[MOD 0.18] Robot Army. v0.4.4

[supernet2]

Yeahhh before on the old version it would expend/terminate those ones, so say i deploy it from hand, it would delete itself out the newer update nolonger does so so... it kinda just chills their

[kyranzor]

Yeahhh before on the old version it would expend/terminate those ones, so say i deploy it from hand, it would delete itself out the newer update nolonger does so so... it kinda just chills their

I found an exploit where the deployed versions would spawn infinite droids and not be used in the process. Maybe it's only true when cheat mode is on during my testing but in any case it was not intended that you can/should use those items so I disabled them.

[supernet2]

ahh thats why. Also a question, how do We clear out all spawned droid entities? I seem to have run into some serious server lag because theirs far to many of them running around (and i cannot find where they all are) to undeploy them (or more so collect them*) ?

Edit: a request for this mod, is to make a recall feature, to force all active drones to recall to rally beacon (IE: Squad # rally here) sorta building instruction. Add in a better way to track where the drones are, would help out with recalling them to reclaim them if they wander off to far on the map

[kyranzor]

ahh thats why. Also a question, how do We clear out all spawned droid entities? I seem to have run into some serious server lag because theirs far to many of them running around (and i cannot find where they all are) to undeploy them (or more so collect them*) ?

Edit: a request for this mod, is to make a recall feature, to force all active drones to recall to rally beacon (IE: Squad # rally here) sorta building instruction. Add in a better way to track where the drones are, would help out with recalling them to reclaim them if they wander off to far on the map

I think it's a good idea to purge our server's map which you can do with the following command:
/c game.forces['player'].kill_all_units()

In the case you want to reimburse cost of the droids lost you could look at the count on the droid activity module and place that amount of undeployed droids in a box after the purge.

As for rally, I could make a beacon thing which recalls all hunting or idle (but not guarding or patrolling) squads. The guarding and patrolling ones should be obvious where they are and not need to be recalled (reduces the code i need to write to get them back to work when the recall is cancelled).

The bug has been fixed in 0.13.8 btw. Yay

[kyranzor]

Confirmed, today's 0.13.8 contains a fix for the droid units in the player's cursor causing desync when hovering over a belt. It also contains pathfinder fix for droids getting stuck on trivial obstacles.

Also, to build excitement I guess i'll share this, me testing some new GFX for the terminators: https://youtu.be/oxlFqzZd4yQ

[Qon]

I think it's a good idea to purge our server's map which you can do with the following command:
/c game.forces['player'].kill_all_units()

Or a commmand for units to retreat would be nice... as I've said before. Maybe I don't want to kill my units.

[kyranzor]

I think it's a good idea to purge our server's map which you can do with the following command:
/c game.forces['player'].kill_all_units()

Or a commmand for units to retreat would be nice... as I've said before. Maybe I don't want to kill my units.

Yes I mentioned earlier that I can make a place-able object that causes all hunting and idle squads to move to that location. It is simple and ill add it to the next update.

I suggested supernet uses the kill-all command because his server is still pretty new and there is not too much invested in it.

If your game is at a point where it's too expensive to just kill everything and start fresh then the rally beacon will help.

[DOSorDIE]

Confirmed, today's 0.13.8 contains a fix for the droid units in the player's cursor causing desync when hovering over a belt. It also contains pathfinder fix for droids getting stuck on trivial obstacles.

Also, to build excitement I guess i'll share this, me testing some new GFX for the terminators: https://youtu.be/oxlFqzZd4yQ

The Terminators look great!
Cant wait to build it!
Dont forget the defend mod ... my Most Wanted feature.

[supernet2]

ahh thats why. Also a question, how do We clear out all spawned droid entities? I seem to have run into some serious server lag because theirs far to many of them running around (and i cannot find where they all are) to undeploy them (or more so collect them*) ?

