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News Archive:
1-14-01
Sorry! But do to unforeseen circumstances ( my web designer being one lazy @#$@# ) the new site is not ready and as a result I will hold the release until tomorrow. The beta 1 release, is however, totally finished, and I must say it is quite an improvement :) Check out this screenie I took while testing the final version on flf_kezman here . The new forum will have places for you to tell what you want in the next release, as well as report bugs, or just gab about whatever you want. Hot_Bot is finally officially released tomorrow!!!
1-13-01 NEW Release, NEW web page design, and NEW forum Tomorrow
The beta 1 release of Hot_Bot will be made available tomorrow! It now uses doors and can capture points. I am still testing to make sure there are no more major bugs and to see the bot in other maps, which I seldom use. I will make a few minor changes and release tomorrow. Also, Hot_Bot will now have a new web page, thanks to Jon Dietzen. Finally someone who knows what he's doing with web design (ie not me) will be doing the web page. Also there will be a new and easier to use forum for bug reports, new ideas and comments on the web page.
1-10-01
A really nasty pointer error kept me debugging Hot_Bot for about two hours today, but I finally chased down the bug, then I could really get to work. A plus side to this bug was that I discovered a different logic bug, which made the bots not choose the closest point to capture. Now that is fixed, and the bots go and capture one point, the proceed on to capture the next closest, etc, etc. Its really cool to see them work. My two main tasks remaining before the next release are the "outside freeze bug" and smoothing out the door code. Right now I am planning on releasing beta 1 and opening the new forum together sometime on Saturday, so stay tuned!
1-9-01
Hot_Bot now takes capture points! Check out the screenshot here . This is a major improvement and now all I have are a few small changes and my capture point code will be finished :) After that will likely be another test release (Wednesday, probably) and then a few more code changes and Beta 1 will be released. My target date is this weekend. Although it will not be as good as I would like, there are so many new and major improvements that I feel bad making everyone wait :) Also, accompanying the beta 1 release will be a new and better Message Board (a forum actually) and other site changes. The beta stages mark the "official" release of my bot, so I'm pretty excited. In other news... my friend let me borrow his voodoo 4 video card, so I've been "play-testing" my bot quite a bit tonight. he he :)
1-8-01
Capture points are coming along well, unfortunately I have not had nearly as much time as I would like to work on them. This week might be really busy, I'm not sure how much time I will have.. but then again every time I say I will have no time, I somehow find time :) In other news, I think I have a good forum to put up soon, it actually isn't that bad. Oh, I almost forgot... tonight I also fixed the multi-round bug. I think I will release beta 1 before everything is perfect, just because there are so many improvements in it over alpha 4.1
1-5-01 Partial Release for testers today!
Today I sent the latest version of my bot to the beta-testers. Hot_Bot now can use doors and except for a few small issues with doors, I am ready to move onto making them capture points, which should be quite simple. On flf_village the bots were moving playing very well, since I also implemented a feature so all attackers decide on a single point to capture. This is really the first bit of teamplay that I have implemented, but it works well. Click here for proof that I'm not making all this up :) If everything continues to go this well, I will have the test reports back by the weekend and also another test version (with capture points implemented) maybe by Sunday.
1-4-01
Last night I decided to work on my bot instead of sleeping and as a result, I have actually gotten somewhere with my bot recently. New team play features have bots moving more in groups. I am also almost done implementing doors, although the code is not quite perfect. I am going to do a partial release to beta-testers maybe by Thursday evening. I want to start earlier testing so bugs are more likely to rear their ugly heads so I can fix them. And of course, the more testers, the merrier so if you want to join, just email me. One I finish off doors I will complete my capture point code, then work on the "open map" freeze bug and ladders. I am not sure if these last to features will be in beta 1, or if I will want to release first. Either way, beta 1 will be a big improvement.
1-3-01
I apologize for not having updated the site lately, but I have been very busy with "other" work and as I result I have not been able to do much with the bot, and any time I have had I wanted to be actually working on the bot. Things are improving and I have a new debug system which is helping me build the navigation and capture systems and that should make catching bugs easier. Because of all my work, I think that it will be Saturday before I even send a partial release to beta testers.
