Blog #7--Computer Players

Did you know that you can have computer-controlled players by adding a computer to the lobby? It says so in the information screen for the game, yet I've had people adamantly argue with me in game lobbies (this has really happened multiple times) that computers aren't supported!

They are, and here's how they work.

The AI is as simple as you could make it. They follow only a couple rules:

1. If it has a dodgeball, throw it at a random enemy (if they can throw it via ability, they will). There is a 25% of a lob.
2. If it does not have a dodgeball, walk to the nearest dodgeball.
3. Randomly use abilities.
4. If ever idle, move to a random point on their side of the field.

That's pretty much it. It's actually a little more complicated than that, as throwing and using abilities can be interrupted with move commands, but these are the basic rules.

With this all in mind, you can develop a very solid computer-killing technique. If one is heading to pick up a dodgeball, you can easily hit it by assuming it will continue moving towards the nearest dodgeball.

Because computers are easy to take advantage of, killing computers aren't factored into your rank like killing humans are. (I'll go more into rank in a different article.)

One of my favorite game modes is to play with a single friend in a 4v4, both of us on the same team. We both proceed to try and out-score the other in kills, competitively sabotaging eachother in the process when the opportunity arises.

So the next time someone tells you that computer players aren't supported, you can spit in their faces!

rut