Idea: NPC Arena

[Wikt]

I have an idea for some interesting comparisons of the NPCs. There go the rules:

1. Read http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57123 to understand how to spawn NPCs.
2. You can request a battle or do someone's request.
3. You must have passed the game to take part. :)

How to do it? That's how:
1. To set up the battle, disable the AI, then enable cheats "sv_cheats 1" and type in "notarget" in the console so that NPC's don't care about you.
2. Then, once forces are ready, take a shot of the formation, enable AI, wait for them to finish duking it out, and take a shot of the aftermath.
3. Post the two shots here.

How do you like my idea?

[koopa]

I like your idea, if they do actually fight each other. I suspect that since NPC's were never intended to fight, it wouldn't work that well. You'd either get no fighting, all NPC's with equal health, or people like Barney who could just soak up all damage and never die.

[Wikt]

In fact.. by NPCs I mean everything. Aliens (headcrabs, zombies, etc) against Resistance or Combines.. get me?

Edit: They are meant to fight! Resistance always fights the Combines and headcrabs with you, and Combiens always work against Ant-Lions (especially when you command them :))

[koopa]

Ah, didn't know you want Aliens too. Yeah, let's get that fight started then :)

[Voodoo_Chile]

My Advice is to use the Junk Yard.Its pretty enclosed so you dont need to worry about them running off and its got that cool Scriped Sequence with the Helicopter later on.

[Wikt]

Good idea is also to use custom "HL2DM" maps made in the wake of that "multiplayer" discovery.

[Vito Dintino]

where are those are Wikt?

[Wikt]

http://cleverly-stupid.co.uk/hl2/hl2mp.htm

Let's get the NPC Arena started!

3 Combine Soldiers vs. 3 Citizens, each armed with a Pulse Rifle.
Before: http://members.lycos.co.uk/wikt/npcarena_before.jpg
After: http://members.lycos.co.uk/wikt/npcarena_after.jpg
Resistance guys owned the Combine :)

[eiric]

Actually, I'm gonna do this now. Atleast try.. =)

[Baal]

http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d1_eli_020002.jpg

There's the outcome...

Mine wasn't very organized because the zombie type dudes kept fighting alyx/dog..so I just went crazy.

I'll atempt to make a video now!

[koopa]

After: http://members.lycos.co.uk/wikt/npcarena_after.jpg
Resistance guys owned the Combine :)
Woah! How the hell did the Combine win the seven hour war when they suck at fighting so bad? :)

[noQ]

Woah! How the hell did the Combine win the seven hour war when they suck at fighting so bad? :)

I think they used something else than the overwatch soldiers in the "seven hour war". :|

[MagicalMonkey]

The stage is set for a bloody 4-way zombies vs antlions vs combine vs citizens battle.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic60.jpg

A backup strider flies overhead, keeping watch over the proceedings.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic61.jpg

And we're off!

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic62.jpg

The combine dispatch with the antlions early on and move on to the citizens, who are also under attack from the zombies and a guerilla antlion offensive.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic63.jpg

The antlion guard takes on the zombies single-handed without a care for inferiority of numbers while the strider maintains its silent vigil.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic64.jpg

The citizens seem to have dealt with the zombie threat, but the antlions and combine maintain their attack. The citizens bravely fight on to rid the world of the zombies without a care for the bullets and slashes directed their way.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic65.jpg

I decided that the combine had too much of an advantage and were taking a huge toll on the citizens, so I called in my backup strider to even things out.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic66.jpg

And even things out it did.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic67.jpg
http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic68.jpg
http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic69.jpg

The combine were decimated, but the guerilla antlions were still unwilling to give up.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic70.jpg

Once again the strider was called in to level the playing field. It proved a little too effective.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic71.jpg

With the citizens gone, the antlion guard and the zombies were the only remaining combatants. They had continued their battle as armies were decimated around them.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic72.jpg

The antlion guard wreaked great destruction on its enemies.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic73.jpg

Victorious, the guard surveys the battlefield.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic74.jpg

Antlions win.

[BetaMaster]

DUDE!
MagicalMonkey, how the hell'd you get Striders to work? I thought that they were entirely scripted, and had no AI. Also, how do you arrange them in neat little groups like that? I want to have a go at this!

[Wikt]

The stage is set for a bloody 4-way zombies vs antlions vs combine vs citizens battle.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic60.jpg

A backup strider flies overhead, keeping watch over the proceedings.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic61.jpg

And we're off!

