Battlezone Forums

finished adding the mpic, sentryenemy, etc., path points to the remaining MPI maps.

Back to testing then, Thank u RD

i'm wondering if we really need to have different maps for different game modes. why not let the server's shell settings/varbs decide which dll to run for each map? thinking it might save a lot of...everything?

dunno right now, so back to work.

Red Devil wrote:i'm wondering if we really need to have different maps for different game modes. why not let the server's shell settings/varbs decide which dll to run for each map? thinking it might save a lot of...everything?

dunno right now, so back to work.

This is what I am trying to do with my LUA DLL, where it is told to load a differnt lua script. The DLL works, but the LUA api needs a bit more work for dynamic subscript loading and hooking. Once I get it to the testing point I passed it onto others to work on other projects. Of course, none of those people have gotten back to me.

Due to design decisions (partly left over from BZ1), we made the map's .bzn file contain a link to what DLL it uses. To get around that, you would need a common DLL that could run in multiple modes -- and no such DLL exists yet -- or multiple maps, each with a single mode.

-- GSH

GSH wrote:Due to design decisions (partly left over from BZ1), we made the map's .bzn file contain a link to what DLL it uses. To get around that, you would need a common DLL that could run in multiple modes -- and no such DLL exists yet -- or multiple maps, each with a single mode.

-- GSH

If you think about it, the DM DLL technically does this for several DM variations.

I've been toying with the thought of combining MPI and ST in the past but found it not worth the effort. Not just cause of the work in the dll, but you also have to redo the entire collection of maps and than you still have to get people onboard or else its still only partially implemented at best.
I've found that structure works better than convinience, if a choice has to be made.

Red Spot wrote:I've been toying with the thought of combining MPI and ST in the past but found it not worth the effort. Not just cause of the work in the dll, but you also have to redo the entire collection of maps and than you still have to get people onboard or else its still only partially implemented at best.
I've found that structure works better than convinience, if a choice has to be made.

Didn't GBD combine MPI and FFA, effectively doing just that? He has a DLL where you can set any team to computer or human and the end conditions still apply as expected.

I know he made and MPI version of the dll that allows for multiple AI teams, not sure if those slots could be occupied by several players though.
If that is the case however, it works in BZC cause he made a bunch of maps that support it. My comment was based on regular BZ2 where it just doesnt seem worth the effort 'to me'.

I still think the more things we hand to the DLL the better. Disabling F slots entirely for team slots, give it to the DLL. Putting a player on another player's Team slots, give it to the DLL. I don't know if this is possible, but if it is, it tells us to fix the problems we see ourselves and gives us a lot more of a chance to fix things.

Interestingly, if you can find different buttons for the team-slots, there is no reason why F1-F10 can't all still work for AI units. I've had Teamslots and FSlots overlap the same key before.

Basically, I tihnk it is time to drop 640 by 480 and find some new keys for the teamslots, and give them to the DLL.

Yeah, I generally think the stock IA/MPI dll is kindof bleh.

When I added MPI to BZC/Epic/VSR, I just made it a toggled flag into the Strategy DLL. It just spawns the AI recy and sets an AIP, and maybe some other starting units.

VSR/BZC also supports some more advanced features, like randomized weapons for the AI based on difficulty and special config files.

And yes, making the DLL more dynamic and allowing for multiple AI teams does require finite map pathpoint placing, but usually only for FFA mode to prevent AI from spawning ontop of humans.

I am testing this so we can add these map to the patch, it could need some fresh new mpi maps.

took a break from the tedium (worked) so i'll work on them some more today.

Post the paths your using, We might as well do things the same.

Red Devil wrote:took a break from the tedium (worked) so i'll work on them some more today.

That sounds like my job today, heh