In other news I had an interview with Bot Epidemic, which you can check out here.
I know many of you are really anxious for the next release, well so am I :) All I can say is that I'm working on it, and I want to be sure that it is quite stable before I release it, to lessen the chance that it will need a quick bug fix. And, oh yeah .... I want to wish you all a late happy new year ! :)
12-29-00
After a frustrating day yesterday, I made a lot of progress today. The bots are now finding the doors and using them, although not as well as I would like. I also have to implement code so they choose which doors are most important and such. There is still a lot to be done, but as a result the next update should make the bot A LOT better. I've been getting more info about what problems exist on maps other than my test map (flf_village) and I am working on some of those bugs too. If you find major bugs which keep cropping up in several maps, or that aren't mentioned in the map reports below, post them on the message board or email me. Keep checking out the site for continuing updates.
12-27-00
Map Report: This is what I've been hearing about Hot_Bot
Good: flf_village (my test map and probably the best for action. Check out screenshot here! ) + flf_kezman (good action here)
Marginal: flf_job (fine until bots get stuck) flf_lombardi (bots meet only rarely) flf_bier (good, for the few bots that get out of spawn areas)
No play: flf_bridge ??? flf_deep6 + flf_fox (both maps have attackers frozen because of the nature of the spawn area) flf_snow (attackers are great, defenders don't get out of spawn)
The main problems appear to be bots unable to open doors, and bots in maps without defined walls. Both of these problems should be fixed in beta 1. If there are any other map reports or bugs, or if you want to become a beta tester, email me at dannywent@hotmail.com.
I am working on getting a forum to make bug reports easier and so you can tell me what is good and bad about Hot_Bot, as well as of course posting just any random stuff.
I would also like to thank OZZman for making the new install program for me. Thanks man! Keep checking the site for progress updates.
12-25-00
Alpha 4.1 Jump Bug fix!!
I believe I have found the source of the jump bug and fixed it. download the new version here!
If somehow there are still problems, email me, but I think I have fixed it. Unfortunately because of this bug I spent tonight working on fixes and not on getting capture points, but beta 1 will still hopefully be out within a week. It will be a huge improvement. :)
Jump Bug??
I've heard reports of a bug that makes the bots go crazy and jump around and use their shotgun too much. All I know is that I never saw it during tests... but if you have seen it please email me here and tell me the details of the bug. dannywent@hotmail.com
For now I am just going to make the Alpha 3 release available for download. it doesn't have some of the new features, but it still plays well. get it here
If I don't track this bug down soon, I will have to rebuild the alpha 4 release from the alpha 3 code. Either way it should be available tomorrow.
Alpha 4 Release: Final update before Beta 1 ! HERE
I have decided to make one more release before the beta release. I seem to keep being distracted by these smaller bugs and it is keeping me from finishing the new navigation system which works with doors and capture points. This fix contains the framework for the new navigation system and the new team combat system, but you won't notice them since most of the specific features have not yet been implemented. These are the changes you will notice:
Navigation improvements: get stuck less, moves more toward capture points, smoother movement, bot choose teams more evenly, all classes aim adjusted, box stuck bug fixed, and bots join in more realistic ratios: more assaults, less recon and support
I can't really promise any date for the next release. I hope it will be very soon, but I have a huge English project and some other important school stuff to work on too. I hope it will be within the next couple of days. Have a great Christmas!!!!!!
12-22-00
I have been very busy lately, and as a result there will not be an update until at least tomorrow. I am happy to announce that I have added a new download link to OZPLANET and a new self-extracting download is now available. You will still be able to get the old WinZip version too, though. Perigrim is having computer troubles [fried motherboard :( ] so the map reports will have to wait unless someone else wants to do them. I hope to update tomorrow but if I don't, have a great Christmas!
12-20-00
I have been rewriting my navigation code today. Already the bots move toward capture points much better than before. I am also fixing a bug in the avoid turret code, and one with the recon combat code. Other changes in the navigation code make the bot's movement smoother and should help them get out of tight places better, like the commando spawn point on flf_village. I am also going to make it so bots are added evenly to each team. Peregrin is currently working on testing the newer version of the bot on all the maps and then I will have a page with reports on how well the bot plays on each map and what problems need to be solved. Depending on whether I get any more bug reports, I may have a small upgrade release in a day or two.
