.nodes file

[palistov]

NEW QUESTION

Hopefully someone on the FG staff can answer this: What exactly is the purpose of the AI nodes? Does it control what a monster will do/where it will path when not assigned a specific path? I ask this because earlier I was testing an aspect of gameplay regarding monsters but I watched said monster wander off, and not even along the scripted path I had assigned it (but not triggered).

I also noticed each AI node's edge nodes are close to the "parent" node, if I may. This makes me think that the reason there are dozens of nodes but only a few are scripted path nodes is so that when a monster returns to its path after say, seeing and following the player across a room, it doesn't get stuck on an obstacle while returning to its original path. If this is incorrect I'd love some insight into what exactly nodes do.

I REALLY don't want my story to be one of those where you can bug out a monster in a wall and just do as you please while he derps in the corner. Thanks


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Does anyone know anything about what exactly the purpose of the .nodes files are and how to create them?

Thanks

[Roenlond]

Isn't those files automatically created when you use the AddEnemyPatrolNode(string& asName, string& asNodeName, float afWaitTime, string& asAnimation); command? They are just text files and I haven't found a need to create them manually yet.

[palistov]

Bumping...have another question related to .nodes files and monster AI. In the original post! Up! ^^^

[smapho123]

When you place Path Nodes in the level editor (under the areas tab), a Nodes file automatically appears. To get the monster to follow the Path Nodes, you have to add each individual path node individually in the script file (in the format AddEnemyPatrolNode("[name of monster]", "[name of patrol node]", ([# of seconds monster stays]), "[Animation it performs (could be blank, but if it isn't, it has to be a file in Entities->Enemy->[Monster's Name]->Animations)]

[GraphicsKid]

When you place Path Nodes in the level editor (under the areas tab), a Nodes file automatically appears. To get the monster to follow the Path Nodes, you have to add each individual path node individually in the script file (in the format AddEnemyPatrolNode("[name of monster]", "[name of patrol node]", ([# of seconds monster stays]), "[Animation it performs (could be blank, but if it isn't, it has to be a file in Entities->Enemy->[Monster's Name]->Animations)]

Not exactly true. All you have to do is add the destination path node, and the monster will automatically take the quickest route to get there. The whole point of path nodes is to give the monster a path to walk along if it doesn't have a straight line path to it's destination (ie if a wall is in the way).

[palistov]

Yeah smapho I understand the purpose of the nodes but I was unclear as to what the purpose of the AI nodes in the .nodes file was. If you open it up you'll see it's under a category called AINodes, and that each path node has other "edge nodes" attached to it.

GraphicsKid: Ahhh that's kind of the answer I was looking for. What I've been doing is placing lots of nodes and adding each of them along a path. When I do that the monster keeps pausing at each node. Perhaps that AI nodes are just so that when a monster is assigned to that node, it has nearby nodes to follow.

I'm still unclear as to why in the world my monster randomly walks around when there are path nodes nearby, even if I haven't assigned him a node to walk to. O_O