Automod - Hostbots choosing the game mode

[Exodus]

Hi guys,

I came accross this problem, because I also wanted implement this into my Battle Tanks map (and I already did it). I don't know if you heard anything about this, but there always has been the problem, that host bots can't choose a game mode for the host, even if the game modes are entered via text messages (e.g. -ar, -ap or whatever). A solution to this problem has now been developed.

The host bots can now encode the game mode via player handicaps. For each player (or computer player) in the game, you can encode one letter or number. The map makers only need to import a small chunk of code into their map and they are able to read out this code.

This is especially handy, when a host bot hosts league games for example, this way you can make sure, that everyone is playing the same game mode.

Further information can be found there: http://forum.codelain.com/index.php?PHPSES...amp;topic=644.0

Of course, there has to be some kind of arrangement between host bots and the map itself, so the bots encode a mode, the map is able to understand. But it's pretty easy to implement. Maybe this is useful for you guys.

[Kaini]

The general idea is nice.

But, I quote:

There is a limit of 1 character per player (empty slots don't count, but computers do), and the characters are limited to the set "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789 -=,.". So don't expect someone to be entering long strings this way. Make the automated modes as short as they need to be. To read the mode entered by the bot, just call HCL_GetCommandString(). If it returns the empty string, there was no mode entered.

Element TD Modes are quite complex. There are 5 difficulties per player. Random, non random or samrandom. Chaosmode, extreme, super weapons and so on. I am not sure if there is enought space.

Indeed we could define some standard modes and encode them in the handicap.

[Exodus]

Well, since Element TD has 4 computer players and there should be at least one player in the game, you have 5 characters to encode your mode, which is already a lot to work with. You could also use bit codes. For example: 1 is pick, 2 is all random, 4 is same random, 8 is very easy, 16 is easy, 32 is normal, etc. ... and then add these numbers. With 5 digits you can save 16 pieces of information this way ... if I'm not mistaken. You just have to be creative