Author Topic: Robot Combat prototype in progress  (Read 15748 times)

Offline Jules

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #40 on: August 23, 2015, 01:31:40 AM »
Here is a half-done demo. Should be easy to extract and run.

https://docs.google.com/uc?authuser=0&id=0B7sbSbDkL4j9REJRWDRiOUIzNFk&export=download



It's a working title. (I don't love it) I'm open to suggestions.

It's windows only.
I should be able to do a Mac build but I would need someone to test for me first.





I was able to get a lot of what I wanted done, but the collision graphics / audio system is not ready yet.
There is a ton that is not finished, but I figured why not.


There is currently--
-No Ai
-No Sound at all
-No Motor weakening / failure
-Only one match-up

Some things to consider--
-The demo only allows 16:9 display ratios because I was having issues with my menus. This will be fixed ASAP
-The spinner bot controls poorly while upside down. I could fix this easily, but I chose to keep it this way for a more even fight between the two bots.
-I am aware that the flipper is springy and doesn't always sit where it should. This will be fixed soon.
-The back of the spinner bot's chassis looks kind of funky. This will also be fixed soon.
-Right now the flipper's wedges tend to get stuck on the ground at certain points, this is intended as a way to balance out wedge bots vs non wedge bots. (let me know what you think)
-Both bots are fairly slow, that is because I need to do some work on my motor scripts before they behave normally at high speeds. (The weapon motor also needs to be tweaked)
-Currently, after a bot has lost, it can still be controlled. This will be fixed soon.
-None of the models / textures are finalized, I am focused more on getting the game play working decently first
-The follow cameras (3 and 4) don't turn to follow the bot. I'm assuming that is something people want?
-Just now, as I posted this build, I noticed a glitch where if the flipper's flipper-thingy gets knocked off but sticks on the chassis it can cause stupid damage to the bot, quickly destroying it. This will be fixed in future builds.

I would love to hear what you guys think. Especially any game breaking bugs etc.


For immobilisation, maybe half the units needed? Slow bots or pinned ones will have a hard time.
Good luck sorting out the traction and joint issues, and the effect system sounds really good.

I'm currently liking it as it is. This prevents a bot with one wheel, for example, from spinning around and staying 'mobile'. I'm going to tweak the system more in the near future. You guys should let me know how you like it currently.
I am toying with the idea of making there be a certain distance between both bots before the countdown starts. In most RL matches that I have seen the countdown starts after one bot has 'backed off'

I am curious if you would be willing to share this project in it's current state, or explain how you went about the weaponry. I previously attempted this in Unity and ran into many issues with the joint system Unity provides. The hinge was never rigid enough to use it for weapons like hammers/flippers. Alternatively, I would certainly be willing to assist you with this project.

As of right now, I'm not willing to share my project. It's my baby...  I don't work too well in a team, and almost zero of my code is commented haha

I would be happy to bring some people on board for textures, models, audio, menus, etc. but for right now I'm keeping the code private.

I've been struggling with the joint system a ton myself. Increasing the physics iteration count and increasing the updates per frame are quick fixes that have helped, but I have also programmed in my own custom joints.

Offline Badnik96

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #41 on: August 23, 2015, 02:53:04 AM »
Occasionally there's some physics glitches but it seems to work well so far. Only problem I have with it is that Private Pain seems to lose somewhat randomly (once I tapped the wall and it said cenotaph won) and you can still use the flipper after what I presume i supposed to be its Co2 tank rupturing.

also, it seems Cenotaph does not have a cap on how quickly it can spin. For some bizarre reason, this only seems to happen when it's inverted.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2015, 12:18:56 PM by Badnik96 »

Offline FOTEPX

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #42 on: August 24, 2015, 05:39:22 AM »
Occasionally there's some physics glitches but it seems to work well so far. Only problem I have with it is that Private Pain seems to lose somewhat randomly (once I tapped the wall and it said cenotaph won) and you can still use the flipper after what I presume i supposed to be its Co2 tank rupturing.

also, it seems Cenotaph does not have a cap on how quickly it can spin. For some bizarre reason, this only seems to happen when it's inverted.

The reason why Private Pain loses randomly is because it's flipper is way too fragile. It's entire flipper setup can break down from bumping into a wall.

Also, it's wheels are too strong, and Cenotaph seems to be indestructable right about now.


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Offline Jules

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #43 on: August 24, 2015, 08:28:19 AM »
Thanks a lot for testing it out and reporting back guys. It truly helps a lot. This build should be much more enjoyable and playable. If you enjoy it, spread the word so I can get some more feedback.
https://docs.google.com/uc?authuser=0&id=0B7sbSbDkL4j9d0pJQm95cEEtVHM&export=download

I let a few completely stupid things through on that build. My bad


- The biggest error thing I let through was that damage calculations were only taking into account linear velocity and not angular velocity as well. It would take a while to explain why that happened, but basically, It was just me making a huge oversight. That has been fixed

- When Cenotaph was flipped over the motor's angular velocity was being tracked as negative, so... whoops, there was indeed no limit. Good catch. That's been fixed

- That effect which looked like the CO2 tank rupturing was actually played when the bot lost. It is supposed to look like electrical failure, like the motherboard frying and releasing smoke. It clearly needs to be worked on a lot.

