ALFA spawn system questions

[t-ice]

So I'm weaning myself off NESS and learning myself this ALFA spawn system. Couple of questions on things I didn't get how to port over:

1) How do I create a patrol with the ALFA system? I.e. spawns walk through a set of waypoints.

2) How do I make the spawns do some random walk with the ALFA system?

[Curmudgeon]

So I'm weaning myself off NESS and learning myself this ALFA spawn system. Couple of questions on things I didn't get how to port over:

1) How do I create a patrol with the ALFA system? I.e. spawns walk through a set of waypoints.

Look here

2) How do I make the spawns do some random walk with the ALFA system?

If your server supports "flocking", you can add ACR_FLOCKING = 1 (Integer) to the spawnpoint variables.

[t-ice]

So I'm weaning myself off NESS and learning myself this ALFA spawn system. Couple of questions on things I didn't get how to port over:

1) How do I create a patrol with the ALFA system? I.e. spawns walk through a set of waypoints.

Look here

Thanks. So I suppose I need to run a onspawn script with the spawnpoint, and that script sets the properties. That random "busy-feel" they suggest seems to be rather easily done, and maybe better than random walks. Patrols is clearly more cumbersome than the NESS, though, since they're set via tags, and several instances can have the same tag. (Say, one guard on patrol A, other guards standing around, and two on patrol B.)

2) How do I make the spawns do some random walk with the ALFA system?

If your server supports "flocking", you can add ACR_FLOCKING = 1 (Integer) to the spawnpoint variables.

Good question. How do I find if my server supports flocking, and if not how do I make it do so if not. And are there any reasons why I shouldn't?

[paazin]

Flocking tends to be a bit problematic so I disabled it on BG; I had been meaning to parse through and/or rewrite it to be a little clearer but instead I've begun to use the NWN variable for "moving around"

X2_L_SPAWN_USE_AMBIENT

and then for those who do actions while staying still:

X2_L_SPAWN_USE_AMBIENT_IMMOBILE

[t-ice]

Do you put those "NW_STOP" waypoints around for areas where you have those Ambient random-walkers? Or do they work good enough bumping into each other, placeables, doors, etc?

[paazin]

They're decent enough that I don't bother.

[t-ice]

Alright. Thanks

[Curmudgeon]

My understanding was that the X#_ variables only worked on blueprints and not for Spawnpoints.

[paazin]

Oh, they do but if you pop down waypoints they also use those waypoints in neat and interesting ways.

[t-ice]

My understanding was that the X#_ variables only worked on blueprints and not for Spawnpoints.

Sure. Making the spawnpoint run a short script on each spawned creature that sets the variables as desired was my thinking all along. So that we won't be needing separate "random walker" blueprints.