Finishing up the Roman camp

[SigniferOne]

Picking up from where webbird had left in this thread, I would like to try and finish up anything else left to do to make the Roman camp playable.

For those who don't know, it's a much more detailed and realistic version of the Roman camp that was implemented by CA, but ended up not being used in the game. Here are screenshots for those who haven't seen it yet:



So this works now already. The one last problem, as I understand it, is making sure the pathfinding for the camp is good. However, in my testing I have not found any problems with pathfinding on the outside, at all; the only pathfinding issues cropped up within the camp itself, and only if I got the units in between the actual tents, and such. Here is the pathfinding model for the camp (pathfinding_roman_camp.cas), as imported by Verc's script:





Now I need a couple of things from those who would like to help me:

1. From people who encounter pathfinding issues with the outsides of the camp in 1.5/1.6, please report your findings here.

2. For those who are familiar with how pathfinding algorithms work in games (cough, Adherbal ), please offer your help here. I had imported this new camp's pathfinding and it looks completely normal, and I even compared it to the pathfinding of the vanilla primitive camp, and they look to be put together in the same way, links and nodes, etc.

However, since Verc's CAS script wasn't designed for pathfinding CAS objects, maybe it is ignoring some data, because in MAX I just see a whole bunch of link objects and node objects, 0 pixels in height and in various dimensions of width and length, all overlaying parts of one another. So I need for experts on pathfinding in games to brainstorm if that's enough.

[MasterCommander]

thats really cool man good job

[SigniferOne]

First post updated with the screenshot of the pathfinding model.

[lt1956]

Nothing is wrong with the pathfinding it ended up being the collision on the walls which the unit dont see. So they try to run through. I fixed this in my latest fort and it works with no bugs, but if you can place the ditch OUTSIDE the walls that would work perfect. ALso I have an eastern and barbarian fort but they need your settlement editor to do them right as I cant place the correct buildings that look good. Take a look at my forts and you can see what should be done. I hope you can help on the ditch, if not I understand.

Lt

[Adherbal]

well I can't say much about it. I too created some new pathfinding models but they didn't seem to have much effect ingame. So probably the exporting script isn't sufficient for this. I doubt just overlapping the link planes with the node planes would be enough to actualy create a link.

the BI commands documentation said there was a "show_battle_street_plans" (or something) command but sadly this doesn't seem to work

[SigniferOne]

LT, would you mind posting a picture of how and why the ditch should be outside the camp? Sorry, I lost it in the email.

How did you fix the collision issue? Also, I don't have any collision issues whatsoever in 1.6, I've done 3-4 tests and the AI never seems to want to pass through palisades.

Adherbal, thanks for the post. How would we be able to determine if the pathfinding model is working?

[SigniferOne]

In the NTO forum, Reichsmarshal said:

"LT you should try to get someone to switch out the barbarian fort with the wagon laeger too."

This is an interesting project, which shouldn't take too much time and I'll consider doing soon in the future. If you (Reichsmarshal) or others know of good drawings of how a laager wagon camp could look like, please post them here. I'm aware that in principle it would be in a kind of circle, but I'm just wondering if anyone has concrete drawings and pictures of this. It would be an interesting and immersive result, to have a barbarian army in a laager wagon camp, and furthermore I think RTW already comes shipped with laager camp models!

[Lusted]

Well the wagon laarger already exist ingame, you can place it on the battlefield with the battle editor. All it needs is a proper pathfinding model, and then it could be used for the barbarian fort.

[CrayonVonCaesar]

Well the wagon laarger already exist ingame, you can place it on the battlefield with the battle editor. All it needs is a proper pathfinding model, and then it could be used for the barbarian fort.

Lusted, Would you have a picture handy? I'd like to see this.

[Mylae]

Cooooooollllllll!!!!!

[SigniferOne]

The question is, what shape should the train of the wagons be in? Just a regular circle, like in American frontier?

[Lusted]

I like how it is for the unused one, a circle with 4 narrow entrances.

[SigniferOne]

For the what unused one? What's unused, what are you referring to?

[Lusted]

There is a waagon laarger already in the RTW folder, but it is not used for anything. You can place it in battles using the battle editor though.

[lt1956]

i would be glad to see if someone can move the ditch for my roman camp. That should be easy to do really fast, right?

Thanks

Lt

[SigniferOne]

LT, you'll have to show me what you mean...

[lt1956]

Ok if you look at this picture you can see the ditch is inside the fort walls instead of outside. This is because the walls have a certain mathematical setup where they have to be a certain number or CTD. These walls lay just outside the ditch, since the Ditch is an over and underlay it should be easy to modify in 3Dmax to move the ditch out more so it is placed just outside the walls a little.



Lt

[Hermephradites]

How close r u guys to getting this out?Aswell is it going to be for RTW and BI?

[SigniferOne]

LT, it's not so easy to modify the mesh as you think, and realign the textures, and all that, it will be quite a bit of work. Why can't we just move the walls inward again? Should be super easy to do with all those graphical wall editors out there...

Where did you get that ditch, and what did you do with the original ditch? Also, those are newly discovered corners for barbarian wooden walls, right?

[lt1956]

Actually I did it really easy in Gmax on moving the ditch and textures, but I couldnt save the case files. The reason you can move the walls in more is they require 32 in the mathematical numbering of the walls, if it cannot be divided by that number then it will CTD. Walls cannot be moved in just a little, doesnt work that way.

Anyway, since this is to complex for you, dont sweat it, I already have it working in SPQR and I am working with EB on fleshing it out. You mentioned some stuff on doing something, but I think it may be a little bit more complex than you think.

Thanks anyway.

Lt1956