Contents

 

Credits

Description of the add-on

System and other requirements

Installing the add-on

BSPC Tool

New console commands

New console variables

Administrator menu

Game Settings

Xatrix mission pack 1 "The Reckoning"

Rogue mission pack 2 "Ground Zero"

Rocket Arena 2

Capture The Flag

The Bot Characters

Known problems/bugs

Troubleshooting

Copyright and distribution permissions

Availability

Version changes

 

Credits
 
 
 

ID Software		Quake2
Allan (Strider) Kivlin		Stimulating conversations, and beta testing
Philip Niewold		ideas on AI
Info-Zip Team		zip/unzip tools (http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/)
Adrian (Mr Pink) Finol		beta testing
Dominic (Cube) Rutter		beta testing
Matt (Genocyde) Freitas		beta testing
Timm Stokke		beta testing

 

Description of the add-on
 

• State of the art Artificial Intelligence. The add-on simulates one or more artificial players. Designed for everyone who wants to become a better player in Quake2 or to experience the multiplayer feel without having a fast network and/or Internet connection.
• Menu in order to easily add bots to and remove bots from the game.
• Several different bot characters included for the real multiplayer experience.
• The bot understands all the game rules, weapons and items.
• Virtually human-like bot chats. (and if you've played online, you know that this isn't difficult to implement..hahaha)
• Ability to order bots on your team to do things by chatting to them.
• Observer modes to observe the playing bots.
• Autocam in order to get the best view of all the action in the game.
• Easy extendible AI network.
• Advanced goal evaluation AI.
• Bot uses fuzzy logic which gives it an amount of flexibility when making decisions and allows those decisions to appear much more intelligent.
• Advanced routing and navigation.
• A tool is included that needs to be run before the bots are played (The tool can run from the game as well, but it is better to do this before running the game). This tool creates a file (name.aas) that contains all the information the bot needs in order to navigate the given map. This tool operates without any human intervention, and it does not create waypoints. The AAS removes the whole business of messing around with (often?) badly placed waypoints. Waypoints are old-fashioned anyway. Comparing the waypoint system with AAS, and B.D. Squatt came up with this: AAS is like driving a Ferrari and waypoints are like riding a bycycle. Both will get you there...but .....

System and other requirements
 

• a computer that runs Quake2 with a minimum of 32 MB, recommended: Pentium 166 MHz with 64 MB or comparable computer. Also, although we hate to say this, this only runs with the Microsoft virus called Windows (9x/NT).
• Quake2 version 3.14 or higher. Version 3.20 recommended.
• newbies to computers: we assume that the typical user knows such things as "command line", "parameters", "directory" ,and all that..if you don't, go out there and familiarize yourself with it...we do not want to be your teachers.
• newbies to Quake2: read the quake manual on what and how Quake2 specific settings work out. You need to know what a multiplayer game is, the console, how to activate it..etc.. We simply don't want any mail on this subject. You (presumably) bought the game, we assume it is your duty to read all it's manuals...or we will put you on "the Black List".
• a sense of humor.

• create a subdirectory in your Quake2 directory. (if E:\QUAKE2 is your Quake2 directory you could create E:\QUAKE2\GLADIATOR)
• copy the contents of the zip file (including the subdirectories) into the created directory.
• start Quake2 with the command-line parameter '+set game' followed by the name of the directory where the Gladiator bot is located (for example: e:\quake2\quake2 +set game gladiator) Remember that you need to start a server to enable the bots. This can be accomplished by adding the parameters '+set deathmatch 1' the line would become 'e:\quake2\quake2 +set game gladiator +set deathmatch 1'. Since Quake2 screws up the game directory setting after playing the demos it's a good idea to prevent the demos from being played. You can accomplish this by adding the command-line parameter '+disconnect'. The full command-line will look like this: 'e:\quake2\quake2 +set game gladiator +set deathmatch 1 +disconnect'. Quake2 will launch and the console will be down. Just use the 'map' console command to start the map you want.
• type 'menu' on the console and you can add bots, see the administrator menu

The BSPC tool creates data which the bot uses to navigate a map.

Read the WinBSPC readme for details.

Note: several (optimized) .aas files can be stored together in an "aasX.zip" where X is in the range [0-9]. The "aasX.zip" file should be placed in your Gladiator directory. The bot library will read the .aas files directly from the zip file. However you should only zip .aas files that have been loaded at least once with bots. The first time a newly compiled .aas file is loaded some additional data is calculated and the file is optimized. These calculations should be finished before adding the .aas file to an "aasX.zip".
 

