Re: [Adonthell-devel] Started work on Waste's Edge map

[Kai Sterker]

On Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 10:53 PM, Kai Sterker <address@hidden> wrote:

> Today I have added the zones required by the path_test program, so in
> theory it is now possible to run
>
>    ./path_test -g ../.. wastesedge
>
> and press 'p' to schedule a pathfinding task for the NPC on the map.
> In practice, the path finding has some issues that I do not remember
> from my last tests. Guess it depended on wrongly calculated ground
> positions ;-).

Have just committed a fix for one class of issues, where the NPC kept
falling down because of getting too close to the edge of a staircase
or upper floor.

Another issue that troubled me at first is at least easily explained:
when the goal is located on a different floor, the path on the other
floors does not lead straight to the next staircase, but leads
somewhat in the direction of the goal. The reason is the heuristic
used, that prefers nodes closer to the goal and doesn't know or care
about the different floor levels. It didn't show that much with the
test/path data, because there the walkable paths were quite narrow.
With the Redwyne Inn map it's much more obvious. However, I don't want
to change anything about that before implementing the jump point
search algorithm. If it is still an issue afterwards, one solution
might be to recalculate the path on each floor once the transition
points between floors are identified.

More pressing, remaining issues:

* Noticed that the pathfinding can get into an endless loop while
trying to route around a part of the path that is blocked. Guess we'll
have to limit the number of times it tries before pathfinding is set
to failed and stopped.

* If the NPC makes it to the stairs from cellar to (imaginary)
stables, any path search from there fails. Need to check what's wrong
there. Could have something to do with the height level/ground
position.

* Recognizing doorways still not implemented. Haven't even tried yet,
as getting the falling down issue fixed took me longer than expected.
But it's on the list after the two points above have been addressed.

Kai

P.S.: If you run path_test with test/path data these days, you'll find
that the "stairs" I've placed are too steep with the latest collision
fixes. Will have to change those, otherwise the NPC will not manage to
climb them.