Report, edit, etc...Posted by Shadow-Killa_04 on 2006-11-10 at 16:06:08
Hey guys, its me. Don't question why I would want to do what I'm doing, I'm just weird.
So, I have mineral chunks laying on the ground. A probe comes by and picks them up. How do I make the probe deliver the mineral chunk to a nexus?
Just to make it clear, the probes are not mining minerals. They are just randomly walking around and if a mineral chunk happens to get in their way they'll pick it up.
I'm assuming I would need some AI script but I've never attempted to do this before so I need suggestions.
So, I have mineral chunks laying on the ground. A probe comes by and picks them up. How do I make the probe deliver the mineral chunk to a nexus?
Just to make it clear, the probes are not mining minerals. They are just randomly walking around and if a mineral chunk happens to get in their way they'll pick it up.
I'm assuming I would need some AI script but I've never attempted to do this before so I need suggestions.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by spinesheath on 2006-11-10 at 16:12:59
I guess you want the probes to be comp-owned.
I haven't heard of such an AI script yet. I'd be surprised if there was any, really.
Maybe it works when using one of the standard AI scripts, but without any real mineral patches around.
When there are no minerals around, computer players (at least Custom AI) don't do anything. Maybe they reconize that the probe has picked up a mineral chunk, and bring it back. Set the minerals harvested back to 0 all the time and the comp still won't build anthing.
If you can detect when a probe picked up a mineral chunk, you might also experiment with giving that probe to another player that runs some AI script.
Edit:
How about this: cycle a location through all the mineral chunks and check if there is a probe near it (only works if you don't have excess mineral chunks). If so, order it to move directly to the mineral chunk to make sure it has picked it up, and then order it to move back to the nexus. Remove the mineral chunk near the nexus, and add the 8 mins manually if needed.
I haven't heard of such an AI script yet. I'd be surprised if there was any, really.
Maybe it works when using one of the standard AI scripts, but without any real mineral patches around.
When there are no minerals around, computer players (at least Custom AI) don't do anything. Maybe they reconize that the probe has picked up a mineral chunk, and bring it back. Set the minerals harvested back to 0 all the time and the comp still won't build anthing.
If you can detect when a probe picked up a mineral chunk, you might also experiment with giving that probe to another player that runs some AI script.
Edit:
How about this: cycle a location through all the mineral chunks and check if there is a probe near it (only works if you don't have excess mineral chunks). If so, order it to move directly to the mineral chunk to make sure it has picked it up, and then order it to move back to the nexus. Remove the mineral chunk near the nexus, and add the 8 mins manually if needed.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kyuubi. on 2006-11-10 at 18:49:37
QUOTE(spinesheath @ Nov 10 2006, 01:12 PM)
How about this: cycle a location through all the mineral chunks and check if there is a probe near it (only works if you don't have excess mineral chunks). If so, order it to move directly to the mineral chunk to make sure it has picked it up, and then order it to move back to the nexus. Remove the mineral chunk near the nexus, and add the 8 mins manually if needed.
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A problem with that might be you'd need a load of preplaced mineral chunks because you can't create them ingame. instead of remove, maybe you can just move the mineral chunk somewhere else for it to be used again.
other than that, you can just preplace mineral chunks at a spot, then you can have the probe patrol between the spot the mineral chunk is on and a spot near or on the nexus. once it reaches the nexus, you can move the mineral chunk somewhere else.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by fritfrat(U) on 2006-11-10 at 19:45:08
I have never tried this before, but if I had to guess, I would guess using "command 1 mineral chunk" or "bring 1 mineral chunk to (whatever location)" would probably be used to indicate that you picked up a mineral chunk. Just use that condition (if it works) to order the probe to a nearby nexus.
EDIT: Note that you'd have to remove the chunk by trigger and then add minerals by trigger. Pre-placed items act differently in that respect, as well.
EDIT: Note that you'd have to remove the chunk by trigger and then add minerals by trigger. Pre-placed items act differently in that respect, as well.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by green_meklar on 2006-11-10 at 20:57:25
If they aren't supposed to build anything, I would suggest running a standard AI script and either giving them no resources or disabling all the protoss buildings for that player. After that you just run some kind of trigger system to move them randomly around the map (I actually synthesized a couple of these without the junkyard dog AI script 
). I can't be sure if this would work though.
You could also try fritfrat(U)'s idea, most specifically using the bring condition if you want them to return it to a certain place. Keep in mind this will not automatically send the probes towards the nexus or wherever it is they're supposed to bring the minerals.
). I can't be sure if this would work though.You could also try fritfrat(U)'s idea, most specifically using the bring condition if you want them to return it to a certain place. Keep in mind this will not automatically send the probes towards the nexus or wherever it is they're supposed to bring the minerals.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by ClearWater on 2006-11-10 at 22:18:33
QUOTE(fritfrat(U) @ Nov 10 2006, 07:45 PM)
I have never tried this before, but if I had to guess, I would guess using "command 1 mineral chunk" or "bring 1 mineral chunk to (whatever location)" would probably be used to indicate that you picked up a mineral chunk. Just use that condition (if it works) to order the probe to a nearby nexus.
