Also, the docs are up!
DDFATK.LMP
{ This has been copied straight
from the revenant }
[PLAYER_MISSILE2]
ATTACKTYPE=SPAWNER;
ATTACK_HEIGHT=16;
ATTACK_SPECIAL=PRESTEP_SPAWN;
SPAWNED_OBJECT=MYLOST_SOUL;
SPAWN_OBJECT_STATE=MISSILE:2;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DDFCRTR.LMP
[MYLOST_SOUL]
{MAPNUMBER=3006;}
SPAWNHEALTH=100;
REACTION_TIME=0.23;
RADIUS=16;
HEIGHT=56;
SPEED=8;
MASS=50;
PAINCHANCE=256;
{CASTORDER=7;}
SPECIAL=SOLID,SHOOTABLE,TRIGGER_HAPPY,FLOATER,NOGRAV_KILL;
TRANSLUCENCY=0.66;
MINATTACK_CHANCE=55;
ACTIVE_SOUND=DMACT;
DEATH_SOUND=FIRXPL;
PAIN_SOUND=DMPAIN;
RANGE_ATTACK=SKULL_ASSAULT;
SPAWN_STATES=SKUL:A:10:BRIGHT:SUPPORT_LOOKOUT,
SKUL:B:10:BRIGHT:SUPPORT_LOOKOUT,#MEANDER;
CHASING_STATES=SKUL:A:6:BRIGHT:CHASE,
SKUL:B:6:BRIGHT:CHASE;
MEANDER_STATES=SKUL:A:6:BRIGHT:SUPPORT_MEANDER,
SKUL:B:6:BRIGHT:SUPPORT_MEANDER;
MISSILE_STATES=SKUL:C:10:BRIGHT:FACETARGET,
SKUL:D:4:BRIGHT:RANGE_ATTACK,
SKUL:C:4:BRIGHT:NOTHING,
SKUL:D:4:BRIGHT:NOTHING,#MISSILE:3;
PAINSTATES=SKUL:E:3:BRIGHT:NOTHING,
SKUL:E:3:BRIGHT:MAKEPAINSOUND,#MEANDER;
DEATHSTATES=SKUL:F:6:BRIGHT:NOTHING,
SKUL:G:6:BRIGHT:MAKEDEATHSOUND,
SKUL:H:6:BRIGHT:NOTHING,
SKUL:I:6:BRIGHT:MAKEDEAD,
SKUL:J:6:NORMAL:NOTHING,
SKUL:K:6:NORMAL:NOTHING,#REMOVE;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DDFWEAP.LMP
{ Weapons.ddf, by The DOSDoom
Team. }
[ROCKET_LAUNCHER]
AMMOTYPE=ROCKETS;
AMMOPERSHOT=1;
AUTOMATIC=TRUE;
BINDKEY=5;
PRIORITY=-1;
ATTACK=PLAYER_MISSILE2;
KICK=0.15;
UPSTATE=MISG:A:1:NORMAL:WEAPON_RAISE;
DOWNSTATE=MISG:A:1:NORMAL:WEAPON_LOWER;
READYSTATE=MISG:A:1:NORMAL:WEAPON_READY;
ATTACKSTATE=MISG:A:8:NORMAL:WEAPON_FLASH,
MISG:A:12:NORMAL:WEAPON_SHOOT,
MISG:A:0:NORMAL:WEAPON_REFIRE;
FLASHSTATE=MISF:A:3:BRIGHT:WEAPON_LIGHT1,
MISF:B:4:BRIGHT:NOTHING,
MISF:C:4:BRIGHT:WEAPON_LIGHT2,
MISF:D:4:BRIGHT:WEAPON_LIGHT2,
MISF:D:0:NORMAL:WEAPON_LIGHT0,#REMOVE;
I have posted a simple little DDF hack that makes imps friendly. Give it a try.
