Need help setting AI bots

[AINTD]

Hello guys!

I have encountered a rather disturbing issue that is completely srewing up my level. I want the AI bots I spawn to go to a certain area and use cover groups that there there and just STAY there ... move along the covers whithin the cover group but never ever leave that area. What is happening is that the bots spawn, go to an area, take cover and quickly start running around the whole level, taking random covers, etc.

I have tried using both AI Factory and Actor factory given they have slightly different options, but to no success. Have experimented with various Kismet nodes (like Combat Spectrum, Combat Action), but still nothing.

I am using AI_Drone as the default AI that spawns.

The only thing that occurs to me is to somehow break the links between pathnodes and cover links, so bots don't go an area that is not connected but I'm not sure it can be done.

Also, is there a way to make an AI bot just stay put and not use any covers whatsoever? I need a bad guy to just stand still at his spawn point and shoot, is it possible? Seems like trivial questions, but can't find a way.

Please advise

[Serenius]

Have you tried using AI: Go Here and setting a tether distance?

[AINTD]

Have tried it, but once bots get to their destination they lose it.

Does anyone know what's up with absolete Kismet nodes: Assign Cover and Set Tether, they sound EXACTLY like what should solve the issue, i.e. tell a bot to use a cover group and not stray away from it. Have tried, doesn't seem to have any effect whatsoever.

Honestly, I can hardly notice any effect from any of the Kismet AI related nodes except for AI: Go Here, am I doing something wrong? Maybe I have to use a certain type of AI controller?

[Serenius]

Are you setting a covergroup using the AI factory?

Also, what is the type of AI you are using? Drones stick to their covergroups pretty well, but snipers always seem to break from theirs to find the farthest cover away from the player, even if it means breaking LOS.

[AINTD]

I use the default Drone AI.

As for the Cover Groups, I have two assigned to the AI factory (have tried by both linking them via Kismet and by hardcoding within AI Factory Cover Groups property). What is the better method?

Usually bots get into position and stay there for a while, but leave their covers and start going for other covers in level.

As for the bot whom I need to stay in one place and just shoot and not use any cover at all, I have found an ugly but seemingly working workaround: assigning the bot AI: Go Here command in a loop every second or so.

[Serenius]

Either way works fine. It's whatever you're more comfortable with, really. The option to link them outside of the node in Kismet is if you want the cover group to be variable.

An alternate solution you could use is a trigger set up in the spot you want the Locust to stay in, and set up an AI: Go Here command any time the drone leaves the trigger area.

[AINTD]

Nothing seems to work ... It's as if AI completely ignores any AI related orders. Bots simply use covers they see fit ignoring any cover groups assigned or cover links forced on them.

[Wraith411]

Bump I am living the dream with this issue currently. I am using AI: Go here with the target being a cover group.

I am toggling the path nodes between the areas of cover I want my drones to stay in and that seems to be helping somewhat.

Anyone ever find a nice solution to this?

-W

[Wraith411]

So here is the best way that I have found so far to keep AI in a designated area of cover.

1)Use move to actor latent and direct the AI to path node near the desired area of cover. I used move to actor latent as it seems to have a higher priority than AI: Go Here.

2) As suggested above place a trigger volume around the area you wish to keep the ai in. Then make a trigger touch event and target the trigger event's instigator with and AI:Go Here to a cover group that is linked to the desired cover nodes.


This works and does not look like ass, then toggle the the trigger to set them loose when you want.

-W

[Wraith411]

Also to get them off of their cover groups I needed to both toggle off the volume and tell them to advance with Set Combat Action and sweet zombie jesus it seems to be working perfectly

[Wraith411]

By perfectly I actually meant sorta. They do recognize the combat action but I want something a bit more immediate so I switched it the combat action to "search". Also it appears after AI (at least my drones) remember a cover group once they are told to go to it and are pretty sticky as mentioned above so if you want them to become freed up then use AI: Go Here to a cover group that includes the entire battle areas cover nodes and they will act as they do when they are first spawned.