New console commands
 
 

menu	show administrator menu *
addbot <botlib> <name> <skin> <charfile> <charname>	add one bot   <botlib> name of the bot library   <name> name of the bot   <skin> skin of the bot   <charfile> file with the bot character   <charname> name of the character *
removebot [name]	remove a bot or the bot with the given name *
observer	toggles observer mode
observerhelp	displays observer mode help
cyclecam	cycle the camera to the next bot or player
setcam <name>	set the camera to player with name
autocam	enter Automatic Camera mode
teamhelp [name]	ask for help in teamplay
teamaccompany [name]	ask for company in teamplay
mstart	start the match in RA2
mstop	stop the match in RA2 mode
toarena <X>	go to arena X in RA2 mode

* only the administrator can utilize this command with success.

Note: the 'addbot' and 'removebot' commands can also be used on the console of a dedicated server. However you need to add 'sv ' in front of the command. For instance: 'sv addbot gladiator.dll "Pinky" "male/viper" "bots/chars.c" "hunk"'.
 

New console variables
 
 

botfile <filename>	sets the file with bots to use in the menu
nochat <0|1>	enable or disable bot chatting
mstart_auto <0|1>	enable or disable auto restarting of match in RA2
noitems <0|1>	enable or disable no items in RA2
autolaunchbspc <0|1>	enable or disable launching WinBSPC automatically
serveronlybotcmds <0|1>	enable or disable the ability to use the bot commands (addbot etc) at the client side
ra <0|1>	enable or disable Rocket Arena
ctf <0|1>	enable or disable CTF
xatrix <0|1>	enable or disable Xatrix mission pack 1
rogue <0|1>	enable or disable Rogue mission pack 2

 

Administrator menu

Using the menu

The move forward and backward keys (usually the arrow up and arrow down keys) are used to go to the next or previous menu item. The keys normally used to scroll through your inventory can also be used to move through the menu. Activating a menu item can be done with the 'use inventory' key (usually the [Enter] key). It's also possible to use strafe right and left keys to enter and leave a sub-menu. To exit the menu at any time press the [Esc] key.
 

Gladiator menu:
 

Bots		bot menu
Help		menu help
Exit		leave the menu

 

Bots menu:
 

add bot		add a bot from the list
add random		add a random bot from the list
remove bot		remove a bot from the game
remove all		remove all bots from the game
back		back to the gladiator menu

 

Game Settings

Several game settings can be enabled/disabled with the "dmflags" console variable. This variable stores a number of flags denoted by numbers. To set the flag the value is added to the console variable.
 

Flag		value		description
DF_NO_HEALTH		1		no health
DF_NO_ITEMS		2		no items
DF_WEAPONS_STAY		4		weapons stay after picking them up
DF_NO_FALLING		8		no damage when falling from from great heights
DF_INSTANT_ITEMS		16		powerups are activated instantly
DF_SAME_LEVEL		32		stay on the same level
DF_SKINTEAMS		64		teamplay based on skin
DF_MODELTEAMS		128		teamplay based on model
DF_NO_FRIENDLY_FIRE		256		no friendly fire
DF_SPAWN_FARTHEST		512		spawn as far away as possible from the last death location
DF_FORCE_RESPAWN		1024		force respawn, players can't stay dead
DF_NO_ARMOR		2048		no armor
DF_ALLOW_EXIT		4096		allow players to exit a level
DF_INFINITE_AMMO		8192		infinite ammo
DF_QUAD_DROP		16384		quad damage is dropped when a player using quad dies
DF_FIXED_FOV		32768		fixed field of vision
DF_CTF_FORCEJOIN		131072		players joining the server will automatically be assigned to a team
DF_ARMOR_PROTECT		262144		attacks won't harm teammates' armor
DF_CTF_NO_TECH		524288		no Tech Powerups

 

For example, say you wish to configure a server with weapons stay, instant tems, spawn farthest, force respawn, quad drop, and armor protect, you would use:

4 + 16 + 512 + 1024 + 16384 + 262144 =   280084

now type: "set dmflags 280084" on the console or add "+set dmflags 280084" to the command-line.

NOTE: when the dmflags console variable is changed all the bots have to be reloaded. Otherwise the new game settings won't have any effect on the bots.
 

Xatrix mission pack 1 "The Reckoning"

Type 'set xatrix 1' on the console and launch the Xatrix map you want to play.
 

