ARCHIVES FOUR
(Back to the MAIN page.)

TEN THOUSAND THANK-YOUS

All I can say is THANK YOU!!! Randar's Bot Page has now reached over 10,000 hits. I just want to let all of you know how much I appreciate your interest in this site.

NEW QUAKE2 BOT UPDATES
There are new versions of Eraser (0.9), CRBot (1.08) and Oak2 (0.3). Be sure and go to the BOT PAGE to link to their sites. Also, remember to check out all of the Bot Launchers to make managing all of the Bots much easier. (You will find these Front-Ends at the bottom of the Bot Page.)

NEW VERSION AND VISIONS FOR FROGBOT

A new version of the Frog Bot (0.05) for Quake1 is out today. This version features Kascam—a fantastic camera view to watch the Bots "perform." You really must watch the Bots through Kascam's unique cinematic camera angles. Robert Field has said that the next level that the Frog will be able to play will be DM2. Currently, in this new version, the supported levels are DM4 and DM6. Robert will also be implementing teamplay with a view to Capture the Flag! (In my opinion, CTF or TF are the ONLY reasons for Bot teamplay.) You can download Froggy from the BOT PAGE.

BOT MODS YOU MUST TRY!

For Quake1, the latest version of Omicron (1.02) now plays Rocket Arena. This is the ultimate one-on-one MOD. For Quake2, the Eraser (.86) can play Capture the Flag. This is what teamplay is really all about. If you have not tried either of these MODS, why not? Go to the BOT MODS page to download. (Also, while there, go check out the upcoming Quake2 MOD, Team Fortress. It will include a Bot!)

PAGE TWEAKS

I have revised the BOT FAQ recently to reflect the current state of Quake1 and Quake2 Bots. Also I uploaded the English version of Estep Bot (2.0) for Quake1 to CDROM.COM for those of you that are having trouble with the site in Spain. There is another Quake2 Bot Page—in German—added to my BOT SITE page. And, there is a new page devoted to Quake2 Deathmatch levels for Bots on the BOT LEVEL page. Also, I have updated (and will be updating) some of the reviews on the BOT REVIEWS page. I have been checking all of the links on my pages, and I think they all work. If not, let me know. Also, if you know of any other Bots, MODS, or sites that should be on my page, PLEASE let me know. Thanks!

UNREAL BOTS!!!

Garebear just got word from the master Botter himself—Steve Polge—that UNREAL will, in fact, be shipping with Bots! Just thought you should know. (By the way, Garebear is the one who helped me start this page. Though I am pretty much doing this page on my own now, I owe a lot to him. Thanks Garebear! And thanks to all of you who help keep this page going!)

NEW VERSIONS OF FROG AND OMICRON!

Be sure to go to the BOT PAGE and download the latest version of the Frog Bot and the final version of the Omicron! Both of these are must have Bots for Quake1.

A NEW QUAKE2 BOT SITE

My friend "Subhuman" has just started a new page called The Bot Outpost for Quake2 Bots. Though it will be moving soon, if all goes as planned, it is a Quake2 page to keep your eye on. You will find a link to it on the BOT SITE page.

BOT-LAUNCHER FRONTENDS

There are at least eight Bot-Launchers available for Quake2 Bots. Some of the Bots have very complicated game parameters, so these Frontends should make your life easier. Enjoy! You will now find links to all of them on the BOT PAGE.

EDITORIAL: WHICH IS BETTER?

For quite some time I have been musing over the question of which is better: deathmatching Quake1 or Quake2 Bots? Now, don't get me wrong. I really, REALLY like Quake2 and the Quake2 Bots; but, the deathmatching experience between Quake1 and Quake2 is, well, different. The Quake1 deathmatching experience is much faster paced than Quake2. When I go back to Quake2 after a fast and furious Quake1 Bot slaughter-fest, Quake2 seems a little slow to say the least. (Not to mention the fact that most of the Bots for Quake2 really can choke even a fast system at times.) And personally I just miss the backpacks full of all kinds of goodies in Quake1. (This fact alone significantly effects the pace of the game. Does anyone else miss the backpacks?) So, if I had to make a choice between Quake1 and Quake2, I just might have to choose the Quake1 deathmatch botting experience . . . at least for now. Perhaps as the Quake2 Bots progress, and can handle level difficulties (i.e., lava, water, slime, ladders, elevators, teleports, etc.) better than they currently do, I will change my mind. Actually, I don't really mind the differences in the Quake1 and Quake2 botting experience. After all, a little variety is the spice of life! What do YOU think?

ADDENDUM: One thing that has been brought to my attention is that Quake2 Bots excel especially in the area of teamplay. Very true! But, guess what? It is embarassing to admit, but Randar does not care for teamplay. I really only like one-on-one or a good old fashioned free-for-all. (That is why Stupid Bot gets my vote for the best Quake2 Bot.) If you want to do teamplay, Quake2 is the only way to go. (For teamplay, the Eraser is simply the best; but don't forget CRBot and Secant.) The truth is, it appears that in the Quake2 Botting Community, teamplay is the number one reason for Botting. But remember, before a Bot is any good at teamplay, its individual combat skills and AI must be great. And THAT is exactly what it takes for a good one-on-one or free-for-all Bot. As the Bot authors are building the Bots for teamplay, I sincerely hope that they don't forget to first make them killer one-on-one deathmatch opponents.

WHAT ARE THE BEST BOT LEVELS?

Send me a LIST of the best Bot deathmatch levels for both Quake1 and Quake2. (Please don't send the actual levels—send the name of the levels and where to download them.) I am going to be putting together a list of the best levels for the Bots, and I would like YOUR help. Remember, some levels may be fantastic for human deathmatch players, but horrible for Bot deathmatching, so please make sure that the levels you suggest are indeed Bot-worthy. Send me an email. Thanks!

QUAKE1 BOTS UPDATE

Mr. Elusive of the Omicron Bot tells me that he is "going to release a final version very soon." This final release has the potential of making the Omicron the Number One Bot for Quake1! But, of course, the Frog Bot is not finished yet. And the English version of the Estep Bot (2.0) has just been released. (Remember, this Bot is a very much improved version of the Reaper!) Go to the BOTS PAGE for a link or two.

