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Waypoint guide (parts based on Botman`s (http://planethalflife.com/botman) waypoint

file)

------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT AKIMBOT WAYPOINTS FROM VERSION OLDER THAN 2.1
------------------------------------------------------------------
As of version 2.3 of the Akimbot, all waypoint files have changed.
Old awp files are incompatible due to major core changes within the Akimbot
waypoint code. Most of the original waypoints have been redone -
See http://akimbot.nuclearbox.com/ for new versions.

Waypoints - Intro
-----------------

Waypoints are the core part of the bot`s navigation system. Waypoints
are markers on the map that specify location of map goals, paths from
one place to another, weapon places etc.
In order to get the bots to cover the entire map when playing the game,
waypoints should be laid out all over the map. Without the waypoints the
bots will just randomly run around and will tend to stay in the same area.
You couldn't play capture the flag unless you knew where the flag was and
where the flag needed to be taken after being captured. Waypoints are what
makes all of these things possible. Bots with sufficiently advanced waypoint
information and algorithms would be able to find the shortest distance
between points in the map and navigate from their current position to some
goal on the other side of the map.

This document describes the commands needed to create or edit a waypoint

file (to be used with the Akimbot).

Note that you can make waypoints and have bots running around the map on the same
time.

Waypoints - Basics
------------------

The waypoints are displayed using vertical lines that look like lightning or
electric streams. The vertical line used to draw the waypoint is the same
height as the player. The point in space at the center of this vertical line
is what is actually used as the waypoint.

Waypoints are stored in a file with the same name as the map file name but
using the extension ".awp" instead of the map file extension of ".bsp". For
example, the waypoint file for the map ww_2fort would be ww_2fort.awp (it will be
stored in the Half-Life\wizwars\maps folder where the ww_2fort.bsp file would be).
Waypoint files are automatically loaded when the map is loaded (if they
exist). If the waypoint file does not exist, you will need to create it
using the directions contained in this document. Otherwise you will get
a message reminding you to create waypoints every 15 seconds.

Waypoint have different colors based on their types:

Blue - normal waypoint
Green - goal waypoint, put near flags or in important places
Red - return waypoint, put where flag need to be returned
Orange - door waypoint
Small vertical waypoint - sniper waypoint
Small horizontal waypoint - team specific wayopint, color is team`s color

Waypoints - Console Commands

----------------------------

The following Waypoint commands are available (note these ARE case sensitive):

waypoint on - Turns on displaying of waypoints.

waypoint off - Turns off displaying of all waypoints.

waypoint add - Adds a normal waypoint at the current player location

waypoint add door - Adds a door waypoint, bot will slow down here
waypoint add snipe - Adds a sniper waypoint (stand in the direction the bot should
snipe)
waypoint add jump - Bots will jump near this waypoint
waypoint add goal - Adds a goal waypoint. For each mod this means different thing:
DM mods (HLDM, OpFor, etc.) - Important place on map, bot might
or might not visit
TFC / Wizard Wars - Place near flags or capture points
Counter Strike - Place near the bomb spots or near hostages
Desert Crisis - Place near map objectives
waypoint add return - Adds a return waypoint. For each mod this means different
thing:
DM mods (HLDM, OpFor, etc.) - Not needed with DM mods
TFC / Wizard Wars - Place near locations you need to return
a flag to
Counter Strike - Place where the terrorist spawn

waypoint add break - Bots coming close to this waypoint would look for
windows/vents etc and break them
waypoint add sentry - (TFC/WizWars only) Bots will build a sentrygun/thornplant
near this waypoint
waypoint add dispenser - (TFC only) Bots will build a dispenser near this waypoint
waypoint add prison - (Existence only) Place near Dr. White`s prison
waypoint add bombspot - (Existence only) Place in Neurotech`s basement where you
need to plant the bomb
waypoint add rebelhome - (Existence only) Place where rebels spawn

waypoint delete - Deletes the waypoint nearest to the player

waypoint save - Saves the current waypoint list to a file

waypoint load - Loads the waypoint list from a waypoint file

waypoint info - Shows information about the current waypoint

waypoint setteam x - set the closest waypoint to belong only to team x (repleace x
with team number - use myteam in console
to find out what your team is)

autowaypoint - Displays the status of the autowaypoint setting

autowaypoint on - Turns on autowaypoint setting
autowaypoint off - Turns off autowaypoint setting

pathwaypoint - Displays the status of the pathwaypoint setting.