- Cenotaph and his wheels were indeed indestructible, this has been fixed

- Cenotaph was losing randomly while bumping walls (and the floor... woops.) because I am attempting to implement a system that allows for damage to be caused by collisions with the arena and between bot chassis, as apposed to just predefined weapons / hazards etc. If I can properly implement this system it will...
       - Allow for flippers, rammers, etc. to be more effective without needing to have damaging weapons (Ie, popups in RA2 are generally more effective than pure flippers because of the way it handles damage)
       - Punish 'wild' bots for slamming themselves into the arena after collisions. For example, when Tombstone essentially destroyed itself after that huge hit.

The damage system has been drastically improved since yesterday, but it is nowhere near complete.

Here the things that I remember that have changed for this build.


- Cenotaph
   - is no longer indestructible.
   - has new wheels, which probably make it a little too fast and overpowered right now

- Various durability tweaks
- Damage calculations now take into account linear velocity and angular velocity as they should
- Arena collisions now have a thresh hold for when the damage is applied and a limit to how high the damage can be. (I'm keeping a close eye on these numbers and they will still be tweaked)

- Once a component or the chassis has reached it's damage limit it must still take a hit of a minimum size before it is destroyed.
   - The numbers on this still need to be tweaked
   - I am toying with the idea of giving different components and different chassis armors varying 'final hit' thresholds

- Bots don't instantly lose once the chassis has taken max damage. Basically all of the components fail. (A bot can only lose by coun-tout or ring-out )
- The bots have lost their textures due to a glitch. (They weren't great anyways) They will be back later.

Here are a few issues that I am aware of. They are on my to-do list.
- Motors do not currently get damaged or weaken
- Cenotaph's spinning blade is currently indestructible
- Tires may take damage and even get torn off from skidding on the floor from a bot being thrown horizontally.
- Being struck by Private Pain's flipper causes too much damage.

Offline MassimoV

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #44 on: August 24, 2015, 11:12:14 PM »
this is actually pretty fun to mess around with

Offline Badnik96

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #45 on: August 25, 2015, 01:02:23 AM »
you want me to send you the rest of that wheel pack i was talking to you about? would probably be a start towards better looking bots imo

did you ever get my rhino models to work? i'd love to be a robot designer for this

buffing both robots' total hit points (or whatever) would make this a lot more fun, right now they usually break down after about a minute or so

one last thing, if the smoke is meant to be electronics (the ko indicator) it should be a more slow, trickly effect than the poof of smoke it is now. if i could think of an example video i'd link it here

« Last Edit: August 25, 2015, 01:27:17 AM by Badnik96 »

Offline Jules

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #46 on: August 25, 2015, 02:49:32 AM »
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I'm doing this for fun but I do like knowing that some people are getting some enjoyment out of it.

I'm probably going to be releasing an update everyday until Saturday when I start school. I really want to get a decent sound system in by then.

I'll still work on it after that, but progress will just slow down considerably.
I'm a computer science / game design double major though, so if anything, it will help the game in the long run haha.

I've got it set up to allow bot selection and arena selection, so that, along with some number tweaking should be uploaded tomorrow. (25th)

Hopefully I will have one more playable bot added in, to allow for more than just the current match up and mirror matches.

Yeah, you're right about the quick matches, and the smoke effect.


Nah, I never got those Rhino models working right. They were basically, half inside out, if that makes more sense. They consist of edges that are only viewable from one side, and a lot of the edges are facing inwards towards the center of the models.
(Still probably doesn't make sense haha)

But 3d models of components would be helpful. Motors, discs, whatever...  A Nightmare- esque chassis would be cool. I want to get a vertical spinner in there

Offline Avalanche

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #47 on: August 25, 2015, 04:40:14 AM »
Cant load up, computer isnt x64 or something
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Offline G.K.

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #48 on: August 25, 2015, 05:53:01 AM »
Currently away from a useable computer but I'll dump feedback on you when I can play it
My above post explains everything about everything.

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Offline Impossible343

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #49 on: August 25, 2015, 07:54:14 AM »
will there be an option to have more than 2 robots in the arena at once?
Sometimes this game is on crack.
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Offline Jules

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #50 on: August 25, 2015, 11:21:53 AM »
Hmm... That's strange. I'm actually running on a 64 bit machine. Are you actually getting to the screen that asks for your resolution or no?
EDIT - I read that wrong. Sorry. That could be it actually. I was having an issue with a plug-in running on 86x.

I should be able to post an identical web player version of the build today anyways.

Yes, there will definitely be support for more than 1 v 1. The issue right now is most non-gaming-keyboards only accept like 3 keys input at once or whatever, so until I've got AI up and running that's kind of on the back burner.

