Halo: Reach Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: Should Bungie add customizable enemies in the forge of Halo: Reach?
  • Subject: Should Bungie add customizable enemies in the forge of Halo: Reach?
Subject: Should Bungie add customizable enemies in the forge of Halo: Reach?

still a very good idea

  • 08.17.2009 2:01 PM PDT

Forge is amazing but all im trying to say is that if you put lots of enemies on a waypoint they would be walking in kind of a line formation and does that also mean they will be walking in a circle and they cant chase you.If bungie made a very good game engine then it would work and i have always wanted bots in halo, i know bungie is able to do this and utilize this very good idea.

If you read my first post regarding editable pathways (I would understand if you did not) then may I suggest an expansion onto what I previously stated.
The pathways could be set to a variety of things, from "default" to "jump" and even "vehicular". However, and additional extension to the default type of path could be things such as "wide" or "narrow". This tells the AI that it may walk perhaps 3 characters side by side, or perform dive maneuvers in a wide pathway, but only single file in a narrow path. Clearly this could be extended to vehicles as well, one path may allow tanks while another only a mongoose.

  • 08.17.2009 2:06 PM PDT

To JasmineWarrior :

In my thread I mentioned both a line of sight and a range.

An enemy could only engage when certain requirment are met:

1. Enemy is within the pre-set area of a combat area.
2. Enemy is in the line of sight of the A.I.
3. Enemy is within the set range of the A.I.

If these three things are not there, the player might as well not exist to the A.I.

Additionally, you area of pre-set paths for maps is more of a bot idea. It might work on standard maps, but not ones with major custom content. Also, these A.I. are not supposed to be predicatable. They are NOT meant to replace the player. Only to enhance gameplay for the player's involved.

In response to your second post, I have already accounted for movement. The waypoints would be translucent copies of the A.I. This would ensure that the A.I. could only go to a place that it would fit. Advanced movements would be interesting, but would boarder on becoming too complicated.

Going above and beyond is always a good idea, but we can't expect it EVERY time from Bungie.

[Edited on 08.17.2009 2:10 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2009 2:07 PM PDT

bungie will probably use this idea to improve gameplay but would these Ai be in matchmaking for example to guard a building or object and the two teams would have to work together to kill the guards then kill each other????? :) XD

  • 08.17.2009 2:18 PM PDT

Posted by: BuriedWaz up12
bungie will probably use this idea to improve gameplay but would these Ai be in matchmaking for example to guard a building or object and the two teams would have to work together to kill the guards then kill each other????? :) XD


Exactly. The gameplay options are infinite. Combine custom A.I.s with a from scratch map editor, and maybe customizable weapons. You get dang near infinite replayability for Halo: Reach, probabily making it one of the top selling games ... ever.

[Edited on 08.17.2009 2:22 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2009 2:22 PM PDT

I do not believe I actually stated that preset paths should be used, I merely utilized such an example to better illustrate the contrasting point I was trying to get across in my initial post.
For maps with large amounts of custom content, I agree that any preset pathways created would be wholly useless. That is why the player should have the option to path the map themselves, perhaps using the techniques I have been discussing.

An enemy could only engage when certain requirment are met:

1. Enemy is within the pre-set area of a combat area.
2. Enemy is in the line of sight of the A.I.
3. Enemy is within the set range of the A.I.


This somewhat defeats the point of combat areas entirely, at least for me. If the player is within range and sight of the AI, why would it not attack?

As for my pathway suggestion being somewhat more complicated, I admit that it does indeed involve a bit more depth, but I can almost guarantee that something similar is built into each and every campaign map in the game. To bring such things into forge and MM will create issues, of course, but much of the baseline code would already be there.

I have found that Bungie goes above and beyond often enough that I have sort of come to accept it as a standard from them, and I hope that they continue to do so in the future, as I believe it is what makes their games as great as they are.

  • 08.17.2009 2:23 PM PDT

i still think bungie should still make unique multiplayer Huds for each helmet (does not have to do with the thread)

  • 08.17.2009 2:32 PM PDT

To JasmineWarrior:

The point of combat areas is simply for cutomization. There might be certain areas that you would want your A.I. to attack in, and others you may not. Additionally, what if you want your A.I. outside of the combat areas, but still attack. Let me give you an example.