pathwaypoint on - Turns on the pathwaypoint setting
pathwaypoint off - Turns off the pathwaypoint setting
pathwaypoint create1 - Sets the first waypoint in a manual path
pathwaypoint create2 - Sets the second waypoint in a manual path (one way only)
pathwaypoint remove1 - Sets the first waypoint in removing a path
pathwaypoint remove2 - Sets the second waypoint in removing a path
pathwaypoint connect1 - Sets the first waypoint in a manual path
pathwaypoint connect2 - Sets the second waypoint in a manual path (two way path)
pathwaypoint disconnect1 - Sets the first waypoint in removing a path
pathwaypoint disconnect2 - Sets the second waypoint in removing a path (both ways)

To use the waypoint commands, you will have to use the console. You must
start the game with the console option enabled (use "hl.exe -console" in
the Target: line of a shortcut or use "Half-Life Console" in your SIERRA
menu from the Windows Start button). Use the '~' key to bring down the
console. Enter the console commands that you wish, then use the '~' key
again to return to the game.

You can make things easier by binding console commands to keys on the
keyboard. Just type "bind" followed by the key you want to bind to,
followed by the console command. You will have to use double quotes
on the console command if it's more than one word. Here's an example
of console commands that I use when editing waypoints...

bind / "waypoint add"

bind . "waypoint delete"

Using "waypoint add" will place a normal waypoint at the location that the player
is
currently at in a map. Waypoints can be placed anywhere the player can go.
Waypoints can even be placed in mid-air (as long as the player can get to
that location). One way to do this is by jumping or running off of a ledge
or cliff. If you want bots to jump off of ledges or buildings, you will need
to place a waypoint in mid-air to get the bots to run towards it. When
placing a waypoint, you will hear a sound to indicate that the waypoint has
been dropped (the sound is the same sound the crossbow bolt makes when
striking an wall).

Using "waypoint delete" will remove the waypoint closest to the player. The
waypoint MUST be within 40 units from the player (about 1/2 the player height)
in order to be removed. You will need to stand fairly close to the waypoint
to be able to remove it. This prevents you from accidentally removing a
waypoint on the other side of the room. When removing a waypoint you will
hear a sound indicating that the waypoint was removed (the same sound the
tripmine makes when placed on a wall).

Using "waypoint save" will save the waypoint data to the waypoint file. The
waypoint file will have the same name as the current map with an extension
of ".awp". The file will be in the same directory as the map file (in the
maps folder).

Using "waypoint load" will clear out all waypoints in the current map and
load them from the waypoint file in the maps folder. This is a good way
to "undo" a bunch of waypoints that you have created but do not wish to
save. There is no way to "undo" a single waypoint. You will have to use
the "waypoint delete" command to remove waypoints one-by-one.

When creating a sniper waypoint, make sure you are facing in the direction
you want the sniper to aim before selecting the sniper waypoint option from
the menu. When setting a sniper waypoint you will see a little blue waypoint
line in mid-air near the sniper waypoint. This little blue line indicates
which direction the snipers will face when they reach the sniper waypoint.

If you select a tag on a waypoint that you don't want, you can select the same
tag again to TOGGLE it back off. Select it once, it's on, select it again,
it's off. Use the "waypoint info" command described below to determine which
tags are set on specific waypoints.

Using "waypoint info" will tell you information about the current waypoint.
You must be near the waypoint in order to get information about that waypoint.
The "waypoint info" command will display the current waypoint number and any
special tags for that waypoint. There is currently a maximum of 1024 waypoints.

The "autowaypoint" command allows you to automatically drop waypoints as

you run around in a map. To turn autowaypointing on use "autowaypoint on".
As you run around the level waypoints will be dropped every 200 units
automatically. No waypoint will be dropped if another waypoint is already
within 200 units of your current position. So if you want to place lots
of waypoints fairly close together you may have to manually place some of
the waypoints using the "waypoint add" command. Autowaypointing keeps
track of where the last waypoint was dropped (either manually or from
autowaypointing) and will place another waypoint when you are 200 units
from the last waypoint. If you don't like where autowaypointing placed
a waypoint and want to move it a little bit, you can delete the waypoint
using "waypoint delete", move to another location, then use "waypoint add"
to drop a waypoint where you want. Even after deleting the waypoint placed
by autowaypointing, the autowaypoint code will remember that location and
not try to place another waypoint (unless you go more than 200 units from
the location where you deleted the autowaypoint). Without this, you would
delete the waypoint, move a little bit, and autowaypointing would immediately
place another waypoint (probably where you didn't want it).