FROM THE FROG HIMSELF

Robert Field, of the Frog Bot for Quake1, has this to say about his work on the Bot:

Just thought I would drop a line and say a little about what I've been doing with the Frogbot and what I intend to do soon.

I pretty much have the waypoints placed for dm2, dm3, dm4. Though I am going to sit down now and link routes. Further map specific ai hasn't been done yet. For dm4 I need to include ledge jumping code (for lava pit - I don't know how successful it will be initially), and dm3 needs the lifts ai. Stuff like rocket jumping and dm3 middle jumping will have to be done later.

After spending some time trying to enhance the goal selection ai, I realize that separate ai is needed for 1 on 1 games, to multiplayer games. This really shouldn't be surprising, since these games should be played differently. An example of ai I have in mind for the 1 on 1 code is the Frogbot will understand how to place itself between its opponent and say the red armor on dm6. Team games are like modified 1 on 1 games (with 2 teams). I will do some team specific code, but at this stage the special code (which is yet to be done) will only work for 2 teams. If you have more than 2 teams, the generic multiplayer ai will take effect.

I'll include a command to toggle the choice of generic ai or specialised ai for a 1 on 1 game. The generic ai will be like playing a more open game if the player prefers this style for fun. Both will go from skill 0 to 100.

I have done some rocket launcher prediction.

Note that the current ai of the Frogbot is mainly 'do' ai. 'don't do' ai hasn't been started.

Examples of 'do' ai: Get an item, or chase a player.

Examples of 'don't do' ai: Don't go through a teleporter because you will get bounced into lava on the other side. Don't run over a grenade that is about to explode. Be cautious when chasing someone with a rocket launcher.

I have added support for deathmatch 4 and 5, but I haven't tested them much (I may have missed something in porting the code from Quakeworld).

Remember, Robert has said that the Frog Bot is currently only 25% done. So, we can look forward to these and other ongoing improvements as his work progresses! The Frog is surely a major contender for the title of "The Best Bot for Quake1."

BOT UPDATES

There are NEW VERSIONS of the Eraser, CRBot, Oak, and even the Famke for Quake2. And, for Quake2, there is also a new combination of the OaknAce Bot! (New versions of the Stupid and Assassin are expected out this weekend. Also, a new version of Secant, with new features, will be released soon.) And, for Quake1 a new version of the Frog Bot will be released shortly. One last thing, Team Fortress for Quake2 will include Bots. To download any and all new versions of these Bots, go to the BOT PAGE. Happy Botting!

ESTEPBOT UPDATE

A new version of the Estep Bot (2.0) has just been released! The author has stated that an English version will eventually be released. Fantastic! If you have not tried this Quake1 Bot you are missing one of the better Bots out there! (Remember, Estep Bot is a much improved Reaper Bot.) Go to my BOT PAGE for the link—the download is at the bottom of the Spanish page. (There is also a link to an English page . . . but I did not see a download for the Bot on it.)

THE FROG HAS ARRIVED!

Robert Field has just released the first public beta of his Frog Bot for Quake1 over at Metropolis. Go to the BOT PAGE to find a download link! This is the Bot we have all been waiting for. Get ready to rumble!

HELP OUT THE BOTS!

The author of the TFBots for Quake1 is looking for someone to continue his project. If you are interested in helping out, please let him know by emailing him. Let's keep this Bot alive! Thanks.

I'M HOPPY!!!

I just got word from Robert Field of the Frog Bot for Quake1 that after he makes a few more fixes he will release a beta for DM6! It's time to put Quake back on your hard drive! Get ready for the fast and furious Deathmatching of Quake1 and the Frog! You ain't seen nothing yet! Remember, I have seen and played Froggy, and this is one quality Bot! (Do you think that there are enough exclamation marks in this news item?)

THE BEST QUAKE2 BOT LEVELS!

I have been adding to my collection of the best BOT DEATHMATCH LEVELS and I thought I would share the list with you. I have tried to mention only those levels that the current generation of Quake2 Bots can handle. To be included on this list, the following criteria have been selected: (1) The DM levels must not have any (or very little) lava or water; (2) The DM levels must not use ladders; (3) The DM levels should use elevators and teleports sparingly; (4) The DM level layout should be relatively simple, whether in a large or small level. Here is my list so far, in no particular order:

ikdm1, spbotdm1, broken1, fatal1, fatal2, ztn2dm1, wrench (rgdm2), u2, crdm1, kick, severed1, wdwdm3, fbdm1, fbdm3, and of course the Classic Quake Conversion levels for dm1 and dm6 work rather well.

There are several things to note. First, Stupid Bot typically handles these levels better than any of the other Bots. In fact, he can do rather well in water. However, the rest of the Bots (Eraser, CRBot, Secant, etc.) do respectably in these levels too. Second, playing these levels will show both the strengths and weaknesses of each Bot. Generally I consider ikdm1 and spbotdm1 to be a couple of the BEST Bot-testing levels. If a Bot can not negotiate these two levels, it has a long way to go. Third, some of the above levels are large, and thus more difficult for the Bots unless you put in a lot for a good old fashioned free-for-all or teamplay. Use the smaller levels for one-on-one.

All of these levels can be found at CDROM.COM, so go to my BOT DM LEVELS page. Now, what do YOU think of this list? Let me know—send me an email if you have any maps to add! When I think that this list is ready, I will put it on the DM LEVEL page for the Bots. Thanks.

A FEW CHANGES

Well, Randar's Bot Page has undergone a few changes here and there. The CURRENT NEWS is now here—on the MAIN page. The main page will have Bot news for the last couple of weeks. Then it will be transferred to the RECENT NEWS page which will hold it for about a month. Finally, as old news, everything will eventually end up on the ARCHIVES page. By the way, my thanks to those of you who have made kind suggestions along these lines.

In addition, I have archived the RANTS & RAVES and, for what it was worth, it will be found at the very end of the ARCHIVES page. In its place, under FEATURES, I now have a BOT REVIEWS page. This new page will feature my BOT REVIEWS AND RATINGS! On it, I will be giving special awards for the BEST of the Bots and Bot features. So, please stay tuned!

