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Post news Report RSS Operation Black Mesa DEV.BLOG: Advanced AI

Our team proudly presents our new AI system we implement for our NPCs. Check out this dev.blog for more information and a video.

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Hello again!

It's time to uncover our promised AI presentation. This short presentation will showcase some of the new features of our new advanced AI. As mentioned in the last updates, it's only the CODE presentation. The content is placeholders and not created by Tripmine Studios. The presentation can be seen here.


Our goal is to bring you AI, that will be challenging yet not frustrating. The new behaviour our programmers are implementing is the result of these efforts. Enemies are now more flexible and can follow you through the environments. Obstacles that used to be insurmountable problem in the original games and still are in the most of the modern games are not problem anymore for our NPCs. Check out the video presentation to get an idea.

The new AI system will work with all the NPCs. That means that not only enemies are smarter, but also your fellow collegues and Black Mesa personell can take advantage of this new AI. Ladders are no more problem for scientists, yay :) !!

The other function of this system is not only to make the game more challenging, but also bring life to our NPCs. We can now make the behaviour of our NPCs very natural and believeable. Soldiers communicate with each other, scientists talk to each other, creatures search for food around the environments, sleep, patrol or protect their babies. This is hopefully next step how to make the world even more dynamic and realistic. We hope you like it! Don't forget to leave us your feedback and ideas you have for the AI.

Post comment Comments  (0 - 50 of 52)
notaclevername
notaclevername

Wow, good stuff guys! I Can't wait to see what you think up next. :)

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CuervoSp
CuervoSp

Really good work, looks pretty nice.

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Raygoza
Raygoza

This is awesome, will this AI be restricted to this mod only by the way?

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

It will be also used in Guard Duty, if it's what you are asking about.

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KEEP_IT_UP!
KEEP_IT_UP!

love the cockroach ai ^^
cant wait to hunt them... :D

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Seaalisgonefromhere
Seaalisgonefromhere

The AI is amazing and terrifing!

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CodeBlackNL
CodeBlackNL

Unlike Black Mesa, will the Source Code be released once the full game is also released?

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

We haven't discussed this yet. We will bother with this later on, probably after the release.

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callmeSven
callmeSven

Please do!

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

We can't promise you this.

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B.R.V
B.R.V

as far as i know, houndeye shockwave damage from pack size dependancy and cockroaches light sensitivity was implemented in original Half-Life, and wasnt done in Black Mesa (yet?), so bringing these things back is quite a good thingm i think.
Not so sure about grunts rappeling from ledges, though... do they rappel when there is no other convenient way down (stairs), or will they just every time they need to get somewhere lower? They also could end up in a place where they cant get back up, nor get the player who lured them there and went out by means only given to him(such as vents)?

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

We can easily say where they can rappel down and where not, using things like tools brushes in Hammer and so on ;)

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Phenixtri
Phenixtri

would be cool if you code them to hunt the player "provided they know you went into a vent" while he is hiding in vents EG throwing nades or going in after you with their sidearms drawn kinda like the US tunnel rats did during Vietnam.

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PurpleGaga27
PurpleGaga27

I hope this AI will be better and more enhanced than Black Mesa.

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CodeBlackNL
CodeBlackNL

Looks good though, only thing I would change is the walk and player stare thing at 1:33.In real life, I think you would fall.

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Velancious
Velancious

People commonly forget that the AI is a massive part of any game-I'm glad you guys realized this.

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TheComedian.be
TheComedian.be

We do what we can to put the AI the a higer level.

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Dejected-Angel
Dejected-Angel

Most game developer just care for the action, like CoD: Ghost reveal, a new AI which is just fishes swimming away from you when you get close. And that has been made twenty years ago!
That's the reason why I'm excited about this mod.

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Guest
Guest

Quick question: Will you be remaking the Boot Camp prologue as well? It could add the opportunity to explore the characters and half-life world more, or just train nubs.

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r Reply Good karma+4 votes
Guest
Guest

Sweeeet.

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SPTX
SPTX

It's cool and all, but I see they keep that bad habit the original AI has to stay under the player's crosshair. Did you plan on giving the reasoning creatures teh ability to properly seek for cover and/or dodge when they get damaged rather than eating it all up?

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

Yes, this will be fixed as well.

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R0ADKILL
R0ADKILL

Do cockroaches have their designated leader :D

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theSixtyEight
theSixtyEight

I am their father ;) :D

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Hazardous27
Hazardous27

Cool stuff guys.

