I want to add computer players to a game after it starts. Or, as an alternative, hide computer players from the game lobby. These computers need to be something you can spectate as an observer or in replays, and it seems neutral and hostile computer players don't allow that.
Has anyone dealt with this before? Have any ideas?
What I want is for players to not see them in the lobby. I need them to be there...but I don't want people to see them because they will just confuse people.
Why do they need to be registered as computers? You can use a player number in triggers even if that player is not assigned a slot in the lobby. To my knowledge, the only things which wouldn't work are AI triggers and the player group presets.
I think he wants to have computer players without cluttering the lobby. You can't hide them i just spent an hour trying. maybe blizzard will add that feature in the future.
If what you want is computer players but not have them in the lobby then BasharTeg has mentioned how it's possible. I don't agree that AI triggers wouldn't work but it's as easy as checking the player numbers and some other variable to prove they are computers. These checks are used before you run the AI.
Okay, I thought that the AI stuff only worked with players flagged as computers before the game starts. Player groups would be an easy work-around... you would just have to assign a new variable to throw the computer players into.
My goal is to have no computer players in the lobby, but four computer players in the game which can be spectated via the normal observer interface and in replays. I don't need the ai to do anything, I don't even need them to exist except as camera players can switch to while observing.
But, if in player properties or game variants I set a player to 'computer' they show up in the lobby, and if I set it to 'neutral' or 'hostile' they don't show up in the lobby but they also cannot be spectated. I am wondering if there is a way to have my cake and eat it too. I have been looking at the attributes file for map files and feel like there might be something here which determines whether a player appears in the lobby, and whether it appears as able to be spectated. The editor may not allow me to have both, but I might be able to manipulate the files themselves to allow it.
That or maybe there is just a trigger which will cause a computer player to show up as something spectators can switch to. I tried the 'display in view menu flag' for neutral and hostile computers and it didn't work unfortunately.
I am working on the GameHeart overlay, and my goal is of course to gain widespread adoption by major tournament organizations. I am concerned that having computer players in the lobby will confuse them or make them nervous and turn them away from using the overlay.
I want to add computer players to a game after it starts. Or, as an alternative, hide computer players from the game lobby. These computers need to be something you can spectate as an observer or in replays, and it seems neutral and hostile computer players don't allow that.
Has anyone dealt with this before? Have any ideas?
@Trieva: Go
I don't understand what you mean by: Map -> Game Variants -> Any Player -> Remove Computer
This doesn't appear to be a way to hide computer players from the lobby...only to remove them?
Map -> Game Variants -> Any Player -> Controller -> Computer -> locked
at least i think he did. i don't know how to hide players in the lobby though.
Still alive and kicking, just busy.
My guide to the trigger editor (still a work in progress)
what my way does is lock the computer into their slots.
Still alive and kicking, just busy.
My guide to the trigger editor (still a work in progress)
What I want is for players to not see them in the lobby. I need them to be there...but I don't want people to see them because they will just confuse people.
@rtschutter: Go
Why do they need to be registered as computers? You can use a player number in triggers even if that player is not assigned a slot in the lobby. To my knowledge, the only things which wouldn't work are AI triggers and the player group presets.
I think he wants to have computer players without cluttering the lobby. You can't hide them i just spent an hour trying. maybe blizzard will add that feature in the future.
Still alive and kicking, just busy.
My guide to the trigger editor (still a work in progress)
Damn. Yeah they have to be actual players in the game because it's the only way you can spectate them in replays.
Okay, I thought that the AI stuff only worked with players flagged as computers before the game starts. Player groups would be an easy work-around... you would just have to assign a new variable to throw the computer players into.
@Trieva: Go
My goal is to have no computer players in the lobby, but four computer players in the game which can be spectated via the normal observer interface and in replays. I don't need the ai to do anything, I don't even need them to exist except as camera players can switch to while observing.
But, if in player properties or game variants I set a player to 'computer' they show up in the lobby, and if I set it to 'neutral' or 'hostile' they don't show up in the lobby but they also cannot be spectated. I am wondering if there is a way to have my cake and eat it too. I have been looking at the attributes file for map files and feel like there might be something here which determines whether a player appears in the lobby, and whether it appears as able to be spectated. The editor may not allow me to have both, but I might be able to manipulate the files themselves to allow it.
That or maybe there is just a trigger which will cause a computer player to show up as something spectators can switch to. I tried the 'display in view menu flag' for neutral and hostile computers and it didn't work unfortunately.
I am working on the GameHeart overlay, and my goal is of course to gain widespread adoption by major tournament organizations. I am concerned that having computer players in the lobby will confuse them or make them nervous and turn them away from using the overlay.
That was a really clever idea but unfortunately it did not work. The computer players do not show up as observable in replays.
@rtschutter: Go
You may have to do some scripting to make this happen, or mod the editor/replay engine. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to begin doing that :/
You might have to settle for either eliminating the alternative camera idea or adding a computer player to the lobby.