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[hector212121]

Basically, I want doors that open (or close) the moment they get power. No toggle-on-and-off, no unpowered opening. They'd have higher HP and so on.

This would allow you to remotely open the doors. Why is this important?

Turrets. You could have a whole batch of turrets and keep someone on hand near a power switch so whenever a enemy gets near, the hatches slam shut in their face.

It's cheesy, but it's also a tactic that you COULD use in real life.

[Zombra]

I'd say the game doesn't need more invitations to be cheesy/exploitative.  Just because it "COULD" happen in real life doesn't make it good gameplay or necessary to include.

[rexx1888]

once again, can we look a the other applications of this though... like emergency vents for fires or hatchs to keep out man hunter packs or fend off assault by mechanoids... a hardier door that is essentially a wall piece could be super handy aside from shooting at dudes....

[b0rsuk]

And this is why it won't be added to the game. Autodoors used to be remotely controlled. Tynan decided it allows too many exploits.

[hector212121]

No, autodoors used to be instantly, magically controlled. What I'm suggesting is a semi-manual door that you have to toggle the power of(either through switch or manually toggling) to change.

[b0rsuk]

It wouldn't change much. You could lead attackers one way towards turrets, then remotely close door so they have to go another way. Then close the 2nd way and open the 1st way. Tynan is not a fan of killboxes.

[hector212121]

This could be solved with AI. Make it so you can only change paths twice before deciding to go through walls, eh?

[Zombra]

It could also be solved by not putting it in at all

[hector212121]

I'm sorry, but honestly, the wall-related AI already needs a overhaul without this.

Case in point: The Cask of Amontillado(Aka, walling in a entire trade caravan)

[Zombra]

Hey, no one's arguing against fixing existing expoits.

[Vaporisor]

The only way I could see cool would be a functional standpoint first with things like firedoors and for controlling ventilation, etc.

after that, we are talking serious AI work so it won't be majority exploiting the AI.

[hector212121]

How would it be serious?

You could have it so the AI is willing to take X number of steps before it starts attacking walls.

You could have it assign threat to anything that inflicts injury and pursue it even if the path is cut off.

ETC

[Vaporisor]

AI work is probably one of the most difficult parts in game development.  Even moreso to make one that cannot be exploited.  A damage pursuit flagging allows for things like tag or ping pong with the npcs or make even more complex killboxes possible.

Something simple could be open up door with turret.  Guys go after turret.  Close door and open up ten flanking turrets.  How does one have the AI respond.  Still try breaking down the door while being shredded?

Autodoors that vent temp?  First thing I would do is pile wood or flammables in it.  Lure a group of guys in, light a couple fires, then slam doors down, or have a subdivided hallway lined with heaters.

Essentially that is the part that makes it so difficult.  Having to have an AI that acts intelligently regardless of the change in circumstances.  This way it doesn't walk into otherwise obvious traps and so they know how to get back out. 

The way to do that would be it would need to route regardless of doors and assume it will need to tear down doors.  On top of that, have things like evading turrets.  The easiest way is to have a value to break down a door or wall equal to the pathing value.  Add on turrets to that and evading priority over attacking turrets if there is another route.

An AI is never really an AI.  It is just programming something to react to all possibilities.  Like with knowing traps so the npcs can evade them then that trap spot is useless.  Making NPC's break down walls and doors is easy.  But with auto open and close door exposing and ending routes to flagged threats, that is a lot of work to do without making npcs ping pong.

[hector212121]

But you see, the thing is that in real life, you'd have 'rock and a hard place' setups like that. And in moments of panic, who says that the AI should act intelligently?

[Vaporisor]

Well, in real life, there is much more complexity to the system.  The ability to split up, fall back, gather intel and plan for weakspots.  So in the case of my example of trying to pinball with one hatch at first with one gun, then ten opening behind, the smart AI would fall back and hit somewhere else all together.   

Result would be the only way to have a killzone, is the entire perimeter is a killzone.  Then your pawn's path is now the weakpoint and the killbox play is now over.  An overall win since if you have fixed emplacements, and the AI is exploiting a weakness, you need your mobile pawns for defense.  Now hatches aren't so bad since the AI is accounting for that and hitting accordingly.  That makes it very much more like an RTS AI, but that is quite complex for a ground up build from a single person.

The only way to do it is if all fixed emplacements have their threat range as part of AI routing and the AIs better plan wall breaching.  They will go towards the weakest location.  That would need to include your pawn's threat as well.

Potentially better AI targeting even to disable firmly entrenched defences.  60 turrets at a one way in takes a lot of power.  For vanilla, that means you have one heck of a power vulnerability somewhere.