Ok read through things...
EQ uses avery simple A* algorithm to determine the next ppoint to use, as I stated earlier. ppoints are layed out in groups, with both a finite number of points per group, and a finite numnber of groups. This is to reduce overhead. I dont' recall the actuall numbers for each, and has been pointed out there are a lot more complex zones now so the numbers have probably changed. Hell for all I know the entire system was rewritten, but i'm going on what I worked with during the early days (pre kunark).
The simple explanation of how it work sis thus:
Mob determines what ppoint it is closest to
Mob determines what ppoint is closest to its destination/target
If destination ppoint is NOT in the same group as the mobs location, then its destination point is instead moved to the CONNECTOR point. A connecter point is a ppoint that connects two groups together.
Mob determines which adjacent ppoint to its location is in the right direction, anbd moves to that ppoint
Rinse and repeat as needed.
Wide opens, work different. A wide open simply says that a mob can move directly from its current location to its target in a straight X,Y,Z line as long as both points are in the same wide open. Wide opens CAN be used on varied height terrain, but it should only be used with minor changes. Any major hills or other height changes should be actually pathed out to prevent mobs from falling under the world. Found this out the hard way early in development when we tried to use wide opens completely in areas like commons, karanas.. only to end up with a lot of mobs under the world because of the hilly areas. Believe it or not though, a lot of mobs STILL do end up under the world in those areas hehe.
Let me try to illustrate an example where you can see this algorithm in play. I'm guessing that a lot of people here have gone through Crushbone, and many of you may have seen the really funny pathing that is in that zone. It does a good job of showing you how it works. For example: stand on one side of a moat, and attack an orc that is on the other side. Depending on your positioning, the orc will run one wya or the other, down to a bridge (Not always the NEAREST bridge lol), then cross the bridge, then run back up. The way that zone was pathed, most all of the bridges contain connecter ppoints. You are in one group, the orc in another. The bridge is the connection between the 2 groups. You can also see it in the entrance when you tag an orc, and it runs over and away form you, then back down the middle. In this case, its typically all one group (depending on where you are), but the spawn points for the mobs believe it or not are NOT on ppoints. So the orcs have to first move to a ppoint, then start the chain.
Hopefully this clears things up a bit?
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