Ambient Civilians, Ambient Vehicles and Ambient Animals in Multiplayer

[wolffy.au 9]

I thought I'd share this with everyone - not sure if anyone has done anything like it before.

I did a recent experiment to see if BIS had finally fixed the Ambient modules in MP. To my surprise, they have and they work really well. Things that I was surprised to see were:

1. no memory leaks,
   
2. the removal of AI units after you've exited the spawn zone and
   
3. I've even seen ambient civilians drive ambient vehicles without any custom code.
   

Here are the details of how I tested it.

I placed an AI driver and set myself up as his passenger and then dropped an Ambient Civilians module, an Ambient Vehicles module and an Ambient Animals module onto the map - far south eastern road.

I then setup a number of waypoints to zigzag across Zargabad continuously.

I coded a little script that every 15 seconds measures max, average and min server FPS, max average and current number of AI units and total number of groups. I log this into the report.

You'll see the max ambient civilian AI units in Zargabad is 71. You can see the current number of civilian AI increase and decrease dynamically. This experiment has shown its now very simple to inhabit an Area of Operation effectively in multiplayer using the BIS Ambient modules.

For details of the mission and data collected, visit http://creobellum.org/node/174

[shuko 59]

This was on dedi of course?

[wolffy.au 9]

This was on dedi of course?

Sorry, should have stated that up front - yes, all testing was on a dedicated server.

[Evil_Echo 11]

Interesting!!!

[zad fnark 10]

I just happened to be trying out the ambient vehicles module last night on a mission I was working on.

I found that it was fairly generous sprinkling them everywhere.

The funny part was a giant crane sitting on top of the buildings in a town.

This was on Panthera, near the "tilted" airport in the east.

ZF-

Edited September 30, 2010 by Zad Fnark

[wolffy.au 9]

I found that it was fairly generous sprinkling them everywhere.

I agree, so I've reduced the number by a third usng this command:

BIS_silvie_mainscope setvariable ["vehicleCount","round ((sqrt %1) * 1.0)"];

Check out http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Ambient_Civilian_Vehicles for more settings.

[chiefredcloud 10]

I tried to post this on your web sight but it doesn't seem to take. But anyway, have you tried this Ambiant civilian/vehiclkes on a loaded dedicated server to see if it lags?

[wolffy.au 9]

I haven't as yet, although I have a mission ready to be tested. If I get a chance to test this weekend, I'll post here with the results.

[chiefredcloud 10]

I haven't as yet, although I have a mission ready to be tested. If I get a chance to test this weekend, I'll post here with the results.

Thanks because I like the idea your working with here and I'm haveing a tuff time selling it at my clan.

[wolffy.au 9]

Ok, I gave it a test yesterday and here are the results.

You should know first, that the Inhabited mission contains only Civilian slots. In this case, the civilians are everywhere, they're walking around, rarely they'll drive, and they often run into each other and talk - it looks great.

But, when you put guys with guns into the mix, everyone freaks out. Most hide and go prone. The number of civvies you actually see is about half to a third of what you'd see in a civilian only mission.

This has an advantage, because you might as well reduce the spawn distance and/or number of AI, because they are not going to be visible anyway.

The mission I tried yesterday worked pretty well, and using the AI count logging, I was able to ensure I maintained < 100 units at most times.

Additional changes to reduce the number of civilian AI were:

- BIS_alice_mainscope setvariable ["spawnDistance",500];

- BIS_alice_mainscope setvariable ["civilianCount","round (2 * (sqrt %1))"];

Another thing I've learnt over the last few days, if you drop an Civlian Ambulance or Repair Truck and add a Support waypoint, civilians will actually call them (on a dedicated server too) to heal and repair. Refuel doesn't work as well, but I have seen it work once - not sure why its bugged.

EDIT:

If you want to add OA motorcycles and bicycles to ambient civilian vehicles:

BIS_silvie_mainscope setvariable ["vehicleRarity",["TT650_TK_CIV_EP1",0,"Old_bike_TK_CIV_EP1",0,"Old_moto_TK_Civ_EP1",0]];

Edited October 2, 2010 by Wolffy.au

[HamishUK 0]

Does it matter that your modules are grouped? I have run the modules without grouping and they seem to run the same with no issues?

[wolffy.au 9]

Does it matter that your modules are grouped?

No, not at all. The reason I left them grouped was because I'm lazy. :) But no, grouping has no effect on them.

[chiefredcloud 10]

Do you use one ambiant group per city/area or just one period?

[wolffy.au 9]

Do you use one ambiant group per city/area or just one period?

One for the entire map. The module create a civilian group at each CityCenter location object, and spawns "DISMISSED" civilians when you are within range of the CityCentre.

The number of civilians is a formula based on the number of doorways I believe. Most of it is customisable - look at http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Ambient_Civilians and http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Ambient_Civilian_Vehicles

[chiefredcloud 10]

I went to my Chenraus (please pardon spelling) yesterday and tried to drop the Ambiant Civilian Expansion into it to populate the town just to see if Arab tyoes would work. No people or animals (tried all just once) but vehicles population worked fine.

Went back and deleted all and retried the ambiant people and vehicles only. Vehicles ok people no. And this last was with the nromal ambiant people, not arabs.

[st_dux 26]

Was the old Ambient Civilians module (the one that spawns European-type civs) fixed for MP as well, or it only the Ambient Civilians Expansion one that works?

[chiefredcloud 10]

Was the old Ambient Civilians module (the one that spawns European-type civs) fixed for MP as well, or it only the Ambient Civilians Expansion one that works?

Don't know. I just figured the new one was specifically for OA or Arabs and not Euros. I'll try again later and let you know.

[wolffy.au 9]

Make sure you give it a few minutes to initialise.

I'll give it a go on Chernarus tonight and post here what the results were.

[ufoman 0]

But there is a problem when you shoot at civilians. ALICE works fine in editor, but on dedicated server after killing one, immediately there is lag and desync grows up.

Try this yourself.

[wolffy.au 9]

I've confirmed ALICE2 does not work on Chernarus or Utes in Combined Operations.

If you use ALICE (v1), the civs spawn but don't de-spawn once you leave the area.

I'll try killing a civ tonight and see what happens, although I have run a few over and didn't notice anything.

[wolffy.au 9]

I've logged a ticket to fix ALICE2 on Utes and Chernarus. Vote for it here:

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/14252

[chiefredcloud 10]

Anyone having ties to Dec-heaven I'm having problems logging on to it and I've found no way, so far, to contact them. I have the correct information as recieved from dev on varification via email but it just will not take it.

[tromac 11]

Awesome post, thanks Wolfy.au!

[chiefredcloud 10]

To whom ever straightened out my dev-heaven account, thank you very much.:bounce3:

[gnarly_rider 0]

Nice work Wolffy, thanks for your research! She'll get a good test tonight!