Edit: a request for this mod, is to make a recall feature, to force all active drones to recall to rally beacon (IE: Squad # rally here) sorta building instruction. Add in a better way to track where the drones are, would help out with recalling them to reclaim them if they wander off to far on the map

I think it's a good idea to purge our server's map which you can do with the following command:
/c game.forces['player'].kill_all_units()

In the case you want to reimburse cost of the droids lost you could look at the count on the droid activity module and place that amount of undeployed droids in a box after the purge.

As for rally, I could make a beacon thing which recalls all hunting or idle (but not guarding or patrolling) squads. The guarding and patrolling ones should be obvious where they are and not need to be recalled (reduces the code i need to write to get them back to work when the recall is cancelled).

The bug has been fixed in 0.13.8 btw. Yay

Ahh okay cool thanks for the heads up, and the rally beacon would pretty much be the same as the beacon perhaps just add a droid icon & # overlay (when you press ALT) to show which droid squad will report to the beacon on recall (or add if you wanna get crazy add it into the circuit network with the ratios of # of squads to rally) or something that gives the player options to rally multiple squadrons (or one squadron) at a recall beacon (just reduces the number of beacons required)< this also serves as a add in feature to the guard post, as you could just add that option into a patrol section of it, and give it a layout of limited distance (like say 15x15 range of patrol radius) to reduce player ability to just make one beacon have a massive patrol route(and more beacons/guard posts just increases the effective response time of droids on patrol

Edit: To add into this idea, you could technically make segment patrol routes, like how construction drones have a imited radius, copy that over to the beacon as a effective response radius, but then allow the player to "set down" patrol routes per guard station, i'd say 1 patrol route (although thats more advanced and would be nice i understand if you just keep to the simple idea of radius around the guard post). Really theirs two ideas their just trying to think of two ways to make it a two in one ordeal, but then that takes a bit away from the game i think so it might be easier to split the idea to two more buildings. Guard station (patrol station?), and Rally beacon (force rallies squadrons unassigned to a patrol station/another rally beacon)

[kyranzor]

The next update will have the guard station, a rally post used to recall all active and idle squads, artifact collection that includes the ones added by bobs mods, various balance changes, maybe the first version of the flamethrower robot, and GFX updates for icons and most of the droids (like the terminator one in the video)

[supernet2]

The next update will have the guard station, a rally post used to recall all active and idle squads, artifact collection that includes the ones added by bobs mods, various balance changes, maybe the first version of the flamethrower robot, and GFX updates for icons and most of the droids (like the terminator one in the video)

A friendly heads up to please try to limit the Number of drones deployable with flamethrowers, i know that 1 user using a flamethrower generates massive lag on a multiplayer server, but when its solo their are no real limits (beyond your hardware serving as a choking point)

A idea, is that i noticed that the flamethrower turrets, do not generate lag when used in unison all over the base and all are in full effect, on multiplayer or solo. Maybe take from that and use whatever it runs under as the droids flamethrower use so that it wont generate lag, vs when players use flamethrower and it generates lag

[kyranzor]

The next update will have the guard station, a rally post used to recall all active and idle squads, artifact collection that includes the ones added by bobs mods, various balance changes, maybe the first version of the flamethrower robot, and GFX updates for icons and most of the droids (like the terminator one in the video)

A friendly heads up to please try to limit the Number of drones deployable with flamethrowers, i know that 1 user using a flamethrower generates massive lag on a multiplayer server, but when its solo their are no real limits (beyond your hardware serving as a choking point)

A idea, is that i noticed that the flamethrower turrets, do not generate lag when used in unison all over the base and all are in full effect, on multiplayer or solo. Maybe take from that and use whatever it runs under as the droids flamethrower use so that it wont generate lag, vs when players use flamethrower and it generates lag

Interesting.. maybe report this observation to the devs as well, as a server performance issue. Maybe there is something they can do on their end regarding that disparity. I have a cunning plan for the flamethrower, to optimise it. I will make the flamethrower a little less like a "stream" flamethrower (laggy) but more like a short range guided-missile with flame sprite that ignites target and does fire damage to it directly, as a work-around for not only the "stream" weapon type lag but also the friendly fire issue (it directly hits the enemy, but causes a fire, which is not owned by the guy who shot it and won't cause friendly-fire issues)

[supernet2]

Thats a genius work around, until they patch the existing issue which then just makes it the same either way. lol

edit: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=28806&p=182954#p182954 response, As i suspected... dev was quick to respond. Its based on a players hardware. If their system cant keep up it will generate the lag. That makes sense actually, i cant comprehend how my system has this lag with 32gb ram, a NVIDIA 680MX with 4gb ram, and a i7-3940XM Mobile Processor. Guess its really limited to the hardware on the server, or the gpu on the user side.

