- Jan 21, 2021
- 17
- 3
(EDIT: ) NOTE: This technique works in the base game (so no mods).
Some time ago, I published a guide to making TF2 nav meshes on GitHub. (In retrospect, I wish I published it on Codeberg, Gitea, or Forgefriends; GitHub is proprietary.)
A technique I listed in that guide is airstrafe paths; a path of nav areas that trick a bot into airstrafing. However I want to better elaborate on airstrafing in the nav mesh (and how to get bots to airstrafe).
Bots travel through navigation areas (shortened to 'nav area'), regardless if the bots are grounded. (Bots will still attempt to move, when in the air, if they are still on a nav area.)
I will illustrate this concept through an example.
Imagine a map where there is a navigation area above the ground; there is a bot under the nav area.
The bot will not attempt to move, despite being able to walk.
However, if the bot is on the navigation area:
The Bot will attempt to move (and turn), despite being inable to actually move in a grounded manner.
P.S If you are worried that I am lying, or want to test this concept out, I have made a nav mesh that incorporates groundless nav areas: pl_vigil_rc7.nav. The airless nav areas are located at BLU spawn. (I probably should have included a video; but I was too lazy to do so.)
Trick the bot into utilizing the groundless nav areas to get to, for instance, the patio. (bot_moveto does not work; so you will have to use an `item_teamflag` entity to get bots to move to a specific location.)
NOTE: Nav areas in the air will still work in the same manner as regular nav areas. (They can be connected and biconnected, they can be marked with attributes.)
Some time ago, I published a guide to making TF2 nav meshes on GitHub. (In retrospect, I wish I published it on Codeberg, Gitea, or Forgefriends; GitHub is proprietary.)
A technique I listed in that guide is airstrafe paths; a path of nav areas that trick a bot into airstrafing. However I want to better elaborate on airstrafing in the nav mesh (and how to get bots to airstrafe).
"How do bots airstrafe?"
Bots travel through navigation areas (shortened to 'nav area'), regardless if the bots are grounded. (Bots will still attempt to move, when in the air, if they are still on a nav area.)
I will illustrate this concept through an example.
Imagine a map where there is a navigation area above the ground; there is a bot under the nav area.
The bot will not attempt to move, despite being able to walk.
However, if the bot is on the navigation area:
The Bot will attempt to move (and turn), despite being inable to actually move in a grounded manner.
P.S If you are worried that I am lying, or want to test this concept out, I have made a nav mesh that incorporates groundless nav areas: pl_vigil_rc7.nav. The airless nav areas are located at BLU spawn. (I probably should have included a video; but I was too lazy to do so.)
Trick the bot into utilizing the groundless nav areas to get to, for instance, the patio. (bot_moveto does not work; so you will have to use an `item_teamflag` entity to get bots to move to a specific location.)
NOTE: Nav areas in the air will still work in the same manner as regular nav areas. (They can be connected and biconnected, they can be marked with attributes.)
"So how do I get an nav area into the air?"
Nav areas can be raised or lowered throughnav_corner_raise and nav_corner_lower. (Nav areas can be horizontally shifted through nav_shift, and nav_begin_shift_xy then nav_end_shift_xy.Tips
- Mark an area with the
CROUCHattribute to make bots crouch in the air. - Utilize the
PRECISEattribute to prevent bots from skipping nav areas. (Like on the nav area that initiates the airstrafe to prevent the bot from attempting to skip the airstrafe.)
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