Quasi-Random Drones (EDIT: and Custom Paths)

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Postby Rose » 2010.04.20 (01:22)

Basically, it's the one thing in NED that after a year and a half, I'm still completely clueless about. What exactly is "quasi-random" and what are practical ways to use it in a map?
I wrote:Here's a question for you all (and I'll also put it in the first post so it'll be seen): Does anyone know if you can put a specific number to get a custom path with this? Because I would think if the game puts a number to specify the chosen quasi-random path, you can choose it yourself by knowing what number corresponds to whatever.
Last edited by Rose on 2010.04.21 (17:37), edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Scrivener » 2010.04.20 (02:22)

quasi-random pathing and the truly weird one-way glitches are really the only inexplicable thing left in N. although, i guess you could count out-of-map glitches.
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Postby Rose » 2010.04.21 (17:36)

Inspired, you made a lot more sense than that link XD What you're saying is pretty much the same thing that Meta and kkstrong told me on irc, so I'd say you're right.

Here's a question for you all (and I'll also put it in the first post so it'll be seen): Does anyone know if you can put a specific number to get a custom path with this? Because I would think if the game puts a number to specify the chosen quasi-random path, you can choose it yourself by knowing what number corresponds to whatever.
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Postby Rose » 2010.04.22 (00:19)

I wrote:[20:12:36] <@zmaxson> still trying to figure out quasi-random drones
[20:13:55] <@zmaxson> i'm putting one in a series of tiles that have few corners to force it one way
[20:14:09] <@zmaxson> it's looking like every couple of turns, it switches directions
[20:14:14] <@zmaxson> like it's a d path for 5 turns
[20:14:17] <@zmaxson> then switches to a
[20:14:19] <@zmaxson> and back again
[20:14:27] <@zmaxson> it's weird and i want to master it for maps
[20:15:10] <@zmaxson> i also know it's not random at all
[20:15:16] <@zmaxson> because i cut the data
[20:15:17] <@zmaxson> closed n
[20:15:20] <@zmaxson> pasted the data
[20:15:23] <@zmaxson> and it still acted the same
[20:15:39] <@zmaxson> and the code is far too short to signal a custom path
Two things I gathered from this:

1) Other people on irc should really chime in more often.
2) That link that Inspired linked to must be correct, because the code simply puts "5" as its path. So does this mean that all quasi-random drones are the same?
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Postby squibbles » 2010.04.22 (05:37)

Yeah, the path that the drones take is only pseudo-random for two reasons.

1) If it was actually random, demos would be impossible.
2) It is actually impossible for a computer to produce a random number, let alone a random pathing algorithm.

This means that while it appears random, if you can duplicate all the variables that it is based on (I have no idea what these are. It could be object placement and quantities, or tile combinations. Who knows?) it will repeat the path. Thus, as long as the map is unchanged, it will continue to be the same algorithm. It is possible that moving a single piece of gold will result in a change of path, but that is uncertain.
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Postby Yoshimo » 2010.04.23 (20:34)

Inspired wrote:

In this map there are 4 quasi-random drones (Up,down,left,right) each with their own special string.
LEFT- 6^372,252,5,0,0,2
UP-6^396,252,5,0,0,3
RIGHT-6^420,252,5,0,0,0
DOWN-6^444,252,5,0,0,1

Yeah, I don't know where I was going with that :P
Some completely random idea, but what if it has to do with the coordinates? Like, for "6^444,252,5,0,0,1" 444252 is a code that it works out into a path?
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Postby koipen » 2010.07.05 (21:08)

I figured that this could really enhance prisoner types of maps. Currently I have gotten to seven paths, but making reasonable prisoner within the rectangualr area of N, I think I could muster 12 paths atleast. The only thing is the unchanged thing - Quasirandom drone sets itself into a new path if any object is added.

Can it go wallhugging?

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Postby Rose » 2010.07.09 (15:45)

Can it go wallhugging?
As far as I know, quasi-random "randomly" determines whether each turn resembles an a-path or d-path. There is no surfacefollow.
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Postby 大見解 » 2010.07.20 (21:02)

From what it seems, when you place a quasi-random drone,
it will ALWAYS turn in the same direction when it hits a wall unobstructed on the left.
it will ALWAYS turn in the same direction when it hits a wall unobstructed on the top, bottom, and right too.

basically, my theory is that the drone has an AI that makes it turn a certain direction when facing in a certain direction, unless forced to by a corner.
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