Go here, download this mod, and study the AI code in Missions

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Oh, wait. It's free. Whew.

It's a dog to get into the specific code initially (meaning the FL stuff, not Argh's), but it all comes down to the "personalities" defined in pilot_populations.ini. There are literally hundreds of blocks defining specific behaviors, but they all get tied together at the bottom in the stock FL in the [Pilot blocks. The blocks before those are definitions of specific behaviors about things.

To make a long story short, bot/bat use for each pilot is defined in the repair_id line, or "inherited" from a previous pilot. For each and every one of those pilots used, repair usage goes back to a block nicknamed repair_none - which, as you may guess, means they don't do diddle.

There are a couple of mods that just substitute one of the other unused blocks, but you get more interesting behavior if you create your own repair blocks that are used by different dificulty pilots. Easy pilots would still be none, and Ace pilots would repair regularly - and possibly their ships would sport shields that have more than a 1/sec repair rate.

Now go get Argh's stuff, because he probably covers it in there and his "philosophy" does wonders for neat, compact mods. In fact, we're using the split-out XML files approach in the Asgard 3 development so we can work in parallel on the mod and just exchange updates, and it makes it incredibly easy.

Alternatively, check newbie questions look no further 2 - first page I think it was

Thanks guys - you're the greatest! I think I can decipher the information in Argh's mod enough to do what I'm thinking. BTW, Argh, nice mod.

edit: yeah, I made a mod that just made all AI fighters use bots and batts, alongside with the full shield regeneration for AI. I started a new game - LOL. That's much harder. I feel like a wuss, but I think I'll have to set the bots and batts to just be for harder difficulty settings.

I have become one with my computer. It is a feeling of ecstasy...the perfect blend of logic and emotion. I have reached...Nerdvana!

Edited by - Overkill on 5/13/2005 7:36:03 PM