Bay 12 Games Forum

It's a prototype/proof of concept for the combat simulator I'm working on. For testing and to get feedback mainly.

The final goal is to create something as realistic and engaging as the DF combat system, but in real time and 3D.

Coding is pretty much just me, but I'm working with a 3D artist who's done various work. There's also a collection of people who have been very involved with the early design processes. There's also a potential candidate for a second developer who I'm working with at the moment.

So it's a small "we", but certainly not an "I".

You can get it here: Link

I recently released an AI testbed Here, this is the combat equivalent.

It's just the basics at the moment, but there's some fun to be had in the multiplayer.

That certainly used to be true before Unity, and to a lesser extent other engines, changed it. Of course for the full game we're going to need at least one full time 3D artist, but that's post kickstarter. Right now I'm just putting a bit of money into buying from the asset store to give us the 3D art we need. We do have one part time 3D artist to do the few little bits we need custom made before the big KS release.

So things like the environment, buildings, animations, and a few weapons, are all bought assets. We have one custom sword at the moment, with a complete new human model in progress, with a similar werewolf model coming after that. Beyond those we just need a couple smaller bits, like a musket bayonet and we should be sorted for KS. After that we'll be able to bring on at least one experienced full time 3D artist to build what we'll need for the full game.

The main features of HM are all code based, basically the combat engine, event viewer, AI, etc. That's why we have two full time coders to one part time 3D artist.

Which scenarios are you referring too?

The AI at the moment is only considering the pure hunting case, although the architecture would support several others without heavy modification. The prototype build will only be the hunting scenario, additional ones will come in as development continues. If we need to then we'll probably implement a hybrid AI system, using the current Multi-Agent System idea in combination with more traditional methods.

Adapting to individual tactics is something we really want to add in future, that's going to have to wait a while though. Also, there's huge potential, and few obstacles, to training the AI on a wider scale. If it can learn from one person, then if you add a little internet access you can learn from thousands.

Typo fixed, good spot.

You can get it here: Link

I've been working on this for ages, and the larger game for over a year now. Mostly completely silently while we prepared. Hunter's Moon is not as far along as I feel it should be before reveal, but the testbed needs exposure and so HM has to be there too. The main push of development is still to come where most of it will be completelt overhauled. That time is only a week or so from starting.

Here's the description of the testbed:

The plan for this game was to develop a greatly simplified version of the Hunter's Moon (see website for details) hunting mechanics that didn't depend on any of the main game features, and that put the focus on the AI.

The first reason for the testbed is to act as a research project for my final year of university by analysing the merits of training a complex Multi-Agent System with a Genetic Algorithm rather than doing it manually, the second reason is to aid the development of Hunter's Moon.

The data for analysis is provided by a user study at the end of each play-through of the game.

The game will randomly pick an AI configuration at the start of each game (either manually tuned, or computer tuned), that adjusts the behaviour of the wolves. Both attempt to maximise the fun of the game.

After this project is concluded more AI development will be done to make it do everything HM requires and to flesh it out, but the basic foundation is here.


Details on the big game, Hunter's Moon, can be found here: Link

It's based on this ancient DF mod idea: Here


Feedback and survey responses are very much appreciated.

I have all the old files for this still in my dropbox I think if anyone wants to pick it back up. My intention was to work on this again when I came back to my other mod after the new version. Unfortunately plans change but I would be glad to offer any assistance required to someone else to work on this instead.

There is so much missing from the current version, it's pretty much unplayable outside of the arena.

Think of it as a preview for the one I will be creating when the next DF version is out.

Tools were probably missing because the last update was in 2011, according to the changelog.

A KSP avatar? It wasn't put up there using Payloader was it?