Legacy:Mind Reader

This is a UT mutator. In UT200x you can use the ShowDebug console command while spectating a bot to see the bot's goals.

Description

Ever wonder why bots do what they do? Especially when you think they should be doing something else? This mutator will allow you to explore the inner workings of a bot's mind. This mutator lets you discover things like, are they picking the right spots to defend? Why do they go there? How are my paths working?

The best way to use this mutator is as a spectator, otherwise you'll be too busy shooting to make use of it. You can use it in the regular flying-camera mode, or by switching to spy on individual bots. If you do the flying-camera thing, then you'll get data on whatever bot you're looking at, as an extension of the player name that always pops up when you look at someone.

The Mindreader Mutator can be used to diagnose pathnoding problems with BOTs. The following information is displayed on the viewing screen, in game, when the Mindreader Mutator is selected before loading a level:

• State Every object in UnrealScript has states; bots have states like Fallback, Retreat, Falling, and Dying.
• Move Target This is usually the nearest pathnode that the bot is moving towards, and it can also be an item that the bot is about to pick up.
• Enemy Whoever the bot's designated target is.
• Orders Defending, Attacking, Following, etc.
• Real Orders The actual orders that have been given to a bot. This can sometimes be different from it's working orders. For example, if it's told to defend, but there's nothing to defend, it may decide to do something else for the time being.
• Order Object The thing or player the bot was told to defend, or follow, or whatever.
• Goal This text string is updated sporadically as a general indicator of what the bot is doing. It often becomes obsolete long before it gets updated, but it still can be useful.

Also, other indications of potential BOT navigation are given, as follows:

• Red crosshairs Enemy
• Green box Order Object - Remember this could be a player or it could be a thing.
• Blue box Move Target - This is usually a pathnode, which you otherwise can't see. It may also be an item that the bot wants to pick up, or the player that the bot is following.
• Blue cross Destination - The location that the bot is trying to reach. Usually the location of the Move Target, unless the bot is doing Evasive/Tactical maneuvers.
• Yellow boxes Route Cache - The pathnodes that make up the route that the bot is following.

Link to the Mind Reader Mutator

Mindreader Mutator, Version 1.1

Discussion

Uncommon: I do plan to eventually make a UT2003/2004 version of this. The ShowDebug command does give you the same info, but it also hides the HUD and fills the screen with lots of other stuff you (or at least I) don't normally need to know. I think it would also be good if the path wasn't obscured by map geometry.