Areas - homes

ID:170250
 
Feb 28 2005, 10:13 am
When I start the game, all the monsters start in their respective homes. They wander about in there, keeping inside their areas. But if a player attacks them, they will follow the player outside of their area. If the player moves more than 6 tiles away, the monster will start wandering around again, but this time refusing to leave its current area.

How can I get it to return to its starting areas? And how can I get it to only leave a certain number of tiles from its home area, before it returns ignoring all players until it gets there? I've made a few attempts, and they've all gone terribly wrong.

Thank you for your time.

~Ease~
Feb 28 2005, 4:17 pm
you could have them teleport back to a loc after they're done chasing someone.
Feb 28 2005, 8:40 pm
In response to Elchry
I want them to walk back to an area, not a loc. I don't know how to tell them to seek out an area.
Mar 1 2005, 9:01 am
In response to Ease
Ease wrote:
I want them to walk back to an area, not a loc. I don't know how to tell them to seek out an area.

You could make them have a "home" area.
mob
  monster
    var
       area/home_area //Don't forget to set this!
    //Then, use the walk_to proc to src.home_area\
in your wander code

That should work. :p
Mar 1 2005, 11:40 am
In response to Hell Ramen
And how would you set the area?

I tried this under the Monster

            New()
                for(var/area/a in world)
                    if(a.contents.Find(src))
                        src.InArea = a
                        world<<"[src] = [src.InArea]"
                        break


And this just caused it to crash
Mar 1 2005, 11:49 am
In response to Ease
Don't forget that a turfs loc is an area, so make a Get_Area() proc: 
proc/Get_Area(atom/a)
    if(isarea(a))return a
    else
        if(isarea(a.loc))return a.loc
        else return Get_Area(a.loc)

Then you need a decent proc for searching out areas. I think locate() returns the closest tile. I don't know if it works for areas, though.
Add a simple AI proc, with a check for distance, a check for a target, and chase procs, then finally your return proc and voila! 
proc/AI()
    var/area/a = Get_Area(src)
    if(target && (istype(a,/area/home)||get_dist(src,home)<6))
        step_towards(src,target)
        attack(target)
    else 
        var/area/a = Get_Area(src)
        if(a == home)
            step_rand(src) //Not sure if exists, shouldn't be too hard to make anyway
            target = locate(/mob) in oview(6,src)
        else if(get_dist(home)>6)
            step_toward(src,home)
Mar 2 2005, 6:28 am
In response to Hazman
Hazman wrote:
Then you need a decent proc for searching out areas. I think locate() returns the closest tile. I don't know if it works for areas, though.

locate() does nothing of the sort.

Add a simple AI proc, with a check for distance, a check for a target, and chase procs, then finally your return proc and voila!
proc/AI()
    var/area/a = Get_Area(src)
    if(target && (istype(a,/area/home)||get_dist(src,home)<6))
        step_towards(src,target)
        attack(target)
    else 
        var/area/a = Get_Area(src)
        if(a == home)
            step_rand(src) //Not sure if exists, shouldn't be too hard to make anyway
            target = locate(/mob) in oview(6,src)
        else if(get_dist(home)>6)
            step_toward(src,home)


There's just way too much that won't work here. For starters, an AI proc is usually implemented as a loop, and the var/area/a=Get_Area(src) call should be saving the starting area. The type check against /area/home is bogus because it should be comparing to the monster's specific home area, not a single common home area type. The step_rand() proc actually doesn't take the area into account, so the monster may leave its area unintentionally even when not chasing a target. And finally, you've actually declared var/area/a twice, so this won't compile.

Lummox JR
Mar 2 2005, 8:01 am
In response to Lummox JR
Thank you Lummox, but I had already made my own Monster "AI" - all I couldn't do was amend it so that they returned to their own areas. The Get_Area proc from Hazman triggered my mind enough for me to make my own proc and amend my AI! =D

However, it is now very very messy, and doesn't even work!

            ai_random_wander()//random wander if no mobs are in range to attack
                if(src.key)//if the source is human
                    return//don't call the rest
                if(AI==1)
                    var/turf/T
                    var/Dir=0
                    do
                        Dir=pick(1,2,4,8,5,6,9,10)
                        T=get_step(src,Dir)
                    while(!T||T.density||T.loc!=loc.loc)
                    step(src,Dir)
                    src.ai_run_away()//checks for run away
                    spawn(7)//delay for one tick
                        if(AI==1)
                            ai_random_wander()//wander some more

            ai_run_away()//used for checking to see if it should run or attack
                if(src.client)
                    return
                else
                    for(var/mob/chars/M in oview(4,src))//loops over all mobs within 4 tiles of the monster
                        if(M.client)//if the mob is human
                            var/area/a = Get_Area(src)
                            var/area/T = src.InArea
                            if(get_dist(src,M) <= 5 && src.HP < src.HP/3)//if the player is close, and the monster is weaker
                                AI = 2
                                walk_away(src,M,5,6)//run away
                            else if(istype(a,T)||get_dist(src,T)<6)
                                AI = 2
                                src.ai_walk_to()//calls the walk_to (for attacking) proc
                            else if(get_dist(src,T)>6)
                                AI = 2
                                walk_towards(src,T,7)

