Enemy AI needs better documentation. (research thread)

[JLukas]

AI page updated.  More info on stat related commands.  jsondag, Action 15 will need to be changed from a 22 byte command to 16 bytes.

[JLukas]

..and another update on the enemy stats.  Action 16 is used only once:  Lavos Core right bit, which modifies its own Def., Magic Def., and another stat, then revives the other 2 bits.

[Agent 12]

Phew,

Lots of changes made to the AI editor.  All of them are labeling newly found commands, nothing fancy.


Currently you have to set stats the old fashioned way but I'll add a better UI for it soon however I'd like to run through the process publicly.   It looks like there is 23 bytes for stats with HP having 2 bytes, that means the final UI is hopefully going to have a drop down with 22 values in it.

I'll be able to get the index of the drop down however I eventually need to put the final value....would it be this:

finalValue = IndexOfDropDown +  (enemyIndex*23) ?

--JP

[Zakyrus]

For some reason the newest version of this crashes on load on WindowsXP 64-bit. However, the version before that worked. I'm so going back to 32-bit Windows. 

Edit:
Never mind, I just think the version of .NET is retarded and one of the compiled libraries disagrees with the Editor.

[Zakyrus]

Sorry to double post...

Nevermind, I know what happened.
I moved the AIEditor to a different directory but not the aiInfo.txt.

Somedays I feel like a genius, other days like a retard.

I have figured out the AIEditor somewhat and have a basic tutorial: Here.

By the way, is anyone making a list of what the enemy techs are for the Tech Command yet?
If not, I'm going to finish this list of all 255 techs. Someone had to do it sooner or later...
I'm going to assume that there aren't really 255 and many are probably bunk. Though if one were so inclined,
they could take the bunk techs and make new ones - who knows what possibilies lie there?

I just randomly picked some techs to try and started down the lists.

Below are the techs for the AIEditor with their Tech Command number and Name.
Name is something I came up with unless I knew the names, I tried to describe them as best as possible.
Unknown Techs are listed with ????? followed by a brief description in parenthesis.


Tech   Name
----   ----

70 - Ogan's Hammer Burned Away
71 - ????? (2nd Party Member gets possesed and replaces Enemy)
72 - Dalton/Golem "Blurp!" Wave Attack
73 - "Hear ye, hear ye!" (Goon's Vorpal Wind Attack)
74 - "Take this!" (Dalton's Spiky-throw attack)
75 - Sand Cyclone
76 - Self-Destruct (Red shockwave w/ explosions on PCs)
77 - ????? (Toxic Cloud Breath - maybe random poison or no?)
78 - ????? (Invisibility for remainder of battle)
79 - Dalton's "Go! GolemBoss...?"
7A - Lavos "Active Life"
7B - ????? (3rd Party Member gets possesed for a second?)
7C - ????? (3rd Party Member gets possesed, freezes battle?)
7D - ????? (3rd Party Member gets possesed and replaces Enemy)
7E - Self Healing (didn't check for multiple enemies)
7F - ????? (Instant Enemy Death)
80 - Dalton/Golem's Quad Orb Attack
81 - "Teleports a Rock!"
82 - "Teleports a Rock!"
83 - Pink Beam Expands, then damages
84 - ????? Dark Purple Waves Hit PC
85 - ????? Enemy dissapears & gives 0 MP to a Party Member
86 - ????? Enemy moves to Party Member and freezes game
87 - ????? Same as 86
88 - ????? (4 orbs fly from enemy and hit PC)

99 - Lavos EvilStar Attack (Blood Moon)
9B - Lavos Grand Stone / Ultimate Phys. Attack
9D - Fire2

A9 - Flare
AD - Roulette Shuffle

EF - Gato's Sing Attack (Chaos)
F0 - Lavos Spawn Needle
F1 - Laser Beam (from Buggers?)
F2 - Byte's Rocket Attack
F3 - ????? (Circle of Black hits PC)
F4 - ????? (Line of red hits PC)
F5 - "Realeases Electrocution Energy!"
F6 - Crater/Volcano's Eruption Type Attack
F7 - Crimson Rain Attack
F8 - Crimson Rain Attack
F9 - "The Drop!" / HP down by 1/2!
FA - Slash's Fire-burst attack
FB - Water Rise (Black Omen Lavos Spawn)
FC - Dalton/Golem's Quad Orb Attack
FD - Azala's Telekinesis Attack
FE - (4 orbs fly from enemy and hit PC, diff than FC) ????
FF - Selects a random PC that blinks (Appears to be nothing)

If anyone else is making this list, speak now or forever hold your peace as I'll probably finish it in a day or two. (Upon doing so I will update this post, so check back jsondag if you need this info for the AIEdior)

[Agent 12]

Just make sure it's not this list:

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Attacks.html

And we should be fine

Excellent work Zakyrus  I'm glad to see my editor going to use

--JP

[Zakyrus]

Thanks. Yeah, this thing rules! So many new enemies will be added in CT+ because of this. I'm going to work on a very angry Azala Phantom type monster that will lurk around in the Giant's Claw after the Rainbow Shell is removed. Ha ha ha!

I'm glad I didn't do the whole list, he he. I would have felt really dumb then.

[Agent 12]

Well there's no excuse for me not to use that list to make the optiosn more than just random number

You sent me a PM once about how it's scary when you first start (like OW editing) do you think there's anything I can do to make the initial impact less imposing?  Also once you got going did you find it easier to use?

--JP

[Zakyrus]

Well there's no excuse for me not to use that list to make the optiosn more than just random number

You sent me a PM once about how it's scary when you first start (like OW editing) do you think there's anything I can do to make the initial impact less imposing?  Also once you got going did you find it easier to use?

--JP

That's a tough one.  I simply started looking at other enemies and saw how they functioned. For instance, if you want parts from a Megasaur code look at a Megasaur if you want Nu look at a Nu and copy the parts you want. The daunting thing is enemies like Magus, Lavos, or the Spekkio forms the Multi-function bytes thing really throw me off (for now).

Once you get the basics down, it's pretty simple. The only thing that threw me off is the Separator lines, it took me a little while to figure out the top was the attacking actions and the bottom is for checking when hit/counter attack actions. I guess it would've helped if I read some documentation rather than just attacking the editor without prior knowledge -- then again, I've always been like that with nearly anything. When I was a kid (still am in my head), I would buy a game and throw it in without reading the instructions.

[Agent 12]

Yea,

I should probably put a help and just redirect them to the Enemy AI page.  It's very simple and thorough thanks to JLukas contributions.

--JP

[Zakyrus]

Here's some misc findings...

Techs
Tech32 - 05,17,00 variant2 = Winged Ape throws PC

7F - Instantly win battle? -- This is used by Ozzie on Zenan Bridge)


For Enemy Tech
MultiPurpose
Unknown_Byte_2 = Target: 03 is Self, 06 is Party Members

(I'm almost certain on this one)
Action_SpecialMultiStatSet
Unknown_Byte_1 = Enemy Tech to use
Unknown_Byte_2 = (for targeting)

[Zakyrus]

http://jpsondag.com/CE/AI/

I cry a thousand gods of sorrow... this link does not work,
does anybody have this still?

~Z

[Zakyrus]

Double post.

Never mind I managed to find it in my tools.

I will upload a list of these later... 👍

~Z