You are playing a game of say 4v4 KOTH on Sandbox (just for the purposes of this example).

You create multiple A.I. snipers with infinite range and medium accuracy on top of the "giant obelisks." You then set the combat areas identical to the hill spawns. This way, while the teams fight for control of the hill, A.I.s keep them on their toes with constant sniper fire.

This is just an example of how customizable A.I.s could be implemented.

  • 08.17.2009 2:32 PM PDT

or bungie can make areas like hills that you can expand and if a player enters that area the AI will shoot and try to hit them

  • 08.17.2009 2:40 PM PDT

In regards to your example involving sandbox, such a thing could easily be created using a closed path system and setting min/max range values for you AI snipers. (although, for some I think your combat area may be best due to its simplicity, but others may wish a greater degree of customization.)

Anyways, you have your hill at point B, which is between A and C. The snipers are at a point a fair distance away, D. At point D there is a small closed path allowing the snipers to move around a few feet for whatever reason, but their minimum and maximum range is set so that they may only attack entities between point A and C. This effectively has the same effect as your combat area, albeit with a greater degree of testing involved.

Now an additional switch should be included that allows the AI to activate "self defense" no matter what the range value is set to. This means if someone starts attacking the AI from 5 feet away, they may return fire even though the attacker does not fall within the (A,C) interval. This essentially means they do not attack anyone outside of the hill unless they are first shot at.

  • 08.17.2009 2:40 PM PDT
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Oh hey look a new Halo game. This is pretty fun. Oh what does thi-STFU N00B U SUX JUST STOP PLAYING CAUSE THERES NO POINT >=( RAAAAAAAAAAGE....

Ah the online gaming world. Lol.

You know honestly there have been many games with AI enemies in it WAY before the 360. I dont understand why it is so impossible if they are working with a new engine on a new game that is nowhere near being released...

I believe even in Unreal tournament you could make a custom map and the bots would already know where to go and such. I may be wrong on that but even still, if this is the last halo game Bungie is going to make....why cant we just get a REAL editor that lets you mess with more then just some of the map. Halo custom edition ftw!

  • 08.17.2009 2:41 PM PDT

Posted by: JasmineWarrior
In regards to your example involving sandbox, such a thing could easily be created using a closed path system and setting min/max range values for you AI snipers. (although, for some I think your combat area may be best due to its simplicity, but others may wish a greater degree of customization.)

Anyways, you have your hill at point B, which is between A and C. The snipers are at a point a fair distance away, D. At point D there is a small closed path allowing the snipers to move around a few feet for whatever reason, but their minimum and maximum range is set so that they may only attack entities between point A and C. This effectively has the same effect as your combat area, albeit with a greater degree of testing involved.

Now an additional switch should be included that allows the AI to activate "self defense" no matter what the range value is set to. This means if someone starts attacking the AI from 5 feet away, they may return fire even though the attacker does not fall within the (A,C) interval. This essentially means they do not attack anyone outside of the hill unless they are first shot at.


The self-defense idea is a good one. If the rest of my idea is possibly,it could be easily done.

  • 08.17.2009 2:43 PM PDT

or bungie can let you edit the terrain and then forge and you could put ai and tonnes of other stuff

  • 08.17.2009 2:43 PM PDT

svm, I have done a fair bit of tinkering in both UT/04 and UT3's respective engines, and as far as I ever found out the editor still required a basic path node setup which the engine would then expand upon accordingly.

Perhaps you are thinking of Farcry, I heard they used a powerful in game editor, although I never tried it myself.

Pocket, perhaps an inclusion of both our ideas would work best, one for those who have no desire to set up advanced AI systems for their maps and the other to allow a greater degree of customization, although with a fair bit of greater complexity.

  • 08.17.2009 2:53 PM PDT

To JasmineWarrior:

I understand your idea of the A.I. being able to decide what paths it want to take. However, as Bungie has stated that bots are impossible, I am working off the idea that having a "thinking" A.I. of any kind would be impossible.

Because I don't know (and I'm sure no one here) the limits/restraints of the engine being used in Reach, I am trying to play it as safe as possible. Obviously the ideas you are proposing would come up if A.I.s were being added in Reach. I just want everyone to get used to the idea that A.I.s are possible.

[Edited on 08.17.2009 5:10 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2009 5:10 PM PDT

supported 100%.Human vs covenant war on forge?amazing.