[kyranzor]

Thats a genius work around, until they patch the existing issue which then just makes it the same either way. lol

edit: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=28806&p=182954#p182954 response, As i suspected... dev was quick to respond. Its based on a players hardware. If their system cant keep up it will generate the lag. That makes sense actually, i cant comprehend how my system has this lag with 32gb ram, a NVIDIA 680MX with 4gb ram, and a i7-3940XM Mobile Processor. Guess its really limited to the hardware on the server, or the gpu on the user side.

Yeah. Oh well, I don't want swarms of my robots to cause GPU lag, so i'm trying to avoid overly graphics-heavy weapons/effects. The simulated flamer I hope will not cause much GPU drain. Right now you can have 1000 robots off killing shit and have no CPU/graphical lag (script and game update rates are still good enough for 60/60 rates).


edit: hey guys, i'm sure you'll be excited for this:

Capture.JPG (28.18 KiB) Viewed 7343 times

Plus, I just added "bullet casings" to the rifle and SMG droids while they shoot, for extra cool-factor.

[DOSorDIE]

Cant wait to use it.
Want it now now now now (Ok this evening)

[kyranzor]

On the dev branch is a "stable" in-progress version of the 0.1.45/0.1.5 version, with the the following stuff to try out:

- guard station (done, needs unique gfx though),
- WIP rally beacon (test it pls?),
- terminator graphics sprite,
- bullet casings on rifle and SMG bot shooting effects,
- bobs artifacts collection (anything with "artifact" in the entity name will be collected, actually),
- rocket droids have 0 splash area, so they are a high damage, long range, low fire rate "sniper" basically. to help handle big biters/spitters while the SMG droids are taking out the smaller units up close. You will not have friendly fire issues anymore.

The guard station is just like a droid assembler except the squads it makes are self-limiting (to 10, currently) based on counting nearby droids within 32 tile circle, centered on the guard station. you need to set the recipe and insert droids like a droid assembler.

The rally beacon is still in testing, it kind of worked when i was testing but still needs some work I think. Please test it out, it should attract every squad on your force except for the guard squads.

You'll need to replace the insides of your robot army mod folder with the contents of the dev branch from github, and then change the folder name to be 0.1.45 instead of 0.1.44

[massey]

Hey, when placing a guard post I get

Error while running the event handler: __robotarmy__/control.lua:290: attempt to index field 'droidGuardStations' (a nil value)

I didn't start a new map, so it might be due to updating the mod in a previously saved game?

I placed the rally point without problems.. didn't notice any behaviour change in the droids but I haven't tested it much.

[kyranzor]

I just updated the control.lua in the dev branch, re-download it and update the control.lua file in your mod folder.

[massey]

That fixed it. They picked up bobs mods artefacts from an already destroyed base. Nice.
thanks!
I'll test the rally beacon a bit more and let you know how it goes. Do the droids just hang around it or disappear into it?

[kyranzor]

That fixed it. They picked up bobs mods artefacts from an already destroyed base. Nice.
thanks!
I'll test the rally beacon a bit more and let you know how it goes. Do the droids just hang around it or disappear into it?

All squads in your force should "move to" it, but they are distracted by "damage" so if they or their squad are hit by enemies, they will stop to fight back.

Once they get there, normal AI will take over (the squads big enough will just start hunting again, and undersized squads will hang around until they get enough guys added). I might make it so they disappear into it, to give it a full 100% 'recall' effect, which is probably what most people want anyway. We'll see.