Proposal for Group Routing

[sli]

Has anyone ever looked into Flocking? It would be absolutely perfect for parties, and wouldn't require one party member to be the leader. Essentially, the entire party will function as one unit instead of multiple, separate units. From AI For Game Developers:

Craig Reynolds coined the term boids when referring to his simulated flocks. The behavior he generated very closely resembles shoals of fish or flocks of birds. All the boids can be moving in one direction at one moment, and then the next moment the tip of the flock formation can turn and the rest of the flock will follow as a wave of turning boids propagates through the flock.

[Bibian]

how would this be implemented?
would the bots be linked by TCP, letting each other know where they want to move and based on certain criteria they will select a leader among themselfs?

[kali]

I once had an idea like this where you group a few bots and command them to do stuff, just like in command and conquer. Back then it involved using the IPC interface (now defunct). Never did finish it though.

[kLabMouse]

Hmm. Very Interesting Idea.
I've left this part in my mind, to implement on "AI 2008", so their could be some "Master Mind" that take over "AIModules" controls to it's own via "Bus"
So ,The Ending AI will only do basic stuff like "Tasks", and it's "Brain" activated when it loose "Bus" connnection to "Master Mind" or so called "Party AI".

Btw. We where talking about it with Technology when we started implementing Skeleton of new AI.

[sli]

Read more about flocking. There's no state sharing, no connections, no anything.

Cohesion
Have each unit steer toward the average position of its neighbors.

Alignment
Have each unit steer so as to align itself to the average heading of its neighbors.

Separation
Have each unit steer to avoid hitting its neighbors.

[Bibian]

wouldnt you still need a primary to follow then?
kore relies on random locations to walk to, so 1 bot has to take point and guide the rest no?
though you can still make it follow its neighbour, once the bot teleports it has no idea who to follow, right?

using a TCP link to have the entire 'swarm' of bots communicate and reach an agreement of where to go, how to go there, what to attack, asking for buffs, etc would be cool too though but would require more bw (depending on how its implemented, tree structure or mesh)

[Cozzie]

they all walk together while maintaining check and contact with the rest of the group ad hoc. We can have one take the lead but by not following a single bot it reduces dependencies issue. EG: bot dcs, mobbed, dies, etc and the party just stops.

[Darki]

This seems a very good idea... What has happened with it? I'd love to see a way to group bot party membeers in other way than making "little trains" >_<

[ezza]

How about implementing a Master AI to control each bot?

1. The Master AI just concentrate in the coordinating the bot's:-

• a. positioning matters (gathering,strategy and tactical purpose)
  b. when to strike or when to backup/retreat
  c. monitoring each bot's data (hp,sp,status and etc)

2. Each bot's AI just concentrate with thier own AI in the config

• ex: attack skill,party skill,useselfitem & etc.

Note: Master AI is not even a bot... its just a program that can excess each bot's data and to control them


p.s: It might not possible

[botty007]

like central AI or AI server?
and each bot has AI client?