EDIT: Note that you'd have to remove the chunk by trigger and then add minerals by trigger. Pre-placed items act differently in that respect, as well.
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Remember that the owner of the powerup changes to whoever is holding it.EDIT: Note that you'd have to remove the chunk by trigger and then add minerals by trigger. Pre-placed items act differently in that respect, as well.
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Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kyuubi. on 2006-11-10 at 23:36:43
QUOTE(ClearWater @ Nov 10 2006, 07:18 PM)
Remember that the owner of the powerup changes to whoever is holding it.
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if i remember correctly it doesn't change ownership. from some testing, when someone picks up an object owned by you, you still have vision with it which means its still yours.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Felino on 2006-11-11 at 07:48:15
Ah, are these mineral chunks preplaced? If so nothing can work with them. It was originally going to be in the game that is a worker dies it left the minerals behind. This got removed, the workers can pick these up but never deposit them from memory. I may be wrong on this one.
The chunks of minerals are sort of a "history" from the beta releases, they found that the game got way too cluttered.
Hope this helps.
The chunks of minerals are sort of a "history" from the beta releases, they found that the game got way too cluttered.
Hope this helps.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by ClearWater on 2006-11-11 at 09:45:11
QUOTE(Kyuubi. @ Nov 10 2006, 11:36 PM)
if i remember correctly it doesn't change ownership. from some testing, when someone picks up an object owned by you, you still have vision with it which means its still yours.
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Since you've tested it, I'm pretty sure you're not a dumbcrap. So it must be StarCraft playing tricks on me:[right][snapback]586940[/snapback][/right]
Report, edit, etc...Posted by green_meklar on 2006-11-11 at 11:06:24
LOL
More seriously, maybe mineral and vespene packets change ownership but the other powerups (like crystals and psi emitters) don't? I don't use powerups very often, so I wouldn't know.
More seriously, maybe mineral and vespene packets change ownership but the other powerups (like crystals and psi emitters) don't? I don't use powerups very often, so I wouldn't know.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by ClearWater on 2006-11-11 at 12:35:57
They all change ownership. People who make statements without experimental backing are idiots.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Felino on 2006-11-11 at 16:49:57
But it still stands that pre- placed minerals can not be used for anything other than picking up, not deposited. Now... Let me open the crappy starfire:edit for mac and see.... Well (after testing 
) that when you pick up a small mineral chunk, it is taken as a powerup not as a mineral. The one that they Carry while mining is simply a sprite 
. You can see below that there is no return cargo button, nor will the worker ever mine again.
Sorry to burst the bubble guys!
[attachmentid=21534] Here is my test map made in Starfire edit.... It is faster than emulating a windows computer to fun scmdraft or sf...
) that when you pick up a small mineral chunk, it is taken as a powerup not as a mineral. The one that they Carry while mining is simply a sprite . You can see below that there is no return cargo button, nor will the worker ever mine again.Sorry to burst the bubble guys!
[attachmentid=21534] Here is my test map made in Starfire edit.... It is faster than emulating a windows computer to fun scmdraft or sf...
Report, edit, etc...Posted by spinesheath on 2006-11-11 at 18:13:26
Still nothing that would prevent the planned use of those mineral chunks.
Place the chunks for P8, the probes are P2. Whenever P2 owns a mineral chunk, center a pixel-location on it and give the probe there to P3. The owner of the chunk should change too, I guess, but you might want to test it. If not, just give it to P3 manually.
Then, order the probe to move to the nexus, and once it's there, get rid of the mneral chunk, add 8 minerals if you want to, and give the probe back to P2, so that it may continue to move around.
Place the chunks for P8, the probes are P2. Whenever P2 owns a mineral chunk, center a pixel-location on it and give the probe there to P3. The owner of the chunk should change too, I guess, but you might want to test it. If not, just give it to P3 manually.
Then, order the probe to move to the nexus, and once it's there, get rid of the mneral chunk, add 8 minerals if you want to, and give the probe back to P2, so that it may continue to move around.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Felino on 2006-11-12 at 02:55:56
Except for the fact that there will be a whole lot more triggers for this!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by spinesheath on 2006-11-12 at 05:39:35
That will be like 5, max 10 triggers...
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Felino on 2006-11-13 at 00:29:16
Yes,
I guess, bit of a messy way of doing it though... What are you using this system for anyway?
I guess, bit of a messy way of doing it though... What are you using this system for anyway?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by spinesheath on 2006-11-13 at 08:28:08
I wouldn't call this messy. Relying on AI scripts is much messier imo, because you never know how the AI script works exactly
Report, edit, etc...Posted by mugen on 2006-11-13 at 14:32:08
Just use bring and remove, if you place the location correctly it will look normal, and if you have more than 1 nexus you can make a system to move the location in all nexus. So it will work