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic62.jpg

The combine dispatch with the antlions early on and move on to the citizens, who are also under attack from the zombies and a guerilla antlion offensive.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic63.jpg

The antlion guard takes on the zombies single-handed without a care for inferiority of numbers while the strider maintains its silent vigil.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic64.jpg

The citizens seem to have dealt with the zombie threat, but the antlions and combine maintain their attack. The citizens bravely fight on to rid the world of the zombies without a care for the bullets and slashes directed their way.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic65.jpg

I decided that the combine had too much of an advantage and were taking a huge toll on the citizens, so I called in my backup strider to even things out.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic66.jpg

And even things out it did.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic67.jpg
http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic68.jpg
http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic69.jpg

The combine were decimated, but the guerilla antlions were still unwilling to give up.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic70.jpg

Once again the strider was called in to level the playing field. It proved a little too effective.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic71.jpg

With the citizens gone, the antlion guard and the zombies were the only remaining combatants. They had continued their battle as armies were decimated around them.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic72.jpg

The antlion guard wreaked great destruction on its enemies.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic73.jpg

Victorious, the guard surveys the battlefield.

http://img105.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img105&image=pic74.jpg

Antlions win.

Best NPC Arena battle evar.

How did you make the Strider fire at the chosen target?

[MagicalMonkey]

DUDE!
MagicalMonkey, how the hell'd you get Striders to work? I thought that they were entirely scripted, and had no AI. Also, how do you arrange them in neat little groups like that? I want to have a go at this!

Striders have a little AI. They'll minigun and spear anything non-combine. To make them shoot the cannon, you have to use the setcannontarget input from the console. You look at it and type "ent_setname strider", then look at something else and type "ent_setname dead", then you type "ent_fire strider setcannontarget dead". I think I wrote the input and usage by the strider in the Super Happy thread.

To arrange them, use npc_create_aimed rather than npc_create. Then look where you want them to spawn and they'll spawn facing away from you. For that command to work you have to have one spawned using npc_create, but you can delete that one once you've spawned an aimed one.

[PenaE]

Oh, the humanity! We lost!

[ktimekiller]

the setname on the combines works n the ground right?

[Baal]

The stage is set....

http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010017.jpg

http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010020.jpg


And the battle has begun with the zombies jumping into an early lead.


http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010024.jpg


Now it's down to the zombies, a few combine, and of course the antlion guards...


http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010028.jpg



Oh wait! A resident of City 17 has wandered away from the pack, as well as a Poison Headcrab..how could this turn out?!


http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010038.jpg


"Pfft, no match for my pulse rifle"


http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010039.jpg


The Antlion Guard prevails victorious, but he smells human flesh...

http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010041.jpg



"No! NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010042.jpg



"Enemy Down"


http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010043.jpg



Tune in next week, same bat time, same bat channel.


http://www.accesswave.ca/~garrymullins/d2_coast_010053.jpg

[AphexT]

Haha, nice! So the antlion guard really found his way down there, to the guy by himself?

[Baal]

haha nah, i forgot to turn on "no target," so once I got down to his level he followed me down to the guy.

[BetaMaster]

This is great. I'll make a movie of mine, including some slow-motion scenes. This'll be fun.

[Baal]

Yea I was going to make a movie..but the screenshots are so much better because you can get around the little AI flaws and just make a story out of.

But do it up, if you want. You could probably make it awesome.

[Wikt]

This is all really good. Keep 'em coming. I'll try to make a more epic battle.

MagicalMonkey: Thanks for telling me how to make the strider fire that thing. Really cool. The sight when 12 combines dematerialize is beautiful!

[we11er]

This is the start of Machinima (sp*, whatever it is) using HL2! Well done folks!

[BaNDiT]

you should make a video of that. that would be sick.

[ltzgonemad]

This is great. I'll make a movie of mine, including some slow-motion scenes. This'll be fun.


Dont forget the music! :)

[Mickeey]

This is a Zombie/headcrab/antlion/combines arena, enjoy :E

Since you can only upload 5 pics in 1 post, the follow up is in the following post

[Mickeey]

...follow up...victory to the combines!!

[Wikt]

COOL IDEA:

If you're using a HL2 map, then you can record a demo. Do not include the setting up in it, only start recording once the squads are set up - just bang in record <name> and ai_disable.

[Ryjalon5k]

heres mine
before....

[Ryjalon5k]

sorry for the double post, but i was having problems uploading two at once...

heres the aftermath

[Ryjalon5k]

my computer has only a 32mb graph card so sorry for the shithole resoulution

[Mickeey]

sorry for the double post.
Whattabout a trible post? :rolling: :E