  • 08.17.2009 5:16 PM PDT

i know a better game that uses a terrain editor and a program like forge the game is called CRYSIS .

  • 08.17.2009 5:34 PM PDT
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Oh hey look a new Halo game. This is pretty fun. Oh what does thi-STFU N00B U SUX JUST STOP PLAYING CAUSE THERES NO POINT >=( RAAAAAAAAAAGE....

Ah the online gaming world. Lol.

Posted by: Pocket Syndrome
To JasmineWarrior:

I understand your idea of the A.I. being able to decide what paths it want to take. However, as Bungie has stated that bots are impossible, I am working off the idea that having a "thinking" A.I. of any kind would be impossible.

Because I don't know (and I'm sure no one here) the limits/restraints of the engine being used in Reach, I am trying to play it as safe as possible. Obviously the ideas you are proposing would come up if A.I.s were being added in Reach. I just want everyone to get used to the idea that A.I.s are possible.


If they would give us the tool eventually to make our own levels and maps like in Halo custom edition all this would be solved. The people may need to learn how to do certain things but thats why there could be tutorials and such to help them out.

I just really think they should come back with a map editor for Halo reach or if they happen to put Halo 3 on PC. The profit they would get off putting Halo 3 on the PC with a map editor would be amazing.

  • 08.17.2009 5:35 PM PDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfxG_uB66vI


watch the whole thing pocket its everything you want.

[Edited on 08.17.2009 5:52 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2009 5:42 PM PDT

Posted by: BuriedWaz up12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfxG_uB66vI


watch the whole thing pocket its everything you want.


Would be great. Although I am for an advanced forging system, the point of this thread is customizable A.I.s.

  • 08.18.2009 12:18 PM PDT

Spartans tonight we die in hell.

Posted by: Wraith Chaser
Posted by: Elite Soverign
Since I'm in bungie I will take this into consideration so pocket your idea might just become a reality


Liar, don't listen to this kid.


I just got accepted

  • 08.18.2009 1:02 PM PDT

Were it so easy.

Ok, first I'd like to say WHAT THE -blam!-!!!!???

I suggested this several months ago on the Halo 3 Optimatch forum I believe and I got like 3 replies and nobody liked the idea!

Of course I support this, but its just makes me angry that I suggested this way before and nobody liked the idea.

My original suggestion thread

[Edited on 08.18.2009 1:09 PM PDT]

  • 08.18.2009 1:08 PM PDT

I love Bungie and if you have a problem well then S C R 3 W you!

The difference in firefight and doing it in forge is that Firefight is already programmed in the game.Forge we'll be adding A.I.s in the click of a button.Something that must take companys a while to program into the game.I dont work there so I dont know the procedure but if they say its impossible its impossible.Maybe in time with newer technology it'll be possible.But for now its a closed discusion.

  • 08.18.2009 1:13 PM PDT

That would be good!, you could have a giant base on a map like sandbox, with a reeaaalllllyy tall front wall and place like marines and odst with snipers in little pillboxes on top of the walls. but set them to Team: Defenders
then have some brutes, drones and jackals and grunt, set them to attack the base, on the attackers side, and make a door to the base, sorta like the ones ion high ground can be opened from the inside only but make them breakable, so the attackers could destroy it and break in, Watch lord of the rings, and it would turn out like that, but have wraiths fire over the wall =] YAAAAY

  • 08.18.2009 1:14 PM PDT

~It's called the clam slam"~

Also you could create a GIGANTIC battle between Marines, ODSTs and some Spartans against a whole bunch of grunts and jackals, make yourself invincible and walk through the battle smiting anyone and everyone in your path. Or you could set 3 spartans against at least 200 assorted Covenant, like Grunts and Jackals and low-level Brutes, with the spartans at infinite range, and high accuracy, and a little bit higher than normal shields, and see who would win. The Spartans would have an array of weaponry at their disposal, including BR's, Sniper Rifles, Rocket Launchers, Mounted Chainguns, and a stash of grenades and Trip Mines... I have my money on the Spartans. They would also have one Elite teammate, and even with his Good Camo, he only has a Plasma Rifle and low shields, and let's just say he wasn't the best marksman when he went through Elite boot camp...

  • 08.18.2009 1:57 PM PDT