Let me explain my ratings system. Basically, it is a Five-Star system with a few "plusses." The awards are given when the Bots merit a special mention for some feature. Of course, you, the reader, understand that this is all based upon Randar's opinions. Feel free to disagree. And, feel free to tell me about it. If you email me, please give me YOUR reasons and suggestions. I have an open mind, and who knows, if your opinions are "better" than mine—and well articulated—they just might find their way on to this page! Again, my thanks to those of you who have made kind suggestions along these lines too.

ANOTHER BOT!

Great news! Another Bot has just made its appearance—ASSASSIN BOT. To get it, go to the BOT PAGE and check out its web site.

THE BEST QUAKE2 BOT FOR ONE-ON-ONE (OR FREE-FOR-ALL)!

I just finished trying out all of the current crop of Bots (Ace; CRBot; Eraser; Famke; Secant; and Stupid) in a one-on-one game to see which one is the BEST. I played all of the Bots on their easiest settings and I watched them carefully to see where they went, what they got, and how they fought. I used two basic levels that work well with Bots (ikdm1 and spbotdm1) and then I pushed the limits of Bot-testing with two rather complicated levels (q2dm2 [Tokay Towers] and tank21). The last couple of levels have water and ladders and teleports; in fact they have most everything but a beta-Bots worst nightmare—lava. AND THE WINNER IS: STUPID BOT! What? Everyone says that Eraser is the best. Well, yes, in some ways Eraser IS an excellent Bot and so is CRBot. (And, Secant is coming along nicely.) But, no other Bot could match Stupid's abilitiy to play ANY level . . . and on every level, only Stupid was able to just about go EVERYWHERE and get almost EVERYTHING! (Stupid spent time in ALL parts of the level unlike some of the Bots which always seemed to stay at the bottom of the levels and rarely ever return to the upper areas.) What is more, only Stupid was able to handle Tokay Towers and Tank21's water areas. In the water areas of Tokay and Tank21, every single other Bot racked up negative frags. About the only thing that Stupid did not seem to be able to do was use ladders.

I suggest that you go take a look at Tokay Towers for yourself. Imagine my surprise when Stupid came around the corner with the Rail Gun! Where in the world did he find that? Then a little while later, I heard the bone chilling sound of the BFG power up! What? The BFG is in the top of the level and only accessible by negotiating a moving platform across a pit—and Stupid got it easily; several times! (I stood there in my dead body and watched him. And, by the way, the BFG is sometimes replaced by the Rail Gun.)

Now for some perspective. While the Stupid Bot's AI is very good, its combat skills are probably not quite as good as the Eraser's. But, the Eraser just could not handle the complexities of more challenging levels. Stupid's AI is probably equal to or better than CRBot, Ace, and Secant; but they could not handle difficult levels either. So, in terms of the sheer fun (or is that terror) of a good old fashioned one-on-one, or a wild free-for-all, you just can't beat Stupid Bot . . . unless you are smart! Of course, Stupid does not do teamplay, and this is a specialty of the Eraser and CRBot. Also, the Eraser does better on processed levels, or on levels that are easy for it to learn. And, one of the features that makes Eraser, Secant, and even CRBot stand out is their highly customizable personality and skill settings. So, in some situations, in some levels, and for certain kinds of gameplay, one of the other Bots may be better. But, all in all, the Stupid Bot ain't no dummy. STUPID gets my vote for the BEST OF THE BOTS FOR ONE-ON-ONE (OR FREE-FOR-ALL)!

CHALLENGE: Put the Bots to your own one-on-one (or free-for-all) test and tell me what YOU think!

CLIENT-SIDE BOTS FOR QUAKE1 AND QUAKE2

I have added a new section of links to significant Client-Side Bots on the BOT SITES page. (If you don't understand the basic differences between Client-Side and Server-Side Bots, be sure to check out the BOT FAQ.) Even though this site mainly focuses upon Server-Side Deathmatch Bots, the Client-Side Bots are still a very important part of the World of Bots. Be sure and check out two key sites. THE MIKE BOT PROJECT and THE PANDORA'S BOT PROJECT. You will find a wealth of information about C/S Bots on these two pages, as well as other aspects of Bots in general. Also, when the Bot Author's Guild goes back online, I will have a link to their site as well.

REQUIEM BOT MOD FOR QUAKE2 RELEASED!

A beta of the famous REQUIEM MOD for Quake2 has been released—and it includes a preliminary version of the REQBOT! You can find a link to the Requiem MOD for both Quake1 and Quake2 on the BOT MODS page.

ANOTHER BOT FOR QUAKE1 FOUND!

Well, my friend Vic ("Botaholic") has done it again! He has located another Bot. This Bot comes from Spain and is apparently a Reaper Improvement. The web page is in Spanish, but the download is at the bottom. My Spanish is very poor, so I can't give you all of the facts and stats about this Bot, but it does look good. You will find the EstepBot on the BOT PAGE. If any of you Bot-fans out there are proficient in Espanol, please let me know. (NOTE: This page has just been translated into English, so my link now points to the English page!)

NOTE: After playing this Bot for a while, I have to tell you that this is one of the best Reaper improvements (with modifications) I have yet seen. This is a MUST download!

FROG BOT DEMO FOR QUAKE1!

Robert Field has sent me his FrogBot demo with the skill set to "100." This is a must see! Download it HERE. Robert is an excellent player and the Bot isn't too shabby, even though Robert teaches him a well deserved lesson. (When I played this Frog's private beta release on skill "0", I was totally blown away. Robert adjusted the skill and in the latest private release, I was able to make a few respectable kills.) With every release, Robert has made significant and noticeable improvements. Recently, Robert told me that the Bot is about 25% done. The Bot currently goes only for all the weapons and armor, but does not have all of its chase and fighting AI fully implemented. Also most of the work on the Bot is currently being done at the highest skill settings. I have asked Robert when he might release the first public beta, and he said maybe when it is at 40%. But, he has also asked me to ask YOU when YOU think it should be released! So, email me with your suggestions and I'll pass them on to Frog.

