AI Vehicle Programmer .... the search continues

Even AI driven SRVs restricted to bases would require a lot of terrain knowledge, but if they had some bases with only flat terrain and restricted the NPCs to those, it would bring the planetary game more alive than it is at present. Let them just drive around delivering 'data.' They don't all have to be 'battle NPCs' but a few would help.

I think the terrain stuff is the least of the issues. With all this stuff, it's quite easy to imagine getting the basics up and running, but it's the last 5% -- all the fiddly edge case stuff -- that takes 95% of the time. What happens if a spaceship lands on one? What happens if a player somehow scoops one up and flies off with it? What happens if one gets stuck on a landing pad as it's dropping into the ground? If you add space legs type stuff to this the problems get exponentially worse and have to be communicated between all the players in the instance. And which player's machine is making the decisions about this? And what if they go and have their tea? etc... etc...
 

Stealthie

Banned
Image of the week :D I hope DB sees this and says "Let's do this !"

I was soooo hoping for that when Galnet reported a mining robot had run amok on some planet.

Imagine my disappointment when, upon arriving in the correct system, there weren't even any landable planets, let alone any sign of a homicidal robotic T-Rex. :(
 
I was soooo hoping for that when Galnet reported a mining robot had run amok on some planet.

Imagine my disappointment when, upon arriving in the correct system, there weren't even any landable planets, let alone any sign of a homicidal robotic T-Rex. :(

If its any consolation the iCourier in my picture wound up in a very embarrassing place a few seconds later.
 
I'm surprised the myriads of armchair programmers here that have declared how much better at this they would be haven't stepped up already.

It's money to mouth time.

Fun fact--I actually talked with Firaxis at one point about joining their team in the late 90s. However, the big problem was this: at that point I was making far more as a developer in the marketing & db world than they could even begin to offer for even a senior level developer, and I wouldn't have qualified as senior developer since all my "game dev" work was a hobby at that point. So--a few phone conversations later, I dropped the application and tossed my dream of doing game dev, so now I can just do it from the comfort of my armchair while IRL doing non-game programming. :D
 
If someone makes an AI that can brake a 40m/s SRV on a low-grav planet without spinning out, they've outperformed Bill Gates tbh
 
I realize that Elite is exponentially more complicated than the previous games I have helped engineer - In those game engines, the surface contact was always the "base" you started from and built the vehicles to follow the terrain that was determined previously - Using what was called (in my day), PhysX, the ability to follow said terrain inclination or declination in all 3 axes ( up-down, left-right, forward-back), without falling thru the terrain - The same type of collision physics is used in the combat, allowing projectiles to impact against the object instead of passing thru - Each layer needs to interact without repercussions in the overall scenario "frame" of reference - Floating rocks on planet surfaces? That is a bounding box issue that is easily resolved by reducing the bounding box size that surrounds each object to allow those objects to seem to be contacting the primary surface - This can be determined in the game engine by making the contact surface value of 0.01 and the object value as 0.02, etc. - Basically the same as in layering different textures over each other to produce the desired effect, get the 2 or more textures too close and they clash like the lines between textures you can encounter in the black of space - Falling rocks or other objects have their own physical aspect which remains inert until touched by another physical object then the stated gravity allows the item to initiate rolling down a declination.
Shall I continue ? Hehehe.
 
I hope it's not a disguise for "we desperately need someone to help us with Legs" !

You might be closer to the truth than you think. After all, what is the difference between programming an NPC vehicle and programing NPC character movement - except for speed. Maybe this could be the precursor to seeing NPCs running around stations and whatever - ya never never know ;)
 
You know what, folks? I think I've cracked this mystery! Considering so many of you want spacelegs and FDev is looking for AI vehicle programmer, I'm pretty sure they are making what?... Space Mechs of course! Here you get new vehicle and legs. Everyone is happy!
 
You’re assuming that “vehicle” means ground vehicle. It could just as easily mean space vehicle could it not? Like those role-based NPC vehicles that are supposed to go with fleet carriers.

it could shed some light on the reason for the delay.
 
I realize that Elite is exponentially more complicated than the previous games I have helped engineer - In those game engines, the surface contact was always the "base" you started from and built the vehicles to follow the terrain that was determined previously - Using what was called (in my day), PhysX, the ability to follow said terrain inclination or declination in all 3 axes ( up-down, left-right, forward-back), without falling thru the terrain - The same type of collision physics is used in the combat, allowing projectiles to impact against the object instead of passing thru - Each layer needs to interact without repercussions in the overall scenario "frame" of reference - Floating rocks on planet surfaces? That is a bounding box issue that is easily resolved by reducing the bounding box size that surrounds each object to allow those objects to seem to be contacting the primary surface - This can be determined in the game engine by making the contact surface value of 0.01 and the object value as 0.02, etc. - Basically the same as in layering different textures over each other to produce the desired effect, get the 2 or more textures too close and they clash like the lines between textures you can encounter in the black of space - Falling rocks or other objects have their own physical aspect which remains inert until touched by another physical object then the stated gravity allows the item to initiate rolling down a declination.
Shall I continue ? Hehehe.

Well it's a bit wordy for a CV but it's definitely a start ;)

(PS how would you tackle the lack of baked in reference points for pathing in prog gen environments?)

(PPS pleasure understand that I won't understand the answer ;))

You’re assuming that “vehicle” means ground vehicle. It could just as easily mean space vehicle could it not? Like those role-based NPC vehicles that are supposed to go with fleet carriers.

it could shed some light on the reason for the delay.


Ahem

the challenges of driving and navigating vehicles on complicated, rugged terrain

;)
 
You’re assuming that “vehicle” means ground vehicle. It could just as easily mean space vehicle could it not? Like those role-based NPC vehicles that are supposed to go with fleet carriers.

it could shed some light on the reason for the delay.

It could also be for city ground vehicle traffic in atmospheric worlds. :)
 
There is a follow command line possible, (adjust the range requirements for the vehicle), An attack command is also available, (adjust the range of detection), an ambush command, (adjust the range of detection), plus many others that could be used in AI-NPC's - Some that are already being used are the turrets that follow the ship in outpost base protection - All these different command lines could be placed for the NPC SRV's - The vehicle displayed in-game usually has nothing to do with the code involved - 1 set of codes can be used for multiple vehicle types, adding or deleting lines as needed for that particular vehicle type that would self adjust for all types of a given terrain or scenario. That is the function of the AI, to determine what to do when.
 
Empty_Desert_-_panoramio.jpg
Hey, that looks like where I used to live. I actually kind of miss it.
I happen to work with semi-autonomous vehicles but I'm not leaving my job and country to go work in Jolly Old England. I happen to have also worked for EA at one point in my life, but not directly on any of their products. I did back end stuff.
 
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