idle_only and alert_idle_only

[Sotha]

I have a RIT that points to two possible paths:

1) idle_only path_corner that takes the AI to sleep

2) alert_idle_only path_corner that takes to the AI to patrol.

 

The desired effect is:

AI goes to sleep if everything is peaceful and quiet. If they have evidence of intruders they patrol around.

 

The observed effect is:

Not seeing any evidence of intruders, the AI targets the path_corner that takes them to sleep. On their way they stumble into a dead comrade! They freak out and run to seek help. Lots of AI enter the area and look for intruders. The initial AI relaxes and.... ..GOES TO SLEEP!

 

After the AI gets up again, THEN she goes to the patrol alert_idle_only route.

 

So it looks like AI does not check if their current waypoint target is idle_only once they relax from a disturbance.

 

Should they? Is it even possible?

[Obsttorte]

I guess the spawnarg is checked once they search for the next waypoint. Once this isstored they will not check the condition again. Maybe it helps if you do not only use the spawnarg on the path_corner but on the path_sleep either. So the ai may move towarsd the bad in a case as described by you but won't lay down.

[RJFerret]

That's map path setup. I'd simply add another path node at the sleep one which precedes it to evaluate the condition then. This way they will go patrol based on your circumstance. (You probably already know but for other readers, be careful to provide secondary targets for every node using idle only with the other condition so if their alert changes they will have appropriate available nodes to go to rather than getting stuck.)

[grayman]

The simplest thing I can think to do is mark every path node on the "sleep" branch as "idle_only".

 

Every path node.

 

So if his alert level goes up and comes down, and he's seen evidence of intruders, he'll only pay attention to the path nodes marked "idle_only" or not marked either way.

 

If every node up to sleeping is "idle_only", then he'll skip over those and continue searching beyond the sleep node. Once he finds a node that says "alert_idle_only", or not marked either way, he'll go to that one and continue on his way, looking for "alert_idle_only" or the default nodes that aren't marked either way.

[Sotha]

If every node up to sleeping is "idle_only", then he'll skip over those and continue searching beyond the sleep node. Once he finds a node that says "alert_idle_only", or not marked either way, he'll go to that one and continue on his way, looking for "alert_idle_only" or the default nodes that aren't marked either way.

 

Brilliant! Thanks for the advice!