MORE BOTS OUT AND ONE OR TWO ON THE WAY FOR QUAKE2!

Two more Bots are now official. One called ACE is out, and another, called Jagger is in the works. They can be found on the BOTS PAGE. Actually there are a few others waiting to make their appearance, and they too will be listed as soon as they find a home. Speaking of all of these Bots, every once in a while I am asked why I don't have a Ratings Page. Well, at present, Epidemic and SkullPlate are already doing an excellent job in that area, and their pages can be found on the BOT SITES page. Basically, I will leave the ratings and the reviews to them. Also, keep in mind that the Bot scene is rapidly changing and will continue to change as each new version makes its appearance. However, I will make a few recommendations in order of my personal preferences:

THE BEST BOTS FOR QUAKE ONE:

Reaper (QuakeBot), Omicron, and Zeus

THE BEST BOTS FOR QUAKE TWO:

StupidBot, CRBot, and Eraser

For Quake1 the FrogBot is definitely worth watching. And, if there is a new release of Omicron, the Omicron may beat out the Reaper. In fact, in some ways the Omicron is a much better Bot than the Reaper. The thing that is nice about Zeus is that it has been packaged with several MODS . . . but, so has the Reaper.

For Quake2 the top three Bots, listed above, are all very good in their early beta releases. However, they all play differently. What is more, some of them play some DM maps better than others. The SecantBot is also turning into a very good Bot. And when the Oak makes its appearance, it will probably be a top contender. As you already know, there are probably more than half a dozen other Bots in production. So the field for the Quake2 Bots is about to become very, very crowded. Add to this, the fact that there are also a few "specialty" Bots in the works, and, well . . . you get the point.

All of this brings me to the inevitable conclusion that if you want to know which Bot is best for you, try them all out for yourself and make up your own mind. Personally, I enjoy the variety of Bots that are currently available, and I eagerly look forward to more. I suppose a "botaholic" can never get enough now, can he?

FROGGY NEWS!

Thanks to Robert Field, I have had the privilege of previewing his upcoming FrogBot for Quake1 in not one but two private beta releases. I have one word for my first impression: WOW! I am very impressed, to say the least. These Bots are superb and can only get better. Robert has with his real player physics model produced a Bot that will give the Reaper and the Omicron some real competition.

The first private beta release I played did not have any skill settings implemented. Needless to say, I died a rather ignoble and quick death. The Bots trounced me easily. The second beta had three skill settings. This time I played on the easiest setting and was barely able to hold my own. In fact, my "hold" quickly started slipping once they got the upper hand. Now, I must confess that I am only an average Quake DM player. A good player on easy mode should have little difficulty teaching these Bots a lesson. But, clearly these first two releases are experimental. (But, these two releases beautifully show off what these Bots can really do! And, yes, they really do move like a real player. None of this "psycho" strafing and jumping and spinning stuff that I personally hate in a Bot.) Robert has said that the skill settings will be changed. In fact he has stated that he wants the FrogBot to be playable by a full spectrum of Quake players, not just the best Quakers. Robert does not want this Bot to be the hardest Bot to play, he wants it to be the most fun. Good news!

Since I was not able to keep up with the Bots, I "became" a Bot. What an experience! With this special console command you become a FrogBot and "see" what he "sees" and "go" where he "goes" and . . . well, you get the idea. The Bot took control of you as you get inside his skin (or is that he gets inside yours?) and you just go along for the ride. And was it ever a wild ride! I almost suffered a little vertigo—a feeling I have never experienced with any 3D game, until now. This is NOT your ordinary quiet "observer" mode. One thing this special command revealed was the player physics movement. Seeing and experiencing this made me really appreciate the model that Robert has created. I hope he leaves this command in for the pubic beta release; then you can see and feel it for yourselves. (Just keep a barf bag nearby!)

CORRECTION: Robert has sent me the following—"I should point out that when you become a frogbot you are still a MOVETYPE_WALK (ie. player) entity. Hence this does not use the frogbot physics code, but it shows that I can use the same ai for actual player physics and my frogbot emulated player physics. Note that I had to fix a bug in Quake.exe (by correcting it in QuakeC) - see FixAngle_y in mathutil.qc of the frogbot physics mod, so that the mouse movement is correct. Related to this is the fact that when a player (in multiplayer) views another player who has become a bot, that bot appears to look down when it is actually looking up, and visa versa. I can't do anything about this, since the related code in Quake.exe must be a bit of a hack. Though at least you can tell if someone else is cheating. :) Other viewcams simply change your viewpoint to that of a bot. I might try to include the option of cycling through the bots like in some other bot viewcams, though I will use a player-bot exchange technique."

Keep in mind that this is a static Bot and only plays processed maps. Currently DM4 and DM6 are done, but Robert hopes to have all of the Quake1 DM levels eventually included in the FrogBot's maps. The FrogBot is already a good Bot that can and will only get better and better. (That is, unless some game programming company sees his work and steals him and Froggy away from us!) If there was ever a reason to keep Quake1 on your hard drive, this Bot may very well be that reason. And if you in a moment of temporary insanity deleted Quake1 from your computer, by all means put it back! I don't know about you, but for me the Reaper (QuakeBot), the Omicron, and now the FrogBot are THE reasons that Quake1 is forever going to be permanently burned into my Western Digital. Hmmm, I wonder what would happen if Robert ever decided to port FrogBot over to Quake2?

HOW MANY BOTS DO YOU WANT?

I don't know about you, but the Quake World can NEVER have enough Bots—make that GOOD Bots! Go take a look at the BOT PAGE for a listing of all the Bots currently under way. One or two more Bots have found their way on to my page this week alone! But, be aware that there are more in the works! Now with the release of the SABIN code, and the upcoming release of the Eraser code, and with the release of a whole slew of tutorials on Bot-making, we may see an "explosion" of new Bots! Well, like I said on my front page: KEEP THOSE BOTS COMING! But, please make them worthy of their true Botting heritage. Remember, quality is everything!

BROKEN QUAKE2 BOTS!