The Fix
Is your DosDoom 0.65 not working? Does it say SIGILL somethingorother & then die? You may have downloaded the version that was compiled with ppro flags on (Doh!), & you should go get the newest, fixed versions:
Players version
Developer's version
Source Code <---this is for you to look at for your next bot (I wish), Fly!
I just tried the texture smoothing. It's a command line parameter. Says Kester: -UseSpan KM -UseCol KM and make sure you are using a hicolour mode. (Erik converted the 16 bit routines to 8 bit routines but I haven't sent them yet.) Let me tell you, it's very pretty, but it's extremely slow on my computer (a MediaGX P-150--don't laugh), even in 320x200. Maybe it will be faster once the 8 bit routines are in place.
The new blood effects are pretty intense--it seems to make it a lot more substantial when you hit a monster. The jetpack is fun (idbehold j), & you can't get clawed by a monster far below like in the original Doom. You can pass over things just fine. A very nice new feature is the ability to change resolutions from within the game through the options menu. You can also change from 8 bit to 16 bit color at the same menu. & I recommend you try the parameter -andymagic at least once to see some very interesting color effects.
The new DosDoom has a very wide range of mouse sensitivity, going from the Myscha-endorsed extremely touchy setting down to a more manageable (to me) setting, & all the way down to a sluggish lift-drag-lift-drag type setting.
DDF is extremely cool. I just opened weapons.ddf with notepad, changed ATTACK=PLAYER_PISTOL; to ATTACK=BARON_FIREBALL; & saved the file, & started DosDoom. It's that freaking easy! Here's what happened:
On another note, I have written up the beginnings of my new Bot Page, so check it out.
I must say that with the dearth of DosDoom news, I have gotten quite preoccupied with these bots, & I really need to set up a bot page, since it's not appropriate for all this bot news to be on the DosDoom page. Maybe in the next few days I'll have one up & distill the bot material from this page to that one.
No, not the guy with the Abode (that so many call an adobe). Sergey, Fly, Doombot's daddy. He has a true 5-minute demo out of him taking on two Doombots (v2.2). The one I posted earlier is not timed. This new one shows him navigating gothic2.wad map 30 much better & pulling down 20 frags in 5 minutes. I've been trying to match it, but so far the best I've done is 17. My lack of SSG skills really hinder me ATM. Anyway, can you touch Super Fly's 20 frags? If so, I'd like to see it. Send it on in!
Yoghurt's Bot
Yoghurt
wrote to say that he hadn't known about the other Doombot, & using
the same name was unintentional. He only knew of the Nexus bot, which come
to think of it also uses a node-based system of navigating. He has resolved
to come up with a new name for his bot. & his bot does use BFG
& plasma, & he will check out gothic2.wad to see what's up with
the rl replacement bug.
BTW, those old demos from December 4 are gone. Sorry.
Well, you know I can't pass up writing about the new Doombot. Now, I'm not talking about the one written by Fly, which has come a long way. This new one is written by Yoghurt, & it could be best described as Omicron for Doom, since it is very similar in certain aspects. Yoghurt's Doombot will spawn premade bots with their own names & abilities/skills, which I guess is a lot like the Frogbot or Eraser, too (heh, & the Omicron bots all had the same skills, so I guess that was a bad comparison). You can configure a bot's aiming, reaction, & perfection skills by editing their bot files. Like the Omicron, this bot will learn the level from your own movement & build a node table to navigate by.
If you unzip this bot into your Legacy dir, it will overwrite Fly's doombot.exe, so be warned.
I tried the new bot on gothic2.wad, map 30, & noticed the following things:
- Apparently, the bot is currently limited in the weapons it can use, since the BFG & plasma gun were replaced by rl's. IMHO, uncool
- The bot, upon seeing you, will run straight towards you---r e a l close. No strafing yet. After fragging you, it will spin like a top in one place until it sees you again. IMHO, uncool.
- The bot will follow you all over the place, which is very cool.
- The bot will activate switches! Very cool, though it doesn't go for the gate that the switch opens.