When using autowaypointing, try to stay in the center of narrow hallways

and always place a waypoint on BOTH sides of a door. You may have to place
some of these waypoints manually using "waypoint add" since places like
intersections of hallways and doorway entrances and exits don't usually
fall exactly at the location where autowaypoint would want to place a
waypoint.

The "pathwaypoint" command allows you to display what the bots would consider
to be a valid path from one waypoint to other waypoints. Turn pathwaypoint
on using "pathwaypoint on" and whenever you get close to a waypoint (on your
team), white lines will be drawn to all of the other waypoints that the bot
would consider to be "reachable". These "reachable" waypoints would be
waypoints that are clearly visible from the current location. Certain
waypoints will be disallowed as reachable for one reason or another. For
example, waypoints suspended in mid-air above the bot would not be considered
reachable since the bot couldn't jump high enough to get to them. Also
waypoints that are too far away from the current location would not be
considered reachable. You may have waypoints that are close enough to each
other, but across a wide gap that would be too wide to jump. If the far
waypoint is close enough and clearly visible, it would still show as
"reachable" since I currently don't have a method to determine if the bot
can get to that waypoint or not.

The bots will ONLY go from one waypoint to another if there is a path between
them. Get in the habit of turning on the pathwaypoint setting when creating
waypoint files so that you can see the waypoint paths and will know whether
or not a path exists between two waypoints. Also get in the habit of checking
that paths exist BOTH WAYS between waypoints. Just because a path is drawn
from point A to point B, doesn't mean that a path exists from point B to
point A.

The "pathwaypoint create1" and "pathwaypoint create2" commands allow you to

manually assign a path between 2 waypoints. This is needed in some cases
where the waypoints are blocked (by doorways or other objects) and you wish
to create a path between these waypoints. Move close to the waypoint you
wish the path to start from and use the "pathwaypoint create1" command. You
will hear a sound indicating that waypoint is selected. Now move to the
second waypoint where you want the path to terminate. Use the "pathwaypoint
create2" command to end the path. You should now see a white waypoint path
line being draw from the start waypoint to the end waypoint. Note that this
is a ONE-WAY connection. If you wish to create a path back in the other
direction you will have to start with the second waypoint and end the path
back at the first waypoint.

The "pathwaypoint remove1" and "pathwaypoint remove2" commands are just like
the "create1" and "create2" commands except that they remove a path from the
starting point to the ending point. This is necessary in some cases where
you may have a door that opens from one side and allows you to go through
but once the door closes you can't go back through the other way. An example
of this is the spawn rooms in 2fort.

Sometimes you have to be a little creative when using the "create1", "create2",
"remove1" and "remove2" commands. When editing the waypoint paths on 2fort
there were several times when I had to use the "remove1" command then use
"kill" to kill myself so that I could get back into the spawn room, before
using the "remove2" command to remove a path going back into the spawn room
through a door that I could not get through.

When adding waypoints use the pathwaypoint feature to verify that waypoints
are actually reachable. Sometimes you add a waypoint and it appears close
enough and it also appears to be in plain sight, but the Half-Life engine
doesn't indicate that the waypoint is "reachable". The spiral stairs in
2fort are one example where I had to continually add and delete waypoints
until I found the exact spot where the pathwaypoint showed waypoints were
actually reachable (be sure to check this in BOTH directions when defining
a waypoint path). Usually you don't have to be too careful about waypoint
placement, but in some situations, you may have to spend more time carefully
laying out waypoints to get them to be "reachable".

To set crouch waypoints, simply crouch when adding the waypoint. You will
notice that the waypoint line is shorter than a normal waypoint. Bot will
crouch automatically when approaching a crouch waypoint.

Try not to place too many waypoints too close together, this just slows the
game down and really doesn't serve any purpose. Try placing waypoints at
intersections in hallways and try to avoid placing waypoints too close to
walls or ledges (the bots have some slop in how close they have to get to
a waypoint to be considered "touching" it). Try not to place waypoints in
places where the bots would bump into corners of walls or other obstacles
when trying to get from one waypoint to the next. Remember the bots won't
always take what you consider to be the "obvious" choice when choosing the
next waypoint. Try to limit the choices that they have to keep them from
heading off in the wrong direction.