None of the Bots will work with the new point release (3.12) of Quake2! The Bot authors are waiting for the new source code to be released and then they will be furiously working on upgrading their Bots to keep the Quake2 Botting community happy. Please be patient! And please don't write the Bot authors about this—they already know all about it.

Well, since you can't play the Quake2 Bots, why not go back and play the Quake1 Bots? Speaking of Quake1 Bots, you must try out the new link to the Ultimate Weapons MOD which includes an improved Zeus Bot and (of course) a ton of weapons! You will find this download on my BOT MODS page. Go for it!

A NEW BOT ON THE BLOCK!

SecantBot in the Tangential MOD has just made its appearance. This is actually a MOD that includes a Bot along with a grappling hook, flash grenades, blaster improvements, and a few other interesting additions. The Bot is a little buggy, but worth a look. For now, you will find it on the BOT PAGE. Since this is also a MOD, you will find it on the BOT MOD page as well.

FROGBOT HOPPING RIGHT ALONG!

I got a word or two this week from Robert Field that the FrogBot project is coming along nicely:

The initial release of the Frogbot will probably be fairly incomplete ai-wise, but I think it should still be good fun to play against. As soon as I have it behaving adequately I'll make it publicly available. I won't be building skill levels in originally. I plan to just do the hardest skill level and then later "dumb it down" for lower skill levels. I'm still deciding whether I'll include a skill mode which will have reaper-style aiming (in this mode the bot won't fire at the crosshair, but will be able to shoot out the sides like the omicron can).

The Frogbot is coming along nicely. I have found a way to implement the calculation of travelling time between all pairs of waypoints which gets completed before the console raises to the top of the screen at the start of a map. This should enhance the stuff I am going to do with regard to chasing/running away from players. Because I can customize this calculation, it is way faster than Floyd's algorithm that you may see being talked about at places.

Remember, this project is for Quake1 and it should have a beta release in the near future!

TREMORS IN THE BOT WORLD

There is a little bit of shaking going on in the Quake2 Bot world, and this page reflects it. The FamkeBot is basically on hold, but the source code for it has been released, if anyone wants to try their hand at coding a Bot. (The author indicates that it may be revived!) A new Bot from Japan has made its appearance. It is called StupidBot. (Hey, I don't make this stuff up.) And, the eagerly awaited Oak2 Bot is soon to be released. You can find all of these Bots and more on the BOTS PAGE. The FrostBot has been turned into a Bot MOD called ManHunt, so it has been moved to my BOT MOD page. Also, I have added a couple of sites to the DM LEVEL page.

EDITORIAL: BOT WARS!

No, I'm not talking about a war between CRBot and Eraser. (But that would be interesting!) I'm talking about the battle between the Quake1 Bots and the Quake2 Bots. You didn't know that there even WAS a war? Of course you didn't. It actually seems like the war was conceded because no one showed up. With the advent of Quake2 it would appear that many have assumed that Quake1 is dead. It seems that we all assumed that Quake2 would simply take over the Quake world. But, perhaps we were wrong! A casual glance at any Quake page out there will let you know that Quake1 is alive and well. The fact is, Quake1 MODS are STILL being made. But, what about the Bots? As this page has noted, most of the Bot activity in the Quake world is being focused upon Quake2. There are almost no current Quake Bot pages out there that are continuing to follow the Quake1 Bots. (Thus, part of the reason for this page! And, thanks to those of you that have taken the trouble to email me to encourage me to keep Quake1 Bot information on my page.) To my knowledge, only the Omicron and FrogBot for Quake1 are presently in development. Perhaps there are others, but I have not heard of them.

All of this brings me to an interesting email conversation I had with Robert Field —the author of the FrogBot. Robert brought up a lot of issues that I have been thinking about. I had asked him about his FrogBot project and whether or not he would eventually port it to Quake2. He stated:

With regards to Quake2, currently I prefer playing Quake to Quake2. Probably due to the better framerate I get with GLQuake, the lack of deathmatch maps, the rocket launcher slow down, and the absence of the shaft.

But hey, I have an open mind. I don't think it would be too hard converting my ideas in this Quake patch over to a Quake2 patch. But I wouldn't try doing that till I meet my objectives with the Frogbot. I spend more time trying to think about the algorithms/information system I'm going to use than the actual coding. The real player physics was probably the easy part of the project (I didn't have to think up new ideas, but just be good at prodding a "black box" to see what numbers it spat out, and then working out the formulas that were behind the patterns in the numbers). The bots will have the same aim as say a good player (ie. not godlike). I have some good ideas for making the bots have strategies like a player. eg. In one on one games say, the bots will understand to lie low when they have been killed and try to sneakily get a weapon/armor. The bots will size up things like does it think it can beat its opponent if a direct conflict began, and then act accordingly. So basically I want to make a bot that when you play it (or multiple bots) it feels like a lan multiplayer game.

It's probably going to be harder to follow my project than other people's since I haven't got a web page, and I haven't released any bot yet. I hope to get an initial release done. I don't want to release something that falls below the standard I have for it. I am trying to design the bot so that it will be able to be upwardly compatible with ongoing improvements I do to it.

Get ready to cringe: I plan to make the bot static waypoint only. This means that it can only be played on the maps I have designed it for (ie. information will be encoded in the progs.dat for various maps). I started off doing a dynamic waypoint bot, but the framerate was not high enough and I couldn't see how to make the ai do the cool things I had in mind. Having a limited number of maps doesn't bother me personally because I mainly only ever play dm2, dm4, dm6, death32a, e1m2.

In a later post he stated:

The faster rocket and the shaft make Quake a faster game. I also prefer the quick weapon changes of Quake. I've noticed some pages only deal with Quake2. It's like people think that Quake is superseded and they are turning their back on it. Quake and Quake2 are parallel games. The people who prefer the doom style of game will go with Quake2.

