Robots

LazerManeLazerMane Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2135Members, Constellation
in NS General Discussion
<div class="IPBDescription">The Bot Problem</div> I am going to shoot whoever made the bots for NS.

The idea that most server operators seem to have now a days is, "Huh, if I put tons of idle bots into the server, then people will think that other people are playing and will join because no one likes an empty server."

Instead, all this does is make it so that I have to hunt down the connection times for the people in the server and make sure that all of them aren't 114h36m15s

No one likes playing with bots. They're soulless, stupid (quite literally), and are an annoyance.

Why is this fad being perpetuated with operators that want to bolster the playercount in their servers?
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Comments

  • obuhobuh Not Quite Smart at NS Join Date: 2003-03-31 Member: 15072Members, Constellation
    Yeah bots are annoying and shouldn't be used for online servers.

    If you want to avoid servers with bots you can use this indicator

    <img src='http://www.eif.ch/~wylerd04/ns/images/bots.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

    by right-clicking on the top bar of the steam server browser.
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  • LazerManeLazerMane Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2135Members, Constellation
    I've never seen this function before, and Right-Clicking does not conjure up anything on the server window for me.
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  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    I wouldnt mind if the bots were anygood, but man they suck bigstyle
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  • LazerManeLazerMane Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2135Members, Constellation
    Exactly. For those that do mind them, they're an annoyance, to those who don't, they suck in the first place and are hardly worth the time or bullets used to dispatch them.
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    A Whichbot blinking fade will PWN you guaranteed.

    LazerMane, try out the <a href='http://nssb.psix.info/en/home/main/' target='_blank'>NSSB, or Natural Selection Server Browser</a>, a web based server browser that shows EVERYTHING about a server. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • DreyaDreya Join Date: 2004-08-25 Member: 30896Members
    You know, I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say that the people with bots on their servers <i>aren't</i> the same as those that run a plugin that artificially fills their readyroom with unmoving players that have the same name as some of those who've played on their server before. I was under the impression that they have bots on their servers to make it so that one player isn't running around in circles and waiting for someone to jump in so that they actually play a game. Whichbots aren't that difficult if you play well, I admit, but they're far better than having to seed a server alone. They're useful as tools for people who want to improve their aim by hitting a target with peculiar movement or for people who don't want to be dead bored while they try to get their server up for a game one night. Because servers aren't magically filled every hour of every day, people have to care enough about the community to get them started up. It's used because most servers are empty, and playing with a bot is better than staring at textures.
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  • Router_BoxRouter_Box Join Date: 2004-09-07 Member: 31483Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    edited July 2005
    Servers that are really worth playing on populate themselves, and don't need bots. If you make your server a decent place to play people will come. There are many servers i don't go to because every time (or often when) i've ever checked or connected to them they had bots of some sort. So now when i open my server windows I know for the most part by names which servers are total garbage, which are blockscripts, and which are good.
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  • Renegade.Renegade. Join Date: 2003-01-15 Member: 12313Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-LazerMane+Jul 21 2005, 06:20 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (LazerMane @ Jul 21 2005, 06:20 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I've never seen this function before, and Right-Clicking does not conjure up anything on the server window for me. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    right click on the server browser's *header* tabs (i.e. "Server Name").
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  • FaskaliaFaskalia Wechsellichtzeichenanlage Join Date: 2004-09-12 Member: 31651Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-R e n e g a d e+Jul 21 2005, 09:37 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (R e n e g a d e @ Jul 21 2005, 09:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-LazerMane+Jul 21 2005, 06:20 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (LazerMane @ Jul 21 2005, 06:20 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I've never seen this function before, and Right-Clicking does not conjure up anything on the server window for me. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    right click on the server browser's *header* tabs (i.e. "Server Name"). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Most usefull thing said on this board in a long time.
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  • LazerManeLazerMane Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2135Members, Constellation
    Ah, that IS useful.
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  • DragonMechDragonMech Join Date: 2003-09-19 Member: 21023Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    Or, right-click the server and bring up the information on it. Bots will usually have been on the server for the same time, so you'll have 6 "people" who have been connected for 8hrs22min, etc.
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  • DreyaDreya Join Date: 2004-08-25 Member: 30896Members
    So you're saying that there's never a ten minute period where someone's hopping around a server and waiting for it to fill itself and it just happens spontaneously, with all the regular players just gathering there? That really contradicts what I've seen everywhere but the NSArmslab servers, which seem to have a neverending slew of players. I do agree with you though, almost wholeheartedly. Worthwhile servers do appeal to their playerbase to the point where they'll come on and more will come along.

    But if someone were to start a server up, without that playerbase, you'd expect them to sit around alone in the server and wait for people when there's an easy alternative so that whoever feels like seeding the server gets to have some fun? A server that I frequent pretty much died when the community running it added a second server. It didn't help that people would have to wait twenty minutes or so for another soul to come along before they can get a game going because there wasn't anyone, bot or human, to play.

