Worm AI?

[DaddyHoggy]

While playing with my WIP Tycho 8 I'd use like_ship = "worm" in my shipdata.plist was was surprised that Tycho 8 was completely inert.

Checking that a worm really is called a worm in oolite i extracted this from the Oolite shipdata.plist:

Code: Select all

worm =
	{
		aft_eject_position = "0.0 5.0 -9.5";
		ai_type = "nullAI.plist";
		cargo_type = "CARGO_NOT_CARGO";
		energy_recharge_rate = 2;
		exhaust = ("0.0 0.0 -17.5 7.0 6.0 6.0");
		forward_weapon_type = "WEAPON_NONE";
		likely_cargo = 1;
		max_cargo = 2;
		max_energy = 75;
		max_flight_pitch = 1;
		max_flight_roll = 2;
		max_flight_speed = 110;
		missile_launch_position = "0.0 -6.5 13.0";
		missiles = 0;
		model = "worm_redux.dat";
		name = "Worm";
		roles = "shuttle oolite-worm";
		thrust = 12;
		weapon_position_aft = "0.0 -4.8 -17.5";
		weapon_position_forward = "0.0 -4.4 15.5";
		weapon_position_port = "-12.5 -3.0 -2.5";
		weapon_position_starboard = "12.5 -3.0 -2.5";
	};

Does this mean that even in the proper game worms will just hang around not doing anything? Is this a correct interpretation of what the nullAI does?

[another_commander]

The Worm has the role 'shuttle'. Oolite will assign an appropriate AI to ships with this role upon launch from station (fallingShuttleAI) or from planet (risingShuttleAI).

[DaddyHoggy]

The Worm has the role 'shuttle'. Oolite will assign an appropriate AI to ships with this role upon launch from station (falingShuttleAI) or from planet (risingShuttleAI).

Ah, so when I spawn Tycho8 using the script.js on launch like_shipped to a worm, I miss this stage out and hence it does nothing...

OK, based on the fact that I only used the worm because I don't want Tycho8 to have any weaponry and I'm going to need a customAI anyway (scary!) what would be best to do? Just populate the shipdata.plist myself with the attributes I want it to have? Is there a recommended minimum? The wiki seems a little vague, but I guess the ships in the Oolite shipdata.plist seem to be OK, so I could start with their attribute list as a minimum?

[ADCK]

Code: Select all

{
	"your-ship-name" =
	{
		like_ship = "shuttle";
		ai_type = "route1traderAI.plist";
		exhaust =
		(
		);
		model = "your_model.dat";
		name = "Name of Ship";
		roles = "shuttle";
	};
}

Or your prefered AI from the \Oolite\oolite.app\Resources\AIs dir

added 'roles' since i'm guessing the scripts calls the ship from it's role, change it to something unique.

But that's all you need to get a ship in game.

What exactly do you want the ship to do? Is it just going to a station?

>EDIT> added missing entries

[DaddyHoggy]

Code: Select all

{
	"your-ship-name" =
	{
		like_ship = "shuttle";
		ai_type = "route1traderAI.plist";
		exhaust =
		(
		);
		model = "your_model.dat";
		name = "Name of Ship";
		roles = "shuttle";
	};
}

Or your prefered AI from the \Oolite\oolite.app\Resources\AIs dir

added 'roles' since i'm guessing the scripts calls the ship from it's role, change it to something unique.

But that's all you need to get a ship in game.

What exactly do you want the ship to do? Is it just going to a station?

>EDIT> added missing entries

If I'm going to be fair to John Chapman who created Jonnie Rocket and Tycho8, the ship will have no weaponry, but be stupidly fast and have huge power reserves (as per the book(s) and short stories I've written for him), so I want Tycho8 sightings to be very rare (genuinely very rare), but if you and Tycho8 end up in the same system it will fly towards you, saying lots of stuff on the way in - such as "Wow! Isn't space amazing?" etc, say "Hi" when it gets close and then fly-on at high speed, if you shoot at it/him he'll turn tail on injectors and immediately hyperspace out, wailing in protest as he goes.

Is that doable?

EDIT: As per "My first ship" thread in "Outworld" (as this is an outworld ship/idea) - I've got it in the game - but as it's like_ship(ped) to a worm (weaponless) it does precisely zip at the moment, for the reasons explained by A_C.

[Thargoid]

Yup

[DaddyHoggy]

Yup

Have you been taking "concise" lessons from Ahruman?

I'm presuming "yup" answers the question "Is this doable?"

[Thargoid]

indeed

I got a busy week, but if you need help towards the weekend if nothing comes sooner then give me a shout.

[DaddyHoggy]

indeed

I got a busy week, but if you need help towards the weekend if nothing comes sooner then give me a shout.

So that single word can be applied equally to both parts of my question... clever...

Anyway, to ask a more precise question. Will my desires for the behaviour require a customAI? If yes, can I find all I need on the wiki, so that I can cock it up in the first instance and then beg for help on the BB? (and if yes to the wiki question - could somebody point me to the relevant page(s) - I don't find the wiki particularly easy to navigate/search for such things.)

TIA

PS - Thargoid - just noticed (and read) your very kind offer - thanks

[Eric Walch]

....but be stupidly fast and have huge power reserves

As the worm being a landing vessel I assume is must have massive engines to fight gravity. Outside gravity that probably does lead to a very vast ship.

[Thargoid]

Anyway, to ask a more precise question. Will my desires for the behaviour require a customAI? If yes, can I find all I need on the wiki, so that I can cock it up in the first instance and then beg for help on the BB? (and if yes to the wiki question - could somebody point me to the relevant page(s) - I don't find the wiki particularly easy to navigate/search for such things.)

Yes


I'll stop now before he forgets he's a pacifist...

[DaddyHoggy]

Eek!

Hurls self into nearest escape capsule and ejects in in panic...

Now I know why people use the inbuilt AIs!

OK, is it going to be easier to modify a current AI with the stuff on the wiki page Thargoid linked for me or write completely from scratch?

[Kaks]

I'd say it's better to write one from scratch, but that's me...

Or you could ask people like Thargoid / Commander McLane / Eric Walch / Not Me (:twisted:) to please, please, pretty please give you a hand!