So, is Quake1 Botting better than Quake 2 Botting? Perhaps. I have to agree with Robert that the Quake1 Botting experience is better in some ways. It is still hard to beat the Reaper (QuakeBot) or the Omicron experience. Quake1 DM Botting is faster and the gameplay is much smoother and more responsive. Will Quake2 ever be able to match this? Probably. After all, the Quake2 Bots are still in their infancy. (One wonders what would have eventually happened to the Reaper if Steve Polge had been working on it all along. How advanced would it now be?) I appreciate Robert's determination to produce a quality Bot for Quake1. And all of us ought to look forward to his release of the FrogBot. (By the way, "Frog" is his Quake-playing name.) So the Quake1 Bots are NOT dead! I trust that the Quake community will always have room for Quake1 and Quake2 Bots.

POINT AND COUNTERPOINT: Maybe the Quake1 verses Quake2 Bots "issue" is like the question of DOS verses Windows 95. (Don't forget that Quake1 is really a DOS game and Quake2 is a Windows 95 game.) Remember that controversy? Everyone had an opinion and everyone still does! Is DOS dead? Well, "Yes!" and "No!" It all depends. DOS games are NOT dead by any means; but, you will notice that practically speaking, no one is making them any more. Everything is shifting to the Windows 95 platform. (Microsoft asks "Where do you want to go today?" Actually, they are telling US where THEY want to go. But enough of those conspiracy theories. Hey, I actually like Microsoft Windows 95.) So, in the Botting world, there is and will be the inexorable shift to Quake2 Bots and MODS. Why? Because there is and always will be the inexorable shift toward whatever is next on the "cutting edge." Not all of us may want to go there or go there as quickly, but eventually we will yield to the pressures of time. However, we will not go quietly. Or, will we? What do YOU think?

ANXIETY ATTACK!

Well, while it looks like I am falling into a pattern of only updating on Saturdays, I actually had intended to do so earlier. But, I too fell prey to a very bad case of the ANXIETY BUG! I don't blame anyone, and I especially don't blame Ridah. But I am rather angry with Mcafee! I had the latest update and it was running when my system started acting "sick." I then ran a virus scan and Mcafee found about six to eight infected files. "Okay," I thought, "easy clean." (Actually, Mcafee couldn't clean the files. I had to do it myself, by deleting and then reinstalling them.) The next day Mcafee alerted me again and found another invasion—the very same files were re-infected! I cleaned them again. But then my computer started really giving me some problems and I could barely keep it going. Programs were dropping "dead" right and left! Time for a command decision. I dumped Mcafee went out and bought Norton Anti Virus, got their latest update, and then Norton found that over 300 executable files had been infected . . . including Mcafee! Because of all of the damage that the Anxiety virus had done, thanks to Mcafee letting it go wild, it took me two full days and part of another to rebuild and restore my system. I trusted Mcafee, but I shall never do so again. Norton Anti Virus is now my product of choice! So, now you know what I have been doing for much of this week.

UPDATES AND CHANGES

Anyone who follows this page closely will notice that I add new links every so often without making a major announcement about it. You will also note that I do not do daily news updates about every tremor in the Quake Botting community. There are already three excellent pages that make major news updates every single day, and sometimes several times throughout the day. My friends at Epidemic as well as Groove and SkullPlate are always on the "bleeding edge" of the Bot world. So I am going to leave the daily updates to them. You can find these three pages at my BOT SITES page. You will notice that this IS however one of the few pages that keeps current on ALL of the Quake1 Bots and Bot MODS! (And, if you have never yet tried out the QuakeBot you really must go to my FILES page and download this best-of-the-Bots Bot for Quake1.) I will keep all of my links for Quake1 Bots as current as possible. And, of course, I will keep the Quake2 Bot links current as well. Thus, the PURPOSE OF THIS SITE is to be a repository of all things that have to do with Quake1 and Quake2 Bots. Of course, from time to time I will be adding links and information to this site and updating these news pages as needed. So, please check back often! Thanks!

SOME HELP FOR QUAKE2 BOT NEWBIES

If you are new to the world of Quake2 Bots, did you know that there are several things that you can do to beat the Bots? FIRST, be aware that Famke is a perfect Bot for those just getting started! SECOND, get to know your Bots: READ ALL THE DOCUMENTATION THAT COMES WITH EACH BOT. THIRD, CRBot and Eraser can be "tweaked" by adjusting the skill settings built into each Bot. (Eraser even has a bot.cfg file that can be edited with NotePad to turn them into the kind of Bot you want! CRBot has ten skill settings plus one that adapts to you!) FOURTH, you can CHEAT! Now I know that the purists out there will flame me for suggesting that anyone cheats, but get real! These are only Bots and not human players. Here are some things to try to add a little variety to your game:

• Upgrade to Quake2 version 3.10

• At the Console type: cheats 1 (They will be enabled for the next game.)

• In the next game, at the Console type: g_unlimited_ammo 1 (Guess what that gives you!)

• If you are really desperate, at the Console you can also type: god (Or any other cheat.)

These cheats are enabled for the multiplayer (i.e., deathmatch) game and can be turned off and on—"0" is off; "1" is on. Experiment and have fun. Just note, if you turn unlimited ammo on, the Bots have it too! But, if you use "god" mode, it does not apply to the Bots. After giving you this "dirty little secret," let me go on to encourage you to wean yourself off the cheats and go up against the Bots like the man/woman you are! (Just in case you have not noticed it—and one of you has already written me about it—THE BOTS "CHEAT" TOO! Since they are not "fully human"—whatever that means—they have to make up for their deficiencies somehow. If you think about it, the Bots actually have to be programmed with some kind of "fuzzy logic" so that they won't be too perfect. But that is another story. By the way, those of you who are busy creating the Bots, please don't take offense at what I just said. I know that you are working hard to make the Bots as "human" as possible. And, it takes some time to make a Bot as bad as me. Anyway, I personally think that you Bot Creators are the greatest! Like I told the gentleman that wrote me about "Bot-cheating": The "worst" Bot is still better than the best enemy in the Quake1 or Quake2 game! After playing the Bots for a while, going back to the single player game is rather disappointing. Quake is still a great game, but I keep asking myself why the enemies don't have AI that is at least as good as the Bots. Oh well, I understand that Unreal is working on that very issue!)

ONE MORE QUAKE2 BOT ANNOUNCED!

