EQoffline, bots and more..

[gygelly]

Hey folks, new guy here!
First, I've noticed a few folks requesting windows binaries of the 1118 bot code. Here ya go:
http://www.mediafire.com/?ndxi9dxdili

Just copy the 3 files to your standard eqemu install and you are good to go (I think, like I said, I'm new, but it seemed to work for me last night).

I didn't have any trouble getting them compiled, just used the dev kit posted a few pages back (thanks for that, I'm sure it saved me a TON of time and trouble) set the dependencies, and chose ReleasePerl when building the solution.

Now, maybe I've just missed it in this HUGE thread, but is there any kind of user guide for these bots? I found the #bot help command in game, and like I said, managed to screw around with some bots just a bit, but I still have some unanswered questions, and would really appreciate some kind of in depth usage guide if there is one, just to make sure I'm using these guys to their full potential.

If there isn't a guide, then I suppose my biggest question is how do I teach bots spells? I figured out equipping them (that's easy, and very neat) but do I have to give them spells the same way, or is there a command similar to #scribespells that'll just give them a bunch of spells up to the correct level?

Also, are there any more commands for more fine grained control of the healing and mezzing bots? Similar to a "cast this spell on this target" command? I'd really like to set up some kind of CHeal rotation with some cleric bots, for example.

[Congdar]

The bot spells come from the database. They are currently using the lists used by the npc's but I am making new lists just for the bots.

The bot code has a simulated cleric heal rotation. I have used it successfully on the Vulak`Aerr encounter in North ToV and other raid targets. I have not released this code yet but it is available to be tested on the server The Realm along with the new bot spells I have completed.

There is a thread just for Bot Code Releases right next to this thread in the Custom Code forum.

[gygelly]

Thanks for the info, like I said, I'm pretty new at this. I guess I'll hop on the Realm and play around a bit.
Do you want me to put the binaries in the code release thread? Yeah, i saw it, but as it said, that's for code releases, and these are just some binaries.

[gygelly]

Question 1: is it just me, or do the bots seem to miss alot? It seems to take them a LONG time just to take down a mob several levels lower. I know their level is based off of the character that spawns them, but being npcs, I assume weapon skill doesn't really figure into the equation....

Question 2: is there anything I can do to help out? Any particular part of the code you'd like me to look at?

I'm excited about Congdar's spell database improvements (btw, with that tip you gave me, I managed to track down the bot's spell lists, gonna play with 'em tonight), and even more interested in gregg's added bot commands.

How about getting bard's to twist songs? I realize that'd maybe involve rewriting some mob/pet ai, but if you could give me a recommended starting point, that'd be a pretty useful improvement imo.
Or how about getting melee/hybrid bots to use disciplines?

[gygelly]

Duh, didn't know if the Bot AI stuff was based on mobai or petai, then I found botai.cpp. Excuse a newb, I'm only barely familiar with the eqemu code, and this is my first look at this bot stuff.

[Darkonig]

In looking over the bot code and considering its intent, I was wondering why the bots were not implemented as an extension to the client class rather than an internal modification of the npc class.

One of the big issues I have with them being npcs is that they are targeted by the f8 key which interferes with targeting 'real' npcs. They keep getting in the way. When I tried a test of sending the spawn packet declaring the bot's were clients they did not interfere with f8 and showed up in the /who command. This simple change is not sufficient by itself because, although the mobs were still functional, they were identified as <LD> <LFG> <Bad Guild> and had a tendency to go invisible. So further work would be required to make them actual clients on the server side.

If there will be a major rewrite to make them a real class, I would highly recommend making them an extension of client so they behave more like actual players and don't interfere so much with the actual player.

[gygelly]

hey Congdar, I got on the the Realm and played around a bit. The cleric bot actually threw me heals intelligently, but of course, I was only able to test a lvl 6.

Any chance of you sharing your bot code changes soon? It'd surely help the stuff I'm working on to have those seperate spell lists.