I was browsing the archive and suddenly...

Sry for bringing back this amazing thread, but I couldn't resist, I just love playing around with the GIP and other JJ2 bots
I don't know the status of this in your thoughts, but here comes some things I know and some ideas...

Just a "breakpoint": Should there be joining bots that download the level, read it, moves like a normal joining client OR an external program that either using the JJ2 window as host, or a special program that emulates JJ2.
I would suggest a host of JJ2, as this would give the most realistic movements, using JJ2's engine, and it could read the J2L/J2T files.

It is possible to make a joining bot at the moment, but it can't move and will get Connection Timed Out if server is running JJ2+. I'm sure there is a way to work around this, but then there is next problem: Proper physics. As the joining bot not have access to the sourcecode or a JJ2 window, this would be hard, to replicate the JJ2 movement engine.

And now, as the J2L and J2T file formats knowledge are increasing. Reading the level's mask, layer 3 (for hidden spots), all events and their parameters, and using the JJ2 as host, would make everything at least a little bit simpler.
Reading memory addresses is needed to locate ammo, players, carrots and other things.
But there is still much to do to make a bot actually act as a bot, and maybe the "copy player movements" plus some random decisions will make the bot more "alive", and somewhere to store all the data needed by the bot (".j2ai" files?). The bot maybe should run the level with different trigger states, destruct/stomp/collaps-scenery and/or find the most common paths, like a heatmap, and store it. It would also store the level's CRC so it can see if level hs been changed since the bot "learned" it.

Another good thing that FQuist stated was warping around the level checking mask and movement. Now the mask can be fetched from the J2L+J2T, then maybe just warp around and try different moves, and where they lead, and shoot and see where it hits. This maybe will lead to infinitive combinations.


I would be glad to hear your oppinion!