With the release of the SABIN Project Code (go to the BOT SITES page for the link) I think that we are going to see a lot more Bot headlines like this! As has already been noted, the AssassinBot is coming, and now the TerrorBot is soon to be unleashed. Some of these Bots, like the TerrorBot are going to be "speciality" Bots with unique features or abilities. So, certainly, sooner or later, you will be able to find a Bot that YOU like. To find a link to all of the Quake1 and Quake2 Bots, go to the BOT PAGE.

FROGBOT FOR QUAKE1

Earlier I had said that the OmicronBot was the ONLY Quake1 Bot currently in production. WRONG! There is another. It is called FrogBot. This Bot and its early movement code release can be found at PlanetQuake's Bot Shop in the Workshop. This code simulates a players real movement physics. Looks promising. Eventually this "frog" will become a "prince" of a Bot! Go to the BOT SITES page to find the Bot Shop.

ANOTHER REAPER IMPROVEMENT!

There is another Quake1 ReaperBot improvement called the ReaperFX! Go to the BOTS PAGE for the link to download it. This MOD adds a ton of improvements and features to the good old ReaperBot. The ReaperFX is now in its final version and the author (Paul Johnstone) is going to work on a new project for Quake2 called "Chronos," which will include a Bot! The site for the Chronos Project will be hosted by PlanetQuake, and when it moves, I will add its new link to the BOT SITE page.

NEW VERSIONS OF THE CRBOT AND THE ERASERBOT!

Go to the BOTS PAGE for the latest Quake2 versions of the CRBot and the EraserBot. They keep getting better and better. You should note that it takes the authors of these Bots literally hundreds of hours to get their creations this far. We in the Quake-Botting community are very appreciative. Thanks guys!

KILLER DM LEVEL FOR CRBOT!

Well, I usually don't put up information about individual DM levels for Quake2 Bots here, but there is one that is absolutely fantastic for the early versions of CRBot: DEADSIMPLE—one of the newest Deathmatch Classic Levels over at PlanetQuake. Try it out and see what you think! Go on over to the DM LEVELS page for more deathmatch levels from PlanetQuake and elsewhere.

WHAT IS SABIN?

Terry ("DarkSkye") Hendrix was gracious enough to answer a question I had about the DarkBot and the SABIN Project:

"The SABIN is a large group of authors making a rather cool base bot that has so far: true client emulation thanks to Alan Kivlin, socketed functions for AI use thanks to me, and event and hearing thanks to William van der Warren. We're not planning on releasing an official SABIN bot, but if the guys like the idea we will...

The DarkBot will be _a_ SABIN bot, one of hundreds no doubt."

That clears everything up for me. I hope it does for you too! For a link to the SABIN Project go to the BOT SITE page. For a link to the DarkBot go to the BOT PAGE.

BOT SKINS FAQ

Thanks to Vic ("Botaholic") I have posted a Quake1 Bot Skin FAQ. You will find Vic's FAQ on my BOT PAGE. Go take a look! If you have any questions about skinning the Bots, feel free to ask Vic. He knows all about skins for the Quake1 Bots and has been a tremendous help to me.

THE FROST BOT

A new link on the BOT PAGE will take you to the FrostBot's Page. This Bot is an early alpha and does not do very much at present, but a new release is in the works.

OMICRON NEWS

I received an email from Mr. Elusive of the OmicronBot, and he told me that another version of the Omicron has yet to be released. It will have a few bug fixes and optimizations. He also said that when he has the time, he will definitely consider creating a Bot for Quake2. Fantastic! As it now stands, the Omicron is the ONLY Bot currently in production for Quake1. The Omicron is certainly one of the top Bots for Quake1. The other real contenders for the honor of being the best Bot for Quake1 are the ReaperBot (QuakeBot) and the ZeusBot. Unless Mr. Elusive continues to work on the Omicron for Quake1, the days of the Quake1 Bots are numbered. All of the other Bots for Quake1 are in their final version. Most Quake programmer's energies are now being directed toward Quake2 Bots, and they indeed look most promising. Go to the BOT PAGE to see all of the Bots for both Quake1 and Quake2.

NEW LOGO

Thanks to my good friend "Katarn" I have a new logo! Katarn is the WebMaster of two pages: (1) The Star Wars Galaxy—You MUST see this page! (2) KB's Web Design—If you are looking for professional help with your page, this is THE place to go. Thanks Katarn!

BOT UPDATES

For all practical purposes, most of the Quake1 Bots have reached their final stage of development. Little more will probably be done with any of them. The Quake2 Bots are really the future of Quake Bots! (Some of the Quake1 Bots, like the OakBot, are actually being continued as Quake2 Bots.) Even though the only Quake2 Bots out are Famke, Eraser, and CRBot (a FrostyBot is also out, but it comes with no documentation, so I have chosen to not post it until we know where/who it comes from) they already look GREAT! And, more Bots are on the way. This page will continue to have links to all of the Quake1 Bots and Bot-MODS. I will also keep up-to-date with the ever changing world of Quake2 Bots. So we will be dedicated to both Quake1 and Quake2 Bots. By the way, there is a reason why most have abandoned development on Quake1 Bots—it has to do with the fact that Quake1 Bots must be written in the hybrid language of QuakeC, while Quake2 Bots can be written in the more powerful C and C++ language. Quake2 Bots will thus simply be better! With all of this said, be sure to check out the updated Bot Sites for the newest Quake2 Bot pages out there.

ALL PAGES ON RANDAR'S BOT NEWS ARE OPEN!

I have just finished opening up every page on Randar's Bot News (except for the Archives) and have updated several of the pages. The BOT DM LEVELS is the newest page to open! A few new links have also been added to the BOT SITES. Go check them all out. I have a few more ideas for this site and one or two more FAQ's to put up. Then, I will do my best to keep this site current. I do not at this time plan to use the News section as a daily update; rather, I will use this section to relate information about changes to this site and its links. Of course, every once in a while I may post critical news to Bot enthusiasts, so please check back. Thank you all for being so patient while this site got up to speed. And remember, KEEP THOSE BOTS COMING!!!

LOOK AT ALL THOSE BOTS FOR QUAKE2!