Whoops! That was some untested info I passed on yesterday. I saw over at Sergey's site that he has figured out the actual right way to set up timelimits for recording demos. He also has set up his own bot competition, which is cool. Anyway, the correct way to invoke timed demo recording with Doombot 2.2 is:
doombot.exe -timer 5 -skill 5 -deathmatch 1 -warp 11 -file gothic2.wad -record m11.lmp -add2bots
Although you may want to leave off the .lmp extension in the command line, as it is automatically appended to the output lmp, so you could wind up with "mll.lmp.lmp", which is no big deal to rename though. Also, it has been my own experience that you will throw your demos out of synch while recording if you hit pause or F10 & then resume recording--so don't do anything but frag all the way through your recording.
Also, Sergey himself has sent me a 5-minute demo of his run on gothic2 map 30, demonstrating some great SSG work & a use of the BFG that will have the purists in an uproar. :-) I also received a dwango5.wad demo from UrHaSH that apparently goes out of synch after a few minutes. I don't have dwango5.wad yet, so I haven't had a chance to check this one out. But I'll let UrHaSH explain it himself:
Hey if you have dwango5.wad (jeez who doesn't?) check out thisThat's the truth about tons of littered bodies cluttering the place up after a while. I really enjoy seeing these demos, as it is like a sporting event, so keep them coming! Anyway, you may notice from the demos (or your own experience) a few bugs:
spectacular demo of me tackling on 2 doombots all the way to 100. it got
extremely aggravating for me to aim near the end because of 200 littered
bodies, but fun nonetheless.
- Conjoined respawning: At the beginning of map30 with the -add2bots parameter, you will spawn at the same point & time as one of the bots, which instead of resulting in a telefrag, results in you & the bot both being stuck together. You can't run, but you can turn & shoot your evil conjoined twin to separate yourself. This happens to Sergey twice in his demo.
- Ghost bot: In recording my morning demo, I noticed that some bot seemed to be stuck in the open area, running against the ledge. He was invincible, & just kept running in place. I didn't see him in the demo, but then again I forgot to look for him.
Okay, here's some more info on the new Doombot 2.2:
- They pick up weapons only, not health
- To set the bot skill, Sergey says: botskill x in consol (x from 1 to 10). You can try to change skill level but the game will crash in a minute...
- To set timelimits in demos: doombot.bat -timer 10 -record xxxx.lmp -add2bots (10 minutes game)
I have 2 demos up that show me vs. the Doombot 2.2 on GothicDM2 map 30. The morning one was when I was up much earlier than I am used to, & I hadn't had my coffee yet, & it really shows. The evening one shows me in much better form. Now, I don't claim to be a good DM'er or anything, so go easy on me, eh? I need to figure out how to implement the timelimit on the demos so we can do the competition thing. But anyway send me any demos you have done with the 2.2 bot on GothicDM2 map 30, & maybe you'll school me some on how it should be done.
Well, now don't I feel like a dork?! I must confess that I only read the wad text file to see the map # & whether it's SP or DM. The storylines are irrelevant, unless it's a TC. But Ricrob's & Cyberdemon's points are well taken that nowadays you have to check the Doom port as well. & of course Simply Evil was for Boom. Heheh whoops. Well, you all can read below what goes through the mind of someone in desperate need of a clue as he tries to run a Boom-only wad using every port but Boom! & I was getting ready to go on a rant that the thing ran slow because of all the linedefs--ah, well. :-) If you can't laugh at yourself, then you need to loosen up. I just hope to recover some small speck of credibility when this all blows over.
Doombot 2.2! Oh, yes.
As you already know, the newest Doombot can pick up weapons, which is of course very cool, especially when you are in a DM map that emphasizes certain weapons only. The framerate has taken a hit with this new ai, though. Where I used to run it smoothly in 640x400, now I play in 320x200 to get smooth framerates. When you spawn more bots, it really bogs down noticeably--just like some of the Quake bots, come to think of it. But anyway, it is another HUGE step for our bot. Oh, yes, & the demos are enabled, so you can record your bot-smacking. Hey, we can have some competitions now--who can get the most frags against say 2 bots on GothicDM2 map 30 (my favorite map ATM)? The frag counter works, too, so this will be very do-able. Maybe a 3 minute time limit. I'll post mine later in my stash for you to laugh at. :-) & I'll post the demos of whoever else decides to try to surpass my smoking bot-slaying abilities! Heh.
