Can we use the Quake 3 Area Awareness System (AAS) ?

[Alan]

Hi,

I am working on bots for Enemy-Territory and i have notice that parts of the Quake3 Area Awareness System is on the SDK.

I have tried to build some .aas files with bspc 2.1c for RTCW (Linux version) but it stops with a Segfault

[alan@localhost maps]$ bspc -threads 1 -ext _b0 -cfg /home/alan/bin/GtkRadiant-1.4/wolf/aascfg_sm.c -forcesidesvisible -bsp2aas fueldump.bsp
Opened log bspc.log
BSPC version 2.1c-wolf by Mr Elusive
GtkRadiant 1.2.6-nightly Mar 14 2002
threads = 1
using cfg file /home/alan/bin/GtkRadiant-1.4/wolf/aascfg_sm.c
forcesidesvisible = true
bsp2aas: fueldump.bsp to fueldump._b0aas
-- Q3_LoadMapFromBSP --
Loading map from fueldump.bsp...
creating planar surface planes...
searching visible brush sides...
 6Segmentation fault

Furthermore, i don’t have found any doc on the AAS.

Can you help me please ?

Alan

[SCDS_reyalP]

There has been some discussion of this in the past. A search for ‘bots’ or ‘aas’ should turn up some results. Not an area that interests me much so I don’t recall the details.

bspc has never been open source, so that presents some problems.

[Alan]

There has been some discussion of this in the past. A search for ‘bots’ or ‘aas’ should turn up some results. Not an area that interests me much so I don’t recall the details.

bspc has never been open source, so that presents some problems.

I have found 2 posts that deals with AAS.

digibob said :

BSPC is a closed source project, you will not be able to get ahold of the source for it.

And unfortunately bspc don’t work with ET maps

bacon has asked :

Does anybody have an documentation on the format of AAS files?

But this question is stayed without answer.

Somebody has a magic solution ?

A solution could be doing reverse ingeneering on the aas format to make a bspc like software.
I propose you to do a open source project. Waypointing is really annoying and it is such a great pity that we can not use the Quake3 AAS !
Does somebody wants to help me doing that ?
(Task1: describe the aas format, Task2: write a bspc-like software )

Alan

[Jaquboss]

That will be great , bots for all maps !
Also if anyone willing to improve stock ET bots and release it as open source , it will be best.
Curently you can add bots without any problems , just uncoment the command.
But bots will never do anything…

[Rain]

The aas format changed for ET, according to digibob. Since we have no ET SP (and therefore no ET .aas files), reverse-engineering will not be trivial.

All this is assuming the AAS code in ET still works right…

[Hybridesque]

I hope you can get this working mate… I wish you all the best. The lack of an AI implementation in ET is my biggest hang-up about the game… but it’s one of the reasons it’s free I think.

[bacon]

There’s really no point in trying to use AAS. You wouldn’t be able to use any current maps with it since there’s no ai markers in them, and I doubt mappers would want to waste their time placing markers when there’s alternative methods (ie. bobots).

Plus, as Rain said, the ET AAS might not even work properly…

[Hybridesque]

Don’t slam the guy straightaway… Alan should at least give a go of it at least. I would rather see AAS than what bobots use, because you don’t have to rely on the AI Mod team. Correct me if I’m mistaken.

[bacon]

Don’t slam the guy straightaway… Alan should at least give a go of it at least. I would rather see AAS than what bobots use, because you don’t have to rely on the AI Mod team. Correct me if I’m mistaken.

We’re not “slamming” anybody, we’re just stating why AAS use in ET isn’t practical.

[firefly2442]

@Alan - Can you post any resources or tutorials you used in order to start? Thanks! Good luck with the project.

[Jaquboss]

@Alan - Can you post any resources or tutorials you used in order to start? Thanks! Good luck with the project.

Maybe AAS part of bots is good , but if no compiler support it it´s useless…
If you want to make bots just download WET_sources and edit ai_ part
you will also need to make alternative system instead of AAS , for example waypoints…
Posting res or tutors will mean almost releasing whole code…
But it will be nice …
Bots now complain that they have no AAS , and they are capable few things - tiny voicechat usage and switching weapons . . But code for bots look ok…

[bacon]

@Alan - Can you post any resources or tutorials you used in order to start? Thanks! Good luck with the project.

I don’t really see a point of using AAS for bots. I mean, if you want to do a SP mod you might as well do it in RTCW since we know the AAS system works; though you’ll be alienating those who don’t have ET.
But if you’re trying to do some kind of AAS for multiplayer don’t bother. Code waypoint bots. There’s an open source project for RTCW called UberSoldat which incorporates bots. I based my bots for bucket off of this code - but I’m working on something bot-related that’s completely different now

To see the UberSoldat mod click here. It has other useful features that can be ported to ET too.

[firefly2442]

Cool thanks.

[Nothus]

I tried UberSoldat, but found it disappointing. Wasn’t any better than Wolfbot, and not very “human” like. Also, from what I understand, its a dead mod.

The best bot I’ve seen, for either ET or RtCW has been a little known bot mod called Fritz bot. I’ve been on the creators website, and hes got movies where he shows the bots using artillery and more. They already use grenades and airstrikes very intelligently. From what I can tell, they now use EVERY weapon in the game, which is something no other bot can claim AFAIK.

Their also very human like, and walk around like humans. They even use grenades like humans - and will aim it and watch it blow before switching to their gun.

Its really neat to watch them play. According to the author hes gonna have them play objective maps in the next version (they only play capture point ATM),which he has promised in the next month or so.

www.fritzbot.bots-united.com

SD should have hired this guy for bots in ET! Pissed me off when ET shipped with no bots.

[carnage]

obove someone said about writing there own similar ass software and mod WET source to play it, so i had this idea

everyone seems to be to ass or waypoints and hate the other solution but they both have ther own advantages

waht if the ass file is created then in the game a extra file similar to a waypoint 1 marking the paths from each objective and placing good spots for camping and things. ime not saying join them all up with waypoints but just mark the spots and have like dificulty of routed whitch bots will take depeding on there dificulty setting

from there you would have a good starting point for moding realy good weapons as you have an ass file (you may need to make some kind of file similar to a script to help it run on individual maps so it know what to do at sertain points like on beach e.g.

(before the wall is breached - blow it, after the wall is breached - get objectives)