You MUST see all of the Bots for Quake and especially Quake2—the total count for Quake2 is now around nine (9)!!! Click HERE to see the link!

CHECK OUT "RANTS & RAVES"

A new page on this site has opened. Take a look. Click HERE!

MORE TO COME

I am hoping to add an ARTICLE ON BOTS that explains the different kinds of Bots for Quake1 and Quake2. I am getting some comments and questions that indicate that there is some confusion about this subject. Hey, I'm even "fuzzy" on a few things. Right now, this article is in the research phase. But, maybe I'll start writing it soon. . . . Well, the article is finished! Look for it HERE!

A WHOLE NEW LOOK:

As you know, this page ONLY opened up yesterday. Yet, it has evolved considerably. The reason for this is that I was coding the HTML using MSWord 97. At first it was rather simplistic. Then, the page took a quantum leap forward in formatting. Finally, a real coder came to my rescue to help with the site—Gearbear! (I will still "code" using MSWord 97, but Garebear does HTML using only WordPad!)

Well, as you can see, this page is getting a whole new look, thanks to Garebear. Hopefully, this will make this web site easier to use. I am also expanding this site to eventually have links to some of the best deathmatch levels for the BOTS for Quake1 and Quake2. There will also be a section for Reviews, Rants, and Raves. The Files section will contain only a few BOT files that are hard to find on the web. I only have 2M of space on my server, so most of the other files will have to be linked to other sites.

THREE BOTS FOR QUAKE AND SIX ON THE WAY!

There are now three Bots out for Quake2: FamkeBot; CRBot; and EraserBot. There are also six Bots on the way: Oak2; FlameBot; Eliminator; DarkBot2; Colossus; and there is word that there is going to be a ReaperBot (in honor of the original ReaperBot) for Quake2! All I can say is WOW!!! Go to the BOTS LINK and take a look.

WELCOME TO RANDAR'S BOT NEWS!

For Quake1, the Reaper and Omicron Bots are among the best, and the Zeus Bot is also very good. I have listed sites for the best Bots for Quake1 and Quake2, including the Reaper, Omicron, Zeus, Oak, and the BGBot. (Even though the BGBot is dated this bot was one of the first and it was the very first Bot that I ever tried out.) Quake2 is so new that there are only three Bots out and three in the works that I know of. (And, the latest news is that there will be a port of the Reaper over to Quake2!) Also, below you will find a couple of QuakeC MODS that include a bot that can use the weapons and grappling hooks of that MOD. Don't overlook these, they are great fun!

It should also be noted that the Reaper was recompiled into the Warbot (later called the QuakeBot) to improve and fix some of its problems. (Yes, the original Reaper "cheats" and constantly "thumps.") But, the Warbot/QuakeBot project has been discontinued (lost the source code) and the page has closed down. Too bad! There were, however a couple of releases. (QuakeBot can be downloaded from this site.) In the links to the left, you will also find that the Reapers have actually been recompiled into several MODS and numerous "improved" versions of the Reaper, like the Gideon Bot and the Eliminator Bot. (This Bot is not to be confused with the other Eliminator Bot that is a lot of trouble to use because it requires special maps. I did not include that Eliminator Bot in this post. But you can find it in the link to CDROM.COM. Perhaps I should include it, but I prefer dynamic rather than static Bots. Dynamic Bots learn the level as they go and usually can play any map. Static Bots can only play maps that have been processed specifically for them. You will however notice that for Quake2 I have included the Eraser Bot. As this Bot progresses, I just may change my mind about static Bots.).

RANTS AND RAVES

Okay, I have found my first and maybe last article for "Rants & Raves." This page will probably be put to better use later on. But, here goes . . .

I am a hacker at heart. No, not the kind that breaks into computer systems; the kind that loves to get into a program and figure out how it works—even messing around with the code. I have done this with some of the Quake addons. I have already done it with Quake2! When there is a sound or skin or texture that I don't like, I hack it. My first experience with hacking goes back to WordPerfect 5.1. (Am I dating myself?) I learned to use a hex editor to bring WordPerfect under submission and display things the way I wanted it to. Great fun! Great learning! Next, I took aim at some games (like Sim City 2000) and hacked the save files to give myself billions. I have even written a little code too. I wrote a averaging program in QBASIC. Nothing fancy, but it works. I also write an occasional macro in Word95 and Word97. Again, nothing special. Alright, so maybe I'm a "hacker-lite." (Or is that "hacker-wimp"?) I still like to dabble in code and play with a hex editor.

All of this brings me to HTML. As I have said elsewhere on my page, I am having to use Word97 for most of my HTML coding. But, it's not good enough. You can use Word97 for a simple no-frills page. But, I wanted more. So, Garebear to the rescue! All he uses to HTML is good old WordPad. Garebear sure makes it look easy. Frames and all! He does some major work to maintain this site. But when I jump in, I have to use Word97 and it messes things up here and there. So, now I am forced to learn a little code as I go, and I am forced to use WordPad. I don't really mind.

One of the first things I learned is that Word97 does not handle frames. Everytime I updated or added a link, Word97 would "capture" that link within my frames when you clicked to go to another site. So you would have someone else's site "captured" within my site. I don't know about you, but I consider that rude and tacky. What is more, you could end up with a frames site within a frames site. It just doesn't work. So here is the code I had to track down and insert into (i.e., add to the link) the HTML after Word97 messed with it:

target="_top"

Now, aren't you glad you read this far? You have learned so much on this odyssey into the netherworld of HTML. What have we learned? No, what have I learned from all of this? I have learned that putting up a web page and maintaining the site is a LOT OF HARD WORK AND TROUBLE! I now have an even greater admiration for quality web sites. I have also learned that there are a lot of really nice people out there in the Internet community who care and are willing to help. So, this rant is really a rave! A rave about YOU who have bothered to even look at my site and read this far. And all I want to say is THANK-YOU! Many of you have been gracious enough to even email me. Several quality web sites like PlanetQuake, Quake2.com, Inside3D, and perhaps others, have also mentioned me on their pages. Thanks again. I'll do my best, to keep doing my best.

Randar