ut2004 bots in single-player mode

[corinne h]

I reinstalled UT a couple of weeks ago (you all said I would last a week, I lasted six months!) I've been playing solo mode a bit to get back into it. I would have assumed that as you step up the skill level of the in game bots, they would get more, well...skilled - like they would aim better, be more adept at dodging, maybe even be better at game tactics. What seems to happen is that above a certain level, they seem to cheat! What I seem to be seeing are such things as: bots spawn with armour, bots have higher fire rate, bots deal more damage and take less (I hit one with 5 flak balls and didnt kill it, it hit me with one and got me!), triggerbot, even rockets flying past me, then hitting me! Of course I may be imagining this and am actually crap

Looking at the game, the skill levels go up like this:

Godlike
Inhuman
Masterful
Adept
Skilled
Experienced
Average
Novice

What extra attributes to the game bots receive as they go up the skill ladder?

[Azarael]

Less aim error, greater tendency to dodge when your aim is correct, better general movement and pickup control.

Bots don't gain HP - they do have their own refire rate setting, but I believe it's capped by the weapon's base fire rate. If a rocket flies past you offline, it didn't hit.

[Shihan]

Like you, I decided to hone my skills offline before going online. I got the stage where I was winning most games at an advanced level, but Bots are always limited in their actions and get predictable. They have limited tactics and don’t always work well as a team.

Feeling fairly adept I went online and discovered that my skill set was that of a Noob (some would say it still is!). Humans are a different matter and do things the original map maker never thought of.

You don’t really learn the boundaries of UT and what you are capable of until you play online. If you play on the right server you will find plenty of people who are willing to help you develop skills, learn the tricks of the top players and discover a variety of tactics to help you/your team win.

A year ago I rarely got to see the end of an AS or RACE map, mostly getting killed in the early stages again and again. Now, I occasionally complete an objective and/or win a RACE, but I am still mostly a team support person making it easier for my team members to achieve the goals of the game. I have learned more and improved my skills through playing online and being patient.

The best tip I ever got was from my son when I first started playing UT (UT99). He recommended that I spectate a few games to see how the best players did it. This is useful for learning secret rooms, shortcuts and some tactics but nothing beats actually playing the game.

I hope to see you on the server soon.

[iZumo]

Lowest bot skill level makes them do lesser damage (or so it was in UT99).

Issues with "Godlike" bots are often machine-like reception (most notable in ICTF), usually ends up in their favour in them noticing you unnaturally (getting notified / shooting through tiny holes. On the other hand, teamplay is predictable and mechanical (can be patched by custom code behaviour).

[corinne h]

I did notice that the bots tend to follow set, predictable routes.

Playing offline, I noticed this, on the "idoma" map, I make sure I get the 50 armour pickup as soon as poss, and patrol the place where the pickup is so the bot cant get it (I'm sure there's only the 1 50x armour pickup in Idoma?) but when the bot arrives, somehow the bot has armour! Naughty.

[corinne h]

And yes shihan is right, when I got the PC with UT installed back in 07 or whenever it was, I thought I got pretty good playing offline, then when I went online, yeesh how humiliating!

[Azarael]

The respawn time on the 50s is about 27 seconds.