Rogue mission pack 2 "Ground Zero"

Type 'set rogue 1' on the console and launch the Rogue map you want to play.
 

Rocket Arena 2

Type 'set rocketarena 1' and 'set deathmatch 1' on the console. Launch the Rocket Arena map you want to play. Type 'toarena X' on the console to go to the arena you want (X is the number of the arena, 1 or higher, 0 is no arena). Type 'set arena X', where X is the arena you want to spawn a bot. Use the menu to add a bot to the specified arena. Type 'mstart' on the console to start the match. Type 'mstop' on the console to stop a match.
 

Capture The Flag (CTF)

CTF should be installed in order to play the Gladiator bot with CTF.
To play the Gladiator bot with CTF all the Gladiator bot files have to be copied to the CTF directory. At this point you launch CTF as you'd normally do. Type 'set ctf 1' and 'set deathmatch 1' on the console and then start the CTF map you want to play. Use the menu to add bots to the game. The bots will automatically be assigned to the teams.
 

The Bot Characters

The bot characters available in this version come in 18 flavors, 6 boyz, 6 girlz and 6 cyborgs. Each character is specified with over 50 characteristics, item selection code, weapon selection code, variable chats etc. For each bot just a few characteristics (attack skill, aim skill, aim accuracy) and a short description are listed below.
Attack Skill is the ability to avoid getting damage (dodgeing, jumping running, circlestrafing, making coffee). Aim Skill is whether the character knows stuff like where to shoot an enemy to inflict maximum damage, such as shooting rockets in front of a target's feet for instance, and Aim Accuracy defines how well the bot can keep the crosshair positioned on the target during battle.
 

Known problems/bugs

When reporting a bug please include the 'botlib.log' file and fill in the bugreport.txt

• Demigoddess should appear as a transparent female, but using certain 3D cards she's invisible. See it as an extra challenge.
• Setting 'maxclients' to 256 and 'maxentities' to 2048 before loading q2ctf8 crashes Quake2. This is probably a bug in Quake2.

• When I type menu on the console I just see an echoed 'menu': make sure you've installed the bot correctly and make sure no demos are played before loading a map. note the menu only works when a map is loaded.
• The .AAS files I created for the previous version of the Gladiator bot don't work with version 0.9. You'll need to compile the maps with WinBSPC 1.1 (included with the bot) to create .AAS files that work with this version of the bot.

By using this product you agree to exempt, without reservation, the authors and owners of this production or components thereof from any responsibility for liability, damage caused, or loss, directly or indirectly, by this software, including but not limited to, any interruptions of service, loss of business, or any other consequential damages resulting from the use of or operation of this product or components thereof. No warranties are made, expressed or implied, regarding the usage, functionality, or implied operability of this product. All elements are available solely on an "as-is" basis. Usage is subject to the user's own risk.
 

Note: The Gladiator bot incorporates compression code from the Info-ZIP group. There are no extra charges or costs due to the use of this code, and the original compression sources are freely available from http://www.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/ or ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/infozip/ on the Internet.
 

Availability

You are reading this, so you must have it, so why would you need another one? Oh well... you can find the most recent version at http://www.botepidemic.com/gladiator.
 

Version changes

version 0.9

- RA2 support
- CTF support
- Xatrix mp1 support
- Rogue mp2 support
- added 12 new bot characters
- tweaked some bot characters
- added more weapon specifications
- added new chat engine, rchat, ichat, synonym list, random string list
- fixed weapon weights
- several bot characteristics changed
- fixed jumping during battle
- fixed unzip.dll crashes under WinNT & Win95
- changed AAS version to 2
- fixed obstacles towards teleporter
- fixed bspc area 'center'
- fixed 'natural' area clustering with teleporters
- fixed random chat string pieces
- fixed "goal heap overflow"
- fixed AI network internal loop between Battle_Ret and Battle_NBG
- fixed "BotUpdateSound: client number out of range" due to multicast with "maxclients 256"
- prevented repeating reply chats
- tweaked several reachabilities
- fixed bot picking up dropped weapons (keep repositioning movable items)
- fixed shootable doors & secrets doors
- added func_rotating_door to AAS
- fixed under water elevators
- adjusted bot aim and response time
- added workaround for train.bsp entstring bug line 2906 "175\"
- enabled evolution of the goal selection
- fixed misplaced trains due to Rogue support
- fixed failing goal selection on moving objects