatial reasoning" yet, so the AI cannot navigate around an obstacle that is not trivial. I think I know how to solve this, but have not implemented anything because I'm hoping that the native system for this is exposed to Lua in B24.


All good ideas.

Fighting against these are scary.
The only reasonable way i can find to beat them is to call in some of my own
Incredibly well done, you've actually created an AI in cortex command.
Do you think you could whip up a script like this for my Spartans?

Frankly, you've managed to get me all fired up about CC again.

These things are beastly. Place one on a skirmish map, and it'll just destroy anything you throw at it, unless someone gets a very lucky shot with a revolver cannon. A+.

I was literally making my own sprite based off that picture aswell.

Good Job though Abdul, amazing work.

These things are AMAZING! I really need to learn Lua, badly.
My only gripe is the fact that the missile tube doesn't nececarily point in the direction it fires, but nothing else.
Also these things are damn tough, I was playing baseball with them and my dummy bunker cannon, it just sends them flying at crazy velocities, but doesn't kill them!

Good job!