    What it comes down to is attracting the serverless player. They are the people who eventually become regulars and enjoy the server. However, how many serverless players will play in a one on one game when there's a server with thirteen people? It's a matter of attracting people so that the server can get to the point where you can have those fun games. And bots help bridge that by having some sort of game while the human element shows up.

    Some players, obviously, will wait until there's a game going, and I hold nothing against them. They may be short on time, fed up with waiting for a good game, or just don't care for the job of seeding a server. However, people who want to take the time to seed a server and develop that community that attracts the above players have a much easier job of it if they aren't sitting around in the server alone or in a one on one.

    Those servers that are really worth playing on had to come from somewhere, and bots make that process a whole lot easier.
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  • urinalcakeurinalcake Can&#39;t work a sound card United States Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7799Members
    What are bots?
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  • DragonMechDragonMech Join Date: 2003-09-19 Member: 21023Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--QuoteBegin-urinalcake+Jul 21 2005, 09:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (urinalcake @ Jul 21 2005, 09:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> What are bots? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    You're joking... right? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Bots are AI players...
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  • ScoutBZScoutBZ Join Date: 2005-04-02 Member: 47336Members
    hmmm Tope and I like to play with alien bots just to laugh at the stuff the fades do.
    there so inhuman with blink its a show to watch, tho from the coders perspective its more like "meh at least i got them to work in some bastardized way"

    Last time i saw a bot commander, it would end uprelocating everytime i called for orders at an RT... It did drop the RT tho.

    tbh if the fade doesnt get stuck on your head u gona get raped
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  • SwiftspearSwiftspear Custim tital Join Date: 2003-10-29 Member: 22097Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-urinalcake+Jul 21 2005, 10:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (urinalcake @ Jul 21 2005, 10:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> What are bots? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    It's when your grandma and her friends play the game. Go to granny!
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  • dhakbardhakbar Join Date: 2004-08-01 Member: 30305Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-urinalcake+Jul 21 2005, 10:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (urinalcake @ Jul 21 2005, 10:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> What are bots? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    A terrible annoyance when used with online servers.
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  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    They ever fix Whichbot v1.0 to work right with 3.05?
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  • LazerManeLazerMane Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2135Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Depot+Jul 31 2005, 06:37 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Depot @ Jul 31 2005, 06:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> They ever fix Whichbot v1.0 to work right with 3.05? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    God, I hope not.
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  • urinalcakeurinalcake Can&#39;t work a sound card United States Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7799Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-DragonMech+Jul 21 2005, 10:54 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (DragonMech @ Jul 21 2005, 10:54 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-urinalcake+Jul 21 2005, 09:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (urinalcake @ Jul 21 2005, 09:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> What are bots? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    You're joking... right? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Bots are AI players... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I know what bots are. Tis a joke Dragon.
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  • DragonMechDragonMech Join Date: 2003-09-19 Member: 21023Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--QuoteBegin-urinalcake+Aug 2 2005, 07:35 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (urinalcake @ Aug 2 2005, 07:35 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I know what bots are. Tis a joke Dragon. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Oh, good. I don't have to worry about you winning a darwin award anytime soon. ^_^
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  • ModChaosControlModChaosControl HiveMind NS bot creator Join Date: 2004-03-31 Member: 27613Members
    Bots (well, my bots at least) were intended to have someone to play when your internet connection spontaniously dies. It's the server op's (ie: Depot) decision to put them on or not. At least they actually play NS, instead of annoying FakeFull bots.
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  • ZaggyZaggy NullPointerException The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-12-10 Member: 24214Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Onos, Subnautica Playtester
    To help in times "The Plug" get's pulled.

    Or when you run out of singleplayer games/music/movies/pron.
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  • cubeboy3cubeboy3 Join Date: 2005-07-29 Member: 57082Members
    Or when you want to learn general comm controls, but don't want people breathing down your neck because you're a newbie...
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  • Fatal_ErrorFatal_Error Join Date: 2005-01-15 Member: 35840Members
    ^
    THANK JOO.
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  • stallioNstallioN Join Date: 2005-06-21 Member: 54363Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Depot+Jul 21 2005, 07:14 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Depot @ Jul 21 2005, 07:14 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> A Whichbot blinking fade will PWN you guaranteed.

    LazerMane, try out the <a href='http://nssb.psix.info/en/home/main/' target='_blank'>NSSB, or Natural Selection Server Browser</a>, a web based server browser that shows EVERYTHING about a server. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Problem is the skulks suck so hard they'll never even get to fade.
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  • SwiftSwift Lost Keys Join Date: 2005-02-19 Member: 41683Members, Constellation
    <a href='http://img344.imageshack.us/my.php?image=untitled6lj.jpg' target='_blank'><img src='http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/1230/untitled6lj.th.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /></a>

    Just to clarify.
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  • DroneFraggerDroneFragger Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34101Members
    OMG IT LOOKS LIKE TH STEAM CLIENT!
    MY EYES!!! THEY BURNNNN!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!
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