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dany14920
dany14920

That's some epic AI's right there. I hope next time you'll be able to show the scientists climbing up/down the ladder as well as the Barneys :D.

Oh and one thing, will Scientists be finally be able to use weapons such as a pistol and Barneys using other weapons such as the AR or shotgun other than their revolver/pistol.

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

We will probably look into this. Sec.guards can already pick up some weapons, as for scientists, we don't know. They rly have no idea how to use weapons :P

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Boomsicle
Boomsicle

Some scientists

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Hell_Diguner
Hell_Diguner

You'd think the guys going to Zen in HEV suits would have insisted on a gun or two.

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

These are scientists from the "Survey team"... Not every scientist is part of it. Most of it is not.

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Regol1th
Regol1th

You should add in some stuff for your npcs to retreat. That's one thing I've noticed that is really unrealistic about video games. The enemies ALWAYS fight to the death and never try to run away.

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Dejected-Angel
Dejected-Angel

What about original Half Life's grunts AI?

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theSixtyEight
theSixtyEight

I am not sure but I think I saw in this video, if you shoot houndyeye, it will retreat for a while

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TheRenegadist
TheRenegadist

Finally I can fully evacuate scientists! :D

Also maybe giving the scientists the ability to fight but very poorly. such as a scientist getting a gun and having to struggle to use it maybe getting a few shots off. With this the scientist could learn how to use the weapon overtime getting skilled each second kept alive. They could also pick up blunt weapons, but would be weak.

Scientists weren't given much attention in Half-Life besides being killed and following you. enhanced scientists would truly brighten the game!

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B.R.V
B.R.V

...and you'l possibly end up with an army of mad labcoats clearing levels without you having to do anything.
Babysitting scientists was the one of major points of interacting with em in half life.
Barneys arent truly capable of warfare either, cause they are just guardsm checking people in and out, making sure labcoats dont break anything drunk and that there is no strangers passing by in restricted areas. When real **** is going down, Black Mesa, being govmnt facility, have to rely on army divisions (HECU), with barneys just there to provide SOME assistance.

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McSug4r Author
McSug4r

You got the point B.R.V.
We may added some SCRIPTED sequences, when they try to protect themselves, but that's it. I personaly like how frightened scientists are and changing this would be rly huge change to the game. Not sure if it would be the good change though.

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B.R.V
B.R.V

They could grab unused medkits and heal you when you are <100hp and there is no med around.
But again they can run off scared and get themself screwed, with medkit flying in a bottomless pit...
Just a suggestion\mindflow on this.

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R0ADKILL
R0ADKILL

Lab coat? Shoot on sight !!!

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Dr.Scientist
Dr.Scientist

Just curious

Did you get the idea from these 2 videos?

Youtube.com

Only asking

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Guest

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Vcc2cc
Vcc2cc

Just wow @ the Grunts AI. The taking advantage of explosives and rappelling is awesome.

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Arkanium
Arkanium

Good to see attention to detail in the AI; as you've already realised, this makes a big difference to immersion.

For the Grunts rappelling, would it be possible to have them attach the rope to the floor between their feet and have it go horizontally along the ground until it reaches the edge of the ledge they are on? At the moment the rope sometimes looks a little odd.

Edit: also, I love the cockroaches! Do the Houndeyes retreat intentionally? It didn't seem like it was just wonky pathfinding.

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TheComedian.be
TheComedian.be

Some Houndeyes are running away so they can attack you in the back. I know, it's not very clear in the video.

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CmdrPenguin
CmdrPenguin

Big question! Will Shephard's Teammates behave the same way? I'd love to see your marine buddies rappelling down from catwalks while you take the high ground. That and the ability for Shephard himself to do the same.

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TheComedian.be
TheComedian.be

Be patient :)

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TheSleepingObama
TheSleepingObama

Don't have the new ai ability takeover the game

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dusmuvecis333
dusmuvecis333

Will the player also be able to rappel, and work with them in squads? That would be very cool, like helping grunts in guard duty. Also, you could add some more things, like other campaign, or remake of OF mods nuclear winter and others. And also, the AI's could be smarter, by throwing nades into vents, taking cover, and other things.

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PatrickGainher
PatrickGainher

Wow, this AI is looking REALLY, I mean, REALLY good!

This is something most games nowadays should focus on. It defineatly takes time, but just enhances experience. Defineatly looking foward to it, well done Tripmine!

Just saddens me, that I wished Black Mesa could do something like you guys are doing now.

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