I also plan on whipping up controller support just how it works in RA2 (which I used to have a lot of fun with)
I'd move that up on my to do list if anyone was hoping to use it to play local MP.

Offline Jules

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #51 on: August 25, 2015, 04:28:01 PM »
https://docs.google.com/uc?authuser=0&id=0B7sbSbDkL4j9cVBNRk03NFI5Z2M&export=download

I actually switched my focus today to work on the in game editor.
I made a lot of progress and already have the ability to save bots and then load them into fights. I also ran into a big speedbump so it's not ready to be played around with yet.

For this build all I have done is allowed for the robots to be picked and fixed the flippers springyness on it's default position (not it's fired position yet)
I'm waiting to tweak the numbers on durability etc. because what I really need to do is overhaul how damage is calculated.

Avalanche, I built this as 86x so it should work if that was the issue. If not, I will post it somewhere to be played in browser.

Offline Avalanche

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #52 on: August 25, 2015, 04:42:43 PM »
https://docs.google.com/uc?authuser=0&id=0B7sbSbDkL4j9cVBNRk03NFI5Z2M&export=download

I actually switched my focus today to work on the in game editor.
I made a lot of progress and already have the ability to save bots and then load them into fights. I also ran into a big speedbump so it's not ready to be played around with yet.

For this build all I have done is allowed for the robots to be picked and fixed the flippers springyness on it's default position (not it's fired position yet)
I'm waiting to tweak the numbers on durability etc. because what I really need to do is overhaul how damage is calculated.

Avalanche, I built this as 86x so it should work if that was the issue. If not, I will post it somewhere to be played in browser.
Pretty sure my terrible laptop atm doesnt have program files of 64x or 86x , so probs that means i cant run it.
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Offline Sage

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #53 on: November 01, 2015, 08:31:29 AM »
Just found this..

Did a match or two. You put a lot of work into this, it is really cool!
You got my vote for RA2 Wizard. Always and forever.

Offline Jules

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #54 on: November 08, 2015, 05:20:13 PM »
Just found this..

Did a match or two. You put a lot of work into this, it is really cool!

Thanks. I haven't done much work on it for the past few months, but I definitely plan on returning to the game over winter break.

I don't even have any room to hook up my desktop in my dorm :/

Either way, I've hit a road block in the robot saving department.

There's a 20$ plug in I may buy that should do the trick and allow the user to easily save robots to a file, but I dont want to dish out the money unless a few people are interested in the game.

Offline Sic

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #55 on: November 26, 2015, 11:15:35 AM »
Just found this..

Did a match or two. You put a lot of work into this, it is really cool!

Thanks. I haven't done much work on it for the past few months, but I definitely plan on returning to the game over winter break.

I don't even have any room to hook up my desktop in my dorm :/

Either way, I've hit a road block in the robot saving department.

There's a 20$ plug in I may buy that should do the trick and allow the user to easily save robots to a file, but I dont want to dish out the money unless a few people are interested in the game.
Just save your required info into a comma/newline separated .txt file and parse through it when you want to load. If done correctly you can build just about anything at runtime.
You can also use the System.Xml namespace to build up your hierachy into an XML format, which is easy to read.
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Offline toAst

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #56 on: January 02, 2016, 12:27:59 PM »
have you considered asking some of the guys at arc if you could use some of their models for bots because a few of them are downright nasty
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Offline Badnik96

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #57 on: January 04, 2016, 12:03:59 AM »
Is Jules even still working on this?

also toast come back to arc man we miss you

Offline Jules

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #58 on: March 14, 2017, 04:47:18 PM »
Short answer - I haven't really been working on this because I've been busy with school.

Long answer - No, but that isn't a terrible thing because I'm a computer science and game design student. I do plan on making a full fledged robot combat game eventually, but I don't know when I'll have the time to put tons of time into it - especially considering I am working on it alone,

Yesterday and today I've started from scratch to redo some systems.

Yesterday I made a system that allows robots to be saved and loaded from a text file (along with user set parameters - like burst motor angles and key bindings) I plan on working on this more over the next few days, and should have a full bot-builder complete that I could post if you guys wanted to try it out.

Today I'm working on tweaking the physics to avoid the problems that I and many others have faced while trying to create a game like this.

Right now I'm working on the wheels by implementing a system similar to what was in RA2, but avoiding the quirks and weirdness that was seen in it.

Because of the weirdness that occurs with spinning objects and torque, etc that happens in Unity it's not as simple as using a spinning joint - especially with large mass differences between the chassis and the wheels.

Here's an example of a robot with a chassis of around 110 kg and wheels of about 1 kg each.
The bricks are 3kg each and the big yellow box is 200 kg
(It's a big file. It may take some time to load)

http://i.imgur.com/rdHp0nK.gifv

Offline Badnik96

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Re: Robot Combat prototype in progress
« Reply #59 on: March 14, 2017, 07:34:01 PM »
i really hope you aren't planning on keeping burst motors for the final game, they're probably the least realistic part of ra2

other than that it looks great