Player Won't Research

[TechGeek001]

Hi all - I'm the new guy on the block. Been passively browsing this site for some time, particularly this section, and have found it to be very helpful. Now I have a problem of my own.
I am incorporating AI into my map but have run into a significant problem. I am running said AI through a trigger made up of simple if-then-else statements. The idea is that after a while, there's so many if-then-else's that the AI will be able to react to virtually any situation.
Before I can start on that, I have to fix the basics. My map is played similar to Footmen vs Grunts, where you have a building containing custom upgrades that are linked to spawning units through the trigger event "Unit finishes research" and the condition "Research equal to X". For example:
Player 1 researches the Sergeant unit.

Research Sergeant
    Events
        Unit - A unit Finishes research
    Conditions
        (Researched tech-type) Equal to Recruit Sergeant 
    Actions
        If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
            If - Conditions
                (Current research level of (Researched tech-type) for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
            Then - Actions
                Player Group - Pick every player in (Player group((Triggering player))) and do (Actions)
                    Loop - Actions
                        Trigger - Run Summon Sergeant <gen> (checking conditions)

Summon Sergeant
    Events
    Conditions
    Actions
...
                    Then - Actions
                        Unit - Create 1 Sergeant for (Triggering player) at ((Triggering player) start location) facing Default building facing degrees
                        Special Effect - Create a special effect attached to the origin of (Last created unit) using Abilities\Spells\Human\HolyBolt\HolyBoltSpecialArt.mdl
...
            Else - Actions
                Do nothing
...
            Then - Actions
                Trigger - Run (This trigger) (ignoring conditions)
            Else - Actions
                Do nothing

I omitted nonessential bits and pieces from the above triggers, I think this gives off the basic idea. Ignore mem leaks, haven't gotten to those yet.
Anyways, the AI is initiated by detecting wether or not the player slot is used, if it is then nothing happens, if not, then the AI script is run, telling it what to research and in what order through linear if-then-else statements.
I have discovered that there is something unusual going on when researching. It appears that the AI will not research any upgrade that costs anything above 0 gold.

Initiate AI
...
        Player Group - Pick every player in AI_West and do (Actions)
            Loop - Actions
                Set RNG[(Player number of (Picked player))] = (Random integer number between 1 and 4)
                If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
                    If - Conditions
                        RNG[(Player number of (Picked player))] Equal to 1
                    Then - Actions
                        Unit Group - Pick every unit in (Units owned by (Picked player) of type Giant Rock [HQ]) and do (Actions)
                            Loop - Actions
                                Trigger - Run Human AI Norm <gen> (checking conditions)

Human AI Norm
    Events
    Conditions
    Actions
        Unit - Order (Picked unit) to research Alliance Forces 
        Wait 2.00 seconds
        Unit - Order (Picked unit) to research Recruit Sergeant

Alliance Forces is a free upgrade that sets the race of the player.
Sergeant is an upgrade that costs 900 gold.
All players start the game with 1000 gold - it was confirmed that the player had enough gold for the Recruit Sergeant research by displaying the player's gold as an integer converted to a string to all players during a local test.
The AI will research Alliance Forces when it is free, but when the cost to research is set to any nonzero number, it will not be researched.
I have tested this on multiple computers (Vista and XP) and have found the same results. I'm hoping that somewhere among this crowd of brilliance someone knows, or at least has some kind of workaround to this issue.
-Thanks for your time :banghead: :nuts:

 

[demotry241]

firstly.. terms such as "picked unit" and "triggering player" like on your last trigger only validates units that is picked on the same trigger.., it will never pick a unit from another trigger.

suggestion:

store the unit group into a variable..

on your first and second trigger..

the second trigger fails.. because

the trigger is run by the first trigger.

and on the action of the second trigger.. there is no "triggering player"
since the event of triggering it is done by another trigger.


in short.. it fails.

 

[Sirroelivan]

Why don't you use the regular AI - editor, for the researching and training of units (you can use conditions in it) + you can send AI command to your AI + some minor triggers.

1. Regular AI editor for buildorder and researches.
2. You can add conditions like how many units the AI has, resources, etc...
3. For conditions that don't exist in the AI editor, make a condition that relies on a certain AI command, then use a trigger to check your actual conditions and send the correct AI command to the AI

For example:

AI Condition

(Last command sent, Remove the command) equal to [B]0[/B]

Trigger

Command
    Events
        Time - Every 2.00 seconds of game time
    Conditions
        Your Condition
    Actions
        AI - Send Player 1 (Red) the AI Command ([B]0[/B], 0)

The bold numbers correspond.

4. For other things use triggers. The advantage you get by using AI - editor is that the AI will auto-manage it's troops.

 

[TechGeek001]

I suppose I really shouldn't have omitted parts of the trigger - maybe they'll make more sense this time around:

demotry241: Even if it's only by accident, the first and second triggers have been working for a little over six months now.