I just checked out Horizon, a 32-level deathmatch megawad that is the official playing ground for the Wales-based Carmarthenshire Doom 2 League. What a blast! It seems to be the antithesis of GothicDM2. Very simple level design, with TONS of weapons laying around. Pop music instead of the brooding gothic & techno. It doesn't have the aesthetic appeal of GothicDM2, but it is just plain fun. The maps are almost outrageously simple on some levels, but they are very playable & fun. There is a wide variety here, & everyone is sure to find a map they like. Fun is definitely the operative word here, right down to the very recognizable music, which includes songs from the Blues Brothers, ZZ Top, Van Halen, Manhattan Transfer, Genesis (I think), & even the soundtrack of "Mission Impossible". A lot of the music is goofy, but it definitely adds to the fun. In light of the current trend of maps emphasizing elaborate detail, it goes very much against the grain to release a collection of simple maps like these, yet the playability of them cannot be ignored. This collection seems to bring the focus back to a more moderate balance, & makes map designing seem more accessible (to the likes of me, anyway). You don't have to be a major craftsman to turn out a fun, playable map, & Horizon proves this.
At the other end of the spectrum is Pixel's Simply Evil. This map would fit right into the GothicDM2 collection, as it is very elaborate. The attention to detail is evident throughout the first portion that I could get through without crashing--which brings me to an unfortunate observation. I tried every port at my disposal, but this map crashed them all. DosDoom 0.65 didn't even bother. Zdoom was a slideshow, even at the lowest res setting, before crashing & burning. Legacy was a bit faster ("less slow" may be more accurate), but it too went down in flames. Walking around in this map (when I could) reminded me of playing the Quake test on my old 486-- S L O W . & its instability reminded me of map 14 in gothic2.wad, which mysteriously crashes DosDoom & Legacy when you walk into the large central area. Now this all may be attributed to the fact that the Simply Evil map was crafted on a Mac, & apparently Mac users don't have the wad optimization tools at their disposal that PC users have. Perhaps the map will run faster & more reliably if someone of the PC persuasion fixes whatever errors are in there. I hope it gets fixed soon, because it looks like a very cool level.
Woah! Boom! Okay, I tried out PRBoom & plain Boom, & they both ran simpevil.wad fine. I have not been very interested in Boom, since it lacks mlook & jumping, but in desperation I dl'd both & tried them out. I must say that Boom seems to be pretty bulletproof in running this monstrous wad, & silky smooth & fast, I might add. Using the old 2.0 version of Doombot weaned me from my beloved mlook & jumping enough to where I can enjoy old school Dooming again, & therefore Boom. That weapon recoil takes some getting used to, but this is a pretty cool port. I used to knock Boom, but I now have a new-found respect for it. Now, on with a more informed review . . .
Simply Evil is breathtakingly huge in scope. The bridges are awesome, as are all the other details & features. This map is way too big for DM'ing until the day of 64-player tcp/ip CTF Doom DM with a rewritten networking code, dedicated server, etc. When that day comes, this would be the perfect map. Imagine Pixel doing massive Doom Team Fortress maps the way he has done this one!
Well, many of the maps in Twilight Warrior aren't well suited for deathmatch. I would say that my favorite are the city levels, which I think are maps 3 & 10. The only problem is that weapons aren't plentiful. Of course the Doombot 2.1 had no problem finding grenades, flamethrowers, & machine guns! It was fun nonetheless. The jungle levels may get you stuck, as some respawns seem to be surrounded by foliage--not good. The embassy level is so linear that you can't access some areas in the map. Also, the bot may have messed up my install of twilight, because now the grenade looks & acts just like a rocket, & the super-sniper gun shoots the BFG blast. Oh, well.
