Caveman 3.0 Beta 12 released!

PLAY NOW!
http://rocklandsoftware.net/beta.php

Game info:
http://rocklandsoftware.net/Caveman.php


New for beta 12:
---------------------------------------------
* refactored and improved AI
* give orders to party members
* sound effects
* music
* animations for actions

details:
* f…

The building of Caveman - part 6 - data structures

When i first got into programming as my major, my biggest fear was that I'd end up as a database programmer.
Turns out I became a gamedev. But i still have to do database programming. Sure, games are interactive
multimedia entertainment simulations,…

The building of Caveman - Part 5 - General code organization


This is the general code organization used in Caveman:


void main:
----------------
initprog
runprog
endprog





initprog
------------------
init z3d game library - creates window, goes into 3d mode, creates fonts, inits audio, random number generator,…

New Avian AI done

The new Avian AI has been implemented.

There are just a few remaining tasks to complete, and then the AI will be refactored, with the new orders features added.

first off, i still have to hook up the avian ai:


the current code:
you can see how avians were originally implemented as a bu…

New land animal AI implemented



The new land animal AI has been implemented and plugged into the game.




The new land animal AI actually consists of 8 different types of AI:
1. AI for NPC allies of the player (travelling companions, hired warriors, and tamed pets).
2. AI for thieves
3. AI for neutral NPC c…

An example of making a change to Caveman...

This is a quick description of what its like to make a change to the game.

I just finished the new bandmember AI. Now it was time to make bandmember AI use sprint running speed.

First I checked [color=#0000ff]movement_rate()[/color] to figure out what the sp…

New orders menu code

Here's the new orders menu code to go with the new bandmember AI

nothing fancy, it shows a menu, "Issue orders to..."
then a second menu "Orders..."
it then sets the orders state or appropriate variable such as sneak_state.

one common game design pattern seen in this code:
populating…

New band member AI code

Here's the new code for bandmember AI.

In AI terms, this code is a crude expert system:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_system

it is implemented primarily as a decision tree:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_tree

// ############################## NEW AI: B2 API #########…

New bandmember AI done

The new AI for bandmembers is done. The new orders menu is done as well. The new AI can deal with being in a shelter, taking fire, being cornered, etc, as well as follow orders or do actions. It now automatically favors missile weapons and skirmish mode before hand weapons and…

Issuing orders to party members and refactoring AI...

NOTES:
1. in this article, any distances mentioned are in feet.
2. abbreviations used in the pseudocode:
"ret" = return
"dir" = direction
"loc" = location
"rh" = relative heading
"CR" = collision recovery

I've been playtesting the game at advanced s…