Research Sergeant
    Events
        Unit - A unit Finishes research
    Conditions
        (Researched tech-type) Equal to Recruit Sergeant 
    Actions
        If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
            If - Conditions
                (Current research level of (Researched tech-type) for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
            Then - Actions
                Player Group - Pick every player in (Player group((Triggering player))) and do (Actions)
                    Loop - Actions
                        Trigger - Run Summon Sergeant <gen> (checking conditions)
                If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
                    If - Conditions
                        And - All (Conditions) are true
                            Conditions
                                (Current research level of Recruit Sergeant  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Rifleman  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Healer  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Priestess  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Knight  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Dwarven Scout  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Cannon Team  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Battle Mage  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Traitor Warrior  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Roflcopter  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                                (Current research level of Recruit Tank  for (Triggering player)) Equal to 1
                    Then - Actions
                        Player - Set the current research level of Recruit All Units  to 1 for (Triggering player)
                    Else - Actions
                        Do nothing
            Else - Actions
                Leaderboard - Change the label for Player 2 (Blue) in UnitTimer[(Player number of (Triggering player))] to Master Sergeant

Summon Sergeant
    Events
    Conditions
    Actions
        Countdown Timer - Start Timer_Human_0_Sergeant[(Player number of (Triggering player))] as a Repeating timer that will expire in 27.00 seconds
        Wait 27.00 seconds
        If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
            If - Conditions
                And - All (Conditions) are true
                    Conditions
                        ((Picked player) is in Temp_UnitCountExcess) Equal to False
                        ((Picked player) is in Left_Misconduct) Equal to False
            Then - Actions
                If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
                    If - Conditions
                        (Current research level of Recruit Sergeant  for (Triggering player)) Not equal to 3
                    Then - Actions
                        Unit - Create 1 Sergeant for (Triggering player) at ((Triggering player) start location) facing Default building facing degrees
                        Special Effect - Create a special effect attached to the origin of (Last created unit) using Abilities\Spells\Human\HolyBolt\HolyBoltSpecialArt.mdl
                    Else - Actions
                        Unit - Create 1 Master Sergeant for (Triggering player) at ((Picked player) start location) facing Default building facing degrees
                        Special Effect - Create a special effect attached to the origin of (Last created unit) using Abilities\Spells\Human\HolyBolt\HolyBoltSpecialArt.mdl
            Else - Actions
                Do nothing
        If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)
            If - Conditions
                ((Picked player) is in Left_Misconduct) Equal to False
            Then - Actions
                Trigger - Run (This trigger) (ignoring conditions)
            Else - Actions
                Do nothing

I use the leaderboard as a unit timer of sorts, since there are a total of 12 units you can research and 12 players - create a leaderboard array for the 10 players each with their own unit countdown stats. The player title is renamed with the unit spawning, and the score is updated every second with the current state of the timer seen on Summon Sergeant. Like this:

Sirroelivan: I haven't actually ever used the AI editor before - took a quick glance around but it didn't really seem to have the stuff I needed. There aren't actually any buildings that need to be placed - like I said before, think of this map as a Footmen vs Grunts 2, the only things that really happen are research and unit orders. I'll give it a shot though, see what comes up.

In regards to my first post, I've found through experimentation that if a human-controlled player is given the research Sergeant order it will obey, but unoccupied slots will not.

 

[AceHart]

Somewhat confusing that thing...


> Countdown Timer - Start Timer_Human_0_Sergeant[(Player number of (Triggering player))] as a Repeating timer that will expire in 27.00 seconds

This should probably use "Picked player".


> Wait 27.00 seconds

And this breaks it all.
Waits don't work inside "pick every"s.


> Even if it's only by accident

FWIW, it's by design.

 

[TechGeek001]

AceHeart: It is indeed outside of the pick every -

Summon Sergeant
    Events
    Conditions
    Actions
        Countdown Timer - Start Timer_Human_0_Sergeant[(Player number of (Triggering player))] as a Repeating timer that will expire in 27.00 seconds
        [B]Wait 27.00 seconds[/B]
        If (All Conditions are True) then do (Then Actions) else do (Else Actions)

If you're referring to the player group in the first trigger, since there's only one player I don't see it being a problem.
Then again - I've been wrong before.

 

[AceHart]

> If you're referring to the player group in the first trigger

That makes it "inside". Even with just one player.


> Trigger - Run (This trigger)

Actually, once the original trigger ends, the event response used here is not valid anymore either...


Well, the design is pretty much hopeless.
What is this supposed to do?

 

[TechGeek001]

In a nutshell what these two triggers do is detect when a player has researched, and if the upgrade researched is, in this case, Sergeant, then the second trigger will run, summoning a Sergeant every 27 seconds.

 

[TechGeek001]

I suppose this has gotten somewhat off topic.
My problem is this:
Player slots that are not occupied by humans that are registered in the map as "Player-controlled" do not give bounty, do not research anything that has a gold amount attached to it and will not respond properly to cheats such as "whosyourdaddy"when tested offline.
My question is why, and what I can do to repair the situation.

 

[TechGeek001]

I suppose nobody has...any idea at all.
?