Monster or other randomization

Post by **gulliver-trans** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:53 pm

This has been brought up before: replace each current monster spawn with a random monster selection (from what is already available).

What would it take to make it happen? Or what are the chances?

JUGGERNAUT · Post by **JUGGERNAUT** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 6:59 am

i think specific entities are compiled into the BSP

the only way i could see this happening is if you got the source .map files to all the original id maps and added a new type of entity (definable in QuakeC) which would in turn call a function to randomly spawn an enemy instead of a specific monster

needless to say it would probably be a bit of work...

Post by **Orl** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:34 am

JUGGERNAUT wrote:i think specific entities are compiled into the BSP

the only way i could see this happening is if you got the source .map files to all the original id maps and added a new type of entity (definable in QuakeC) which would in turn call a function to randomly spawn an enemy instead of a specific monster

needless to say it would probably be a bit of work...

Not really

Actually, I could easily put in as many entities into any map I want to. I could put in a hundred shamblers and vores into e1m1. Plus I could also add weapons, ammo, power ups, and invisible walls. All done in the map editor. I could also take away entities just as easily.

RocketGuy · Post by **RocketGuy** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:52 pm

you don't even need a map editor

it could easly be done in quakec...

if gunter wasn't the champion of lazy

Post by **gulliver-trans** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:22 pm

What I would do is just take a monster's spawn point coordinates, and spawn a random monster there (of equivalent hull size). But remove the original monster first (if the randomizer "chooses" a different monster class).

I'm sure there would be complications, and is not as easy as it might sound. I might give it a shot coding it myself, if it would be used, though.

Gunter · Post by **Gunter** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:31 pm

RocketGuy wrote:you don't even need a map editor
it could easly be done in quakec...

if gunter wasn't the champion of lazy

*takes a bow, falls over, and sleeps*

JUGGERNAUT · Post by **JUGGERNAUT** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:08 pm

gulliver-trans wrote:What I would do is just take a monster's spawn point coordinates, and spawn a random monster there (of equivalent hull size). But remove the original monster first (if the randomizer "chooses" a different monster class).

I'm sure there would be complications, and is not as easy as it might sound. I might give it a shot coding it myself, if it would be used, though.

i suppose what you could do is simply put a call in for EACH monster spawn point (requires editing several .qc files, specifically the monster ones) so that whenever it spawns a specific monster, it randomly selects from a group of monsters or from all monsters. I'd imagine something similar is happening with brainsuckers/spawns and zombies/zombiekazies - if you notice, it seems random which zombies turn into zombiekazies and which spawns turn into brainsuckers; playing through reveals that the locations are not consistent (although certainly there is always a monster in a given spot, though not necessarily always a specific type)

obviously the easiest solution would probably be to use a map editor, or to spawn monsters after the stuff in world.qc and client.qc has been run (worldspawn etc) but then you'd have to recompile the .bsp (qbsp -> light -> vis) i'd think the most elegant, but simultaneously most difficult solution would be to do some haxery in quakec... this actually sounds interesting, probably worth making a topic over on inside3d forums about it