I have to design 3 enemies for a game study assignment, and I have to develop a soft lock/unlock chrt showing each enemies state during my movements (attack, super attack, walk, etc.), but I don't fully understand the concept of soft locks. If someone could please explain them to me, that would be great. I also have to make a chart that verifies all chracter abilities used... is there a general format for this? ny help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I've never heard the term "soft locks" in an AI context. I'm guessing they're something specific to your course?

Don't cross-post either (Game Design).

repost from game design:

Considering I never heard of softlocks, can you ask teacher of your assignment what does he mean by this term, that majority of game developers never heard about?

Few years ago the term soft lock was used in a meaning dead lock, then meaning of that term shifted, and term deadlock is exclusively used now. (thought nobody used the term soft lock in my vicinity.)

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cite IGDA I was told years ago that this is called a soft lock, but when I mentioned it to my manager, he said he'd never heard of them being called that. Am I just going insane or has anyone else heard of soft locks

Some people used soft lock instead of corruption of game state, however a corruption of game state is quite clear term so it should be preferred.

Never heard of the term softlock either.

I demand a reference! (which I hope your teacher provided).

Repost from game design:

Ive heard of soft locks in operating system type disciplines... where it refers to a method of locking resources, usually with the intention of avoiding deadlocks, etc... I suppose I could see the term potentially being used when you're talking about AI states and state transitions.

A quick google also reveals soft locks used in the context of targetting mechanics, where the targeting crosshair slows down when swept across potential targets (as opposed to a standard lock where the crosshair jumps immediately to the target).

Neither of them really fit all that well though...
The first is a very big stretch to see it as related, and the second doesnt seem like it has any relation to any kind of chart of enemy states, as far as I can figure out...


I think you either need to give a lot more information about the exact context of the task, or you just need to ask the teacher directly.

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Original post by hpscot65 I have to design 3 enemies for a game study assignment, and I have to develop a soft lock/unlock chrt showing each enemies state during my movements (attack, super attack, walk, etc.), but I don't fully understand the concept of soft locks. If someone could please explain them to me, that would be great.

I've come across the term 'soft lock' in targetting applications, where a soft lock indicates a weak (indefinite duration) fixation on a visibile target (as opposed to a hard lock, which implies everything else is ignored until the current target it dealt with). This fixation can cease (or be redirected) either because the target state relative to the targetter state exceeds given constraints (such as speed of target, distance (linear/angular) to target, etc., or because a higher priority target is detected.

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I also have to make a chart that verifies all chracter abilities used... is there a general format for this? ny help would be greatly appreciated.

What characters are we talking about and what are the abilities?

You will need to provide more details if you expect help in understanding the requirements of your work. Having said that, this is clearly homework and so you shouldn't expect anyone to give you answers, rather we can (hopefully) help with understanding (with the proviso of more information being provided first). Alternatively, just go and ask your teacher for more info. It's their job to make sure you understand the assessment tasks. 8)

Cheers,

Timkin

I HAVE heard this somewhere. I just cant remember where. A soft lock, in the context, was when the targeter re-evaluates their targets on each AI step and chooses a target for itself. A hard lock is when the targeter is given a target externally or is commanded to find a hard lock, and can only be re-directed by another lock or a cancel command.

Consider a tank in Command and Conquer which has been given a target. It follows that target regardless of the danger to itself. Now consider one which has been left idle, and some infantry come into range. It begins firing on one. If that infantryman moves out of range it finds another lock.

I'm not sure these are industry standard terms though.