12-19-00
Work is coming along well on the next release. But for two reasons it will be a little longer than expected. First is that I am rewriting much of the navigation code instead of just adding in pieces here and there to do doors, ladders and capture points. I think this will be much better in the end. The other reason is that I am going to continue to add small other improvements to the code, as the result of some suggestions in the forum (thanks insane_enuf). I now have two bot testers, with the addition of peregrin. Hopefully this will lead to more fixes and better support of all maps.
12-16-00
Alpha 3 Release!! Bot model bug fixed!!!!
What i thought was an error only on my machine turned out to be a problem with the bot in general. The rebel bots looked green just like the commando bots, but i have fixed this now. Also i fixed a bug which made the recons not buy the msg90 and i also made the msg90 more accurate to simulate its use as a sniper rifle. Finally, i got the attacker pause to work perfectly. Also the reload bug is fixed. I am in a rush to go out tonight, so not all the other pages will be updated until tomorrow. The bot is much more playable now :) Download it here.
12-15-00
I've made a lot of advances today. First, I finally got the warm-up pause to work by catching the message sent by the engine. Also, I implemented code to head toward capture points and started to work on a function for using doors. I may release a in in-between version sooner than expected, then take a little longer to put out beta 1, so i can implement more of what i wanted for the team aspects of the bot.
12-14-00
According to several people I have talked to, my email here at the site does not work. I have now replaced the link and it is fine, but this means if you emailed me anytime since this site was put up, I did not get it, so please send it again. In bot news, I have begun working on the next release, which will be a big one. Capture points, ladders and doors will all be implemented. I may have a test version by this weekend, and then a general release hopefully within a week. If anyone is interested in testing an early release, email me (it will actually work :) )
12-12-00
Hot_Bot Alpha 2 Released Today!!!! Get it here
Features: Different classes buy class specific weapons, Classes move a correct speeds, Better code to pause attackers at the beginning of a round, tweaked combat code, and the bots now avoid enemy turrets. Another release should come within a week. It may be beta 1 with doors, ladders and capture points implemented. If anyone is interested in becoming a tester for Hot_Bot email me.
12-11-00
I'm sorry for the problems this site has been having lately, i know the message board link was unavailable for most of the past two days. But more importantly I made some real progress and have started to lay the groundwork for my new navigation system. There will be a release sometime tomorrow night. Alpha 2 will have the added code to make each different class buy there own weapons and move at the correct speed, improved (possibly perfect) pause code, modified combat code so they seem more human, and code to make them avoid enemy turrets.
12-8-00
I've just added a new feature to the site. There are now message board which anyone coming to the site should be able to use. One is for bugs or problems (hopefully this one isn't too popular), another is for new ideas or suggestions, and the third is off topic. HURRY! be the first to post anything there, it will make me happy :) I modified the combat code a bit, so hopefully they will seem a bit more human. I'm not done with the turret stuff though. Hopefully I will finish that tonight.
12-6-00
Today I added support for all classes and their respective weapons. I added code so the bots move at the correct relative speeds (ie: support slower than assault slower than recon). Thanks to Spyro for pointing this out. Tomorrow I will add support so they avoid enemy turret fire and then add some combat code to make them more realistic.
12-5-00
I apologize for the broken download link, but I have found another temporary site to download it from. I have outlined my plans for what to do next with HOT_BOT. I will implement the code to find and capture/defend the capture points.
12-1-00
Welcome to the HOT_BOT website. I have finally made my initial release. The bot is (of course) based on Botman's code, but I have stripped and rewritten all of the navigation code so that it DOES NOT NEED WAYPOINTS. I have also added join code for frontline forces and some other special changes. I plan to develop a bot which is focused on TEAMPLAY and can be used with any map. As for now, the bots can navigate and fight well enough, but they do not yet open doors or capture points. This will be the first thing I will add, hopefully very soon. Email me with comments or suggestions. Have fun.