I tried the Twice Risen mod with the bot as well. Again, the levels I tried were more SP-oriented, so I wasn't too thrilled, though the new weapons were fun. There is the one level in there I want to try yet that is very symmetrical & open, I forget which map it is.
The GothicDM2 megawad continues to provide the richest DM experience. I was startled in the "Gateway to Inverness" level when I was running along the patio/pathway along the seashore, hunting for the bot, when the thing leaped down from a window & capped me point-blank! It dropped out of nowhere, & I gasped in surprise. Very fun.
Now, there have been some detractors of the bot, but I for one think that this is the greatest thing to happen to Doom since the release of the source code (um, well, & the resulting ports as well). Some of the gripes are being addressed in the next release, which is cool. I was definitely a lot more forgiving of the bot's shortcomings (getting stuck, not jumping from ledges, not picking up weapons, etc.), & everyone can see that the shortcomings are very quickly being dealt with. Sergey, you are the MAN! I have a bit of a wish list for the Doombot:
- CTF/Team Fortress/FvF-type stuff
- skins support (although I currently use the Quake guy skin on my GothicDM2 bots, thanks to Wintex)
- DosDoom 0.65 & DDF compatibility--imagine a bots.ddf file, with all that extensibility!
- frag counters for the bots
Anyway, DosDoom 0.65 should be coming out real soon now... I have been looking at all the ddf files. Hmmmmm.... weapons, creature, items, attacks, levels, lines, scenery--I think you will like it. I will have my work cut out for me revamping my page with all the new info.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all the great work of the Doom community. These are awesome times for Doomers--look at how far Doom has come in 5 years. Map designers have learned incredible linedef tricks & brought amazing detail to their designs. Memorable PC's & TC's have been crafted. Wonderful, different ports of the source code have come out in a very short time, each one with great new features. & now real bots for Doom have arrived. Fellow Doomers--thumbs up! Excellent work, all of you.
BTW, I must give props to Gokuma, who also thought of using TW w/ Doombots.
Do it. Right now. Very cool. It works.
As Sergey promised me, Doombot 2.1 is for Legacy, which is a good thing (What? Can't a DosDoom team member like Legacy too?) for several reasons:
- Mlook & jumping :-) There are of course mixed feelings in the community on this.
- Legacy's superior deathmatch support. Admittedly, I am not completely up to speed on Legacy, since I have mostly played DosDoom 0.65 for a while, but the score display is good, & hopefully the skins will work with the bots.
- The bots fight each other. This is a very good thing, as before they would merely all gang up on you. Now it is more realistic.
- The bot's aiming frames are corrected. I used to wonder, what is he aiming at?
- Also, the bot will jump down from ledges, & the movement isn't as pong-like as before. It will change directions independently of hitting walls.
BTW, get ahold of brit11.wad, it has maps that are very good for the Doombot. Lots of open space & excellent flow. Avoid any maps with doors, as that will limit the Doombot's access to areas of the map. I looked at some of the Legacy crew's maps, like the critically acclaimed "The Box", & Tomj.wad, & while they were well done, they had respawns in these little rooms with doors, which essentially shut the game down once the bots respawned in those little rooms. You literally had to go & let them out of the rooms, & they were so ungrateful! A rocket to the face--some thanks I get. :-)
Anyway, looks like the reviews I wrote for 2.0a's performance on Gothic2.wad maps have become outdated very quickly, as 2.1's movement is excellent. The thing does not get stuck at all that I can see, & it will leap off of ledges & run up & down stairs. On the problem maps, "Benthian Bastille" & "Invalid", the bot now has no problems on the stairs. You will never see it sitting still.
There
were a few times that the bot didn't shoot at me, but it would still strafe
like mad. Also, you cannot change maps reliably with 2.1. If you change
maps either using idclev or the exit, & then respawn a bot, it will
usually crash. The workaround is to restart after changing the -warp parameter.
All in all, though, there is a huge improvement over 2.0a.