Technically It not hordes. It is moving zombie respawn point. But i think it must works as hordes.
In start “hordes” walk around cities. It have target (tx,ty) and interest to target (by default-30). Every 50 turns “hordes” move to target with chance = interest percents. If player makes > 20 noice all hordes in range makes-20 sets target as noice coordinats (with some chance) and sets interest = ((noice-20)-range)*5 (max range-140). Chance to change target determined by currect horde interest, noice level and range to noice.[/quote]
It’s still a good stepping stone to a fleshed out horde system.
I have a question related to creatures finding the player:
Do creatures see you farther away at night if you have an active light source? You can see someone using a flashlight long before they are close enough to put you in to their field of light.
Yes. If use flashlight/fire in open space (field)
Also hordes may see smoke and track by traces (smeel)
i'm not sure that overmap see(point1,point2) code work correctly. I guess there is two coordinat systems. I try to code it, but i think it's not easy.
So we merged Reaper’s prototype, it’s good code, the overall behavior has good points and bad points, we can definitely work with it though.
The good:
Attracts groups of zombies to your location through noise
They take time to arrive
With resources (mostly a vehicle) you could likely lead them away from somewhere and lose them.
The bad:
It uses dynamic spawn, so once you get in range, they start popping up all around you, the exact effect we like to avoid.
It’s particularly bad if you’re doing something super noisy when they arrive, like explosives or heavy firearm use.
It’s hard to tell where the “horde” is coming from since it uses the dynamic spawn “plunk them in the direction you’re moving” mechanic.
Once members of the horde spawn, it looks like they become static, so if you just keep running away you’ll leave a trail of zombies behind you, but they will stop chasing you.
Pretty much all of the down sides can be addressed by making static zombies form into hordes when they move off the active area, that way all the zombies can migrate around. The core of Reaper’s code is going to stick around, and it gives us a great starting place.
It says that Z-hordes spawns in cities at the beginning of game. So it happens in all cities? Or only in that have had player encountered?
Second one - to have hordes in my games I have to create a completetly new world, or just move to unexplored places in old one?
Third - they attracted only by player-driven factors or some random encounter still possible?
Thanks in advance for responce. And big thanks to Reaper for implementing hordes. I hope that cumulative effort of contributors will erase listed downsides (and add some more interesting features to hordes as well.).
I think light should only attract zombies if the light source is moving OR was just turned on, that’s more in line with the typical zombie movies IMHO. Not sure how easy it is to code though.
Ideally, the horde should notice if you turn on the headlight of a random car, even if they don’t see you they should move toward it to investigate, but over time they’ll lose interest and return to wander around aimlessly. But if said light is moving (case: moving with flashlight on), naturally that will pique a greater interest.
Add hordes react to light. 30 min with flash light and after 2-3 hours zombies here. Use flashlight after end turn - safe. Forget switch off vehicle headlight to night - 100% horde in range 20 tiles (or more?) go to you. Campfire don’t test, but i think effect like flashlight. Burn spider web at night - effect like from vehicle. Burn spider web at day, then go to location night - web burns, effect similar.
Branch: https://github.com/Reaper42/Cataclysm-DDA/tree/hordes_improve
TODO:
-Check visibility of light sources on edges of map. (If use light in closed room - hordes will not react. If light in deep forest too but for weak light sources (flashlight/small campfire)
-Send signal to horde, depending on the local visibility. E.g. if player light in open window on south and horde at north - horde must not see light.
I love your horde system. Any improvements are very much welcome, as wandering hordes have been a requested feature for a long time now.
If I may make a suggestion, would it be feasible for hordes to spawn in large population centers that have not already been cleared? So that if you settle down in a place next to a city, eventually its resident zombies will come to investigate all that noise and light coming from right outside town. It would make clearing nearby towns a priority for folks who plan on settling down - or else they could make a really great fortress and wait for the inevitable zombie siege.
[quote=“Rivet, post:73, topic:5388”]I love your horde system. Any improvements are very much welcome, as wandering hordes have been a requested feature for a long time now.
If I may make a suggestion, would it be feasible for hordes to spawn in large population centers that have not already been cleared? So that if you settle down in a place next to a city, eventually its resident zombies will come to investigate all that noise and light coming from right outside town. It would make clearing nearby towns a priority for folks who plan on settling down - or else they could make a really great fortress and wait for the inevitable zombie siege.[/quote]
This is a really good idea, and it sounds really realistic and Fun.
This sounds like an excellent use for binoculars, scopes, or the (likely to be renamed shortly) Eagle Eyed trait. Black H on green background, or some other symbol?
[quote=“Fniff, post:77, topic:5388”]I think green Z on black background would make sense.
Thinking about it, some of this code could be used for NPCs. So you have people who go from place to place but stop and investigate noise/smoke/light.[/quote]
Like in NEO Scavenger… it was so fun trying to hide your fires.
