71 replies to this topic

[thudo]

Yep! Got it working. Essentially its all in the misc.big file and I had absolutely ZERO crashes. Tested 1vs1 and 2vs2 games against BRUTAL AIs. What a game!! Essentially it works like this:

C&C3 Skirmish AI for Player1 is working its normal build/tech/tactical/strategic scripts BUT the big dfference is you can intervene without problem and do yer own thing. The AI never cancels your build requests although it can override you and take control of units, for example. So if the AI is NOT building good base defenses locations or selling buildings you can do this yourself. Mind you, if you start to build a building, when it finishes the AI will likely place it for you.

I also bumped the entire game speed up by factor of 4 so the game on my end now runs 4x faster so its even more crazier! Everything builds, moves, and works faster. Omitted the FPS limit so there is none. The key is to NEVER hit RESTART but to quit the game to the select map/sides/skills screen then start the game. If you just RESTART the map the game speed will for some reason go back to default but if you exit the game to the pre-game screen then yer ok so its a real minor tradeoff.

I also tried to get the map to zoom out more but not taking it. Odd. Also added some other tweaks but wow.. really blown away by this. The game speed hack will make AI editing and tweaking REAL EASY now as I can see all changes in minutes rather than 10s of mins. The ability to have the human player partially controlled by the Skirmish AI is a nice luxury but since the AI is treated "as a human" it doesn't get the same resource benefits as even a HARD AI but thats ok.

I have the edited MISC.BIG if people want it. Its only 1.90mb BUT please make an obvious backup of your old one or else patching the game will suck for you. Let me know everyone.

Btw, I used FinalBig to made changes to the misc.big file to make the above possible.

[Mr.Graffitti]

W00t! This is great news! Congrats on your discovery! This could be tested in an online match, playing 4x faster sounds like fun
BTW did you noticed any other interesting tags in the big file? It seems rather easy to edit it.

[thudo]

W00t! This is great news! Congrats on your discovery! This could be tested in an online match, playing 4x faster sounds like fun

Well as long as the same people have the same Misc.big file on all ends to avoid synching problems then why not. However, I DO NOT RECOMMEND playing the AI at this speed. There is simply no way even on HARD you can keep up. It was shear bedlam!

BTW did you noticed any other interesting tags in the big file? It seems rather easy to edit it.

Well here is what I changed in gamedata.ini:

UseFPSLimit = No
FramesPerSecondLimit = 70
AllowTreeFading = Yes
DrawEntireTerrain = Yes
UseShadowMapping = Yes
DefaultCameraMinHeight = 60.0 ;The minimum height of the camera relative to the terrain.
DefaultCameraMaxHeight = 500.0 ;The maximum height of the camera relative to the terrain.
MaxCameraHeight = 750.0 ;230.0
MinCameraHeight = 430.0
MaxTerrainTracks = 600 ; how many vehicles can generate tread marks on the terrain.
GameSpeedFactor = 3.75 ; Multiplier for all times in a single player game
MinimalGameSpeedFactor = 0.5 ; Minimal allowed value for game speed factor
BuildSpeed = 3.0
SellPercentage = 75% ; You get this percentage back of the cost to build

[Hogo]

Awsome work man great work this is something that can be good so have you made changes to the AI

and i dont exactly understand that part about the AI controling the human.

Nice work

[Nemoricus]

I did. Basically, the human player's side is controlled by the AI. However, the human player can intervene in the match to help the AI. This is actually a really neat thing that can be done.

[OmegaBolt]

Pretty neat idea indeed. Now it will be much easier to test AI changes without getting slaughtered early game. Shame about the zooming though because at the current zoom level I feel too confined and claustrophobic to play all that comfortably.

Edited by OmegaBolt, 11 April 2007 - 10:54 AM.

[thudo]

Thanks all... remember: the AI fully controls you, the human player, but you can fully control things as you would normally to a point. AI does do its own thing if you let it (although it does pause here and there computing its next move). I usually look at myself as a "second operations commander".

I'm still working on the camera zoom levels. Thank gawd for FinalBig and the fact it works. This changed everything. If anything, the biggest advancement was drastically increasing game speed. Wow! Really will help speed up AI development hugely!

[need my speed]

This is great guy! Could you please tell me how to make it so the AI controls you?

[GodSun666]

hello,

WEll thats a GREAT job... and i would like if you Uploaded the .Big file:P..

and what version u used of finalbig?? since i cant get it to work with it..

[thudo]

WEll thats a GREAT job... and i would like if you Uploaded the .Big file:P..

Attached! Think u know where it goes. REMEMBER: rename your original Misc.big before unzipping the attachment below to that location (<installed C&C3 folder>\core\1.0\..) otherwise you won't have compatibility with others and likely won't be able to patch.

and what version u used of finalbig?? since i cant get it to work with it..

This one:
http://commandandcon...ig_Editor;38034

Attached Files

•  Misc.big_Altered_Apr11.07_.zip   1.45MB   213 downloads

[need my speed]

Is the Big file with all your changes or only with the AI controls human change? If it has all changes, could you please upload another one with only the AI controls human change?

[MaryJo]

Neat! the editing has started

[thudo]

It includes ALL my changes. If you want to change it so the speed is reduced to normal then just edit the BIG file in the applicable part of the gamedata.ini. Then save the big file using FinalBig.

[Hogo]

Why does it happen to me if i intervene with the AI's building the first 3-4 buildings i tell it will be piled on top of each other like there is no building under them. It isnt any faster and its lagging compared to the original. Any ideas on this and is anyone else having same problems also is there an AI file

[thudo]

Yes I get that as well - it will pile the same building overtop the same. However, it happens only at the beginning of the game.

As I said, the game will run FAST when you first start a new one but if you hit RESTART then it'll slow down. All games run fast but DO NOT CLICK RESTART to redo a game. Just exit out to the main menu then click PLAY. Done.

And no there is no AI files yet.

[Hogo]

No Ai files yet? meaning AI will make some? Also mine doesnt go fast at all :| il have to try again but i did not hit the restart button and yes only at the beginning

[thudo]

Its encrypted currently somewhere. The raw C&C3 AI files are somewhere.

[Hogo]

So its impossible to get to atm dang wanted to change some stuff

[thudo]

Only certain things can be altered prior to WorldBuilder/SDK showing up.

[Hogo]

Ive come to the conclusion that having the AI able to be controlled Is cool But SUCKS as well if you build a Expansion base thing it deploys it next to the MCV and the AI is alot Stupider that a normal Ai