                        else
                            continue//if it's a monster keep looping
                            

            ai_walk_to()//someone came into view
                if(src.client)
                    return 0
                else
                    for(var/mob/chars/M in oview(5,src))
                        if(M.client&&M.loc.loc==loc.loc)
                            if(get_dist(src,M) <= 5&&checktrg(M))//within 5 tiles
                                do
                                    step_to(src,M,1)//walk to the player
                                    if(get_dist(src,M) <= 1)
                                        Attackproc(M)
                                        sleep(9)
                                    sleep(11)

                                while(checktrg(M)&&get_dist(src,M) <= 5)
                                break//stops the loop
                            else
                                continue
                    AI = 1
                    ai_random_wander()
            ai_walk_to2(var/mob/M)//someone shot src
                if(src.client)
                    return 0
                else
                    var/e = 1
                    do
                        step_to(src,M,1)//walk to the player
                        if(get_dist(src,M) <= 5)
                            ai_walk_to()
                        sleep(11)
                    while(e)
                    AI = 1
                    ai_random_wander()

            checktrg(atom/target)
                if(target.loc.loc==loc.loc)
                    return 1
                else
                    return 0


ai_random_wander() is the main proc, called when all monsters are made anew. To make them walk randomly. ai_run_away() is not just for running away, it actually chooses which action to take: run away, run home (to "InArea" area) or run at an enemy. ai_walk_to() is to get it to walk at an enemy, and attack if near enough. ai_walk_to2() is to walk at an enemy shooting you from outside your area.

Unfortunately, now they walk very erratically when a player nears, and they never, ever walk back home. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

~Ease~
Mar 2 2005, 8:57 am
In response to Ease
hmmm u could set the Mob's Move delay so it runs away slower. I don't know if that helps *Becasue i'm not sure on the code myself. If some1 could post it, it could realy help Ease
Mar 7 2005, 8:35 am
In response to Ease
I'm still stuck on this. Monsters jump erratically, and never return home. I've changed the code a little, but to no avail:

            ai_random_wander()//random wander if no mobs are in range to attack
                if(src.key)//if the source is human
                    return//don't call the rest
                else
                    var/turf/T
                    var/Dir=0
                    do
                        Dir=pick(1,2,4,8,5,6,9,10)
                        T=get_step(src,Dir)
                    while(!T||T.density||T.loc!=loc.loc)
                    step(src,Dir)
                    src.ai_run_away()//checks for run away
                    spawn(7)//delay for one tick
                        src.ai_random_wander()

            ai_run_away()//used for checking to see if it should run or attack
                if(src.client)
                    return
                else
                    for(var/mob/chars/M in oview(4,src))//loops over all mobs within 4 tiles of the monster
                        if(M.client)//if the mob is human
                            var/area/a = Get_Area(src)
                            var/area/T = src.InArea
                            if(get_dist(src,M) <= 5 && src.HP < src.HP/3)//if the player is close, and the monster is weaker
                                walk_away(src,M,5,6)//run away
                            else if(istype(a,T)||get_dist(src,T)<6)
                                src.ai_walk_to()//calls the walk_to (for attacking) proc
                            else if(get_dist(src,T)>6)
                                walk_towards(src,T,7)
                        else
                            ai_random_wander()//if it's a monster keep looping


            ai_walk_to()//someone came into view
                if(src.client)
                    return 0
                else
                    for(var/mob/chars/M in oview(5,src))
                        if(M.client&&M.loc.loc==loc.loc)
                            if(get_dist(src,M) <= 5&&checktrg(M))//within 5 tiles
                                do
                                    step_to(src,M,1)//walk to the player
                                    if(get_dist(src,M) <= 1)
                                        Attackproc(M)
                                        sleep(9)
                                    sleep(11)

                                while(checktrg(M)&&get_dist(src,M) <= 5)
                                break//stops the loop
                            else
                                continue
            ai_walk_to2(var/mob/M)//someone shot src
                if(src.client)
                    return 0
                else
                    var/e = 1
                    do
                        step_to(src,M,1)//walk to the player
                        if(get_dist(src,M) <= 5)
                            ai_walk_to()
                        sleep(11)
                    while(e)
                    ai_random_wander()

            checktrg(atom/target)
                if(target.loc.loc==loc.loc)
                    return 1
                else
                    return 0


Any help?

~Ease~
Mar 9 2005, 10:49 am
In response to ElderKain
Nope, movement delay did not affect it in the slightest. =( Thanks though!
Mar 11 2005, 2:35 pm (Edited on Mar 11 2005, 11:19 pm)
In response to Ease
Fixed