Code center > Suggestions
Suggesting a cost for .fixpos
Testlund:
...so if I understand it correctly a certain setting for friction in the gui would automatically fix a bot a at a certain strength against the background depending on it's .texture value, making it harder to "scrape it off", and would also mean it would cost the bot a little more to achieve it. The harder it wants to stay fixed the more energy it has to invest in it.
EricL:
--- Quote from: Testlund ---...so if I understand it correctly a certain setting for friction in the gui would automatically fix a bot a at a certain strength against the background depending on it's .texture value, making it harder to "scrape it off",
--- End quote ---
This is essentially what I am suggesting. You set the characteristics of the field surface just as you do today. If bots don't set .texture, then the degree to which they experience surface friction is identical to today. Note that initially I am only suggesting that texture impacts surface friction, not fluid resistance.
If a bot sets .texture to some value, say 1-100 with 100 being the max, then they would experience additional friction. I would tune it such that at a value of 100, they would essentially be fixed and immune to all but the most severe forces. But a small bot with .texture of 100 would still likely slide if impacted by a large bot. Note that I would MOD values by 100 to increase the probability of mutations hitting in the range. Note also we could make the range -100 -> 100 if we wanted where negative values would decrease friction. Or we could have slime act as a lubricate and decrease friction or whatever.
--- Quote from: Testlund ---and would also mean it would cost the bot a little more to achieve it. The harder it wants to stay fixed the more energy it has to invest in it.
--- End quote ---
The topic of what it costs is to me an orthoginal discussion. We could very well have no costs associated with setting or changing values of .texture. Its not clear to me that the right model is to charge more for having a rougher texture. We don't change for having more ties or carrying more nrg for example.
Another idea is that I could simply make today's fixed bots behave as if they have .texture of 100 and forgo the new sysvar entirely. If the main issue is realistic physics when bots impact fixed bots, this simple change would address that....
Nitus:
You could have a .texture work similar to slime, perhaps, but without the "evaporation" factor - a one time cost as the bot secretes "grease" or lays down "bumps". Have "normal" somewhere between the two extremes of "greasy" and "bumpy" and cost nothing. I could see that general suggestion working - per cycle costs would possibly even be irrelevant from my perspective with that sort of system, because whatever benefits or disadvantages in terms of friction would automatically work within the physics of the sim.
Numsgil:
We could incorporate it in to existing substances, eg: slime makes you slippery, and decreases friction, shell makes your rough, and increases friction. IF you have both they sort of cancel out. Or we can make a new substance, but I have reservations about making a new substance just for friction. If we could incorporate it in to some other gameplay elements as well I'd like it more.
EricL:
For 2.43.1M, I think I'm going to explore the easy way out and just see if I can make being fixed not quite such an absolute as opposed to inveting new sysvars or substances. The idea is that fixing will stop your motion and still stick you hard enough such that in most cases, the change in bahaviour from prior builds won't be noticable, but under the covers, I'm going to see if I can make fixation utilize the same code as the coeffecient of static friction, even in cases where there is no z-axis gravity. The idea is to tune it such that bots can still use fixing in combat or mulitbots like inchworm can use it to propel themselves, but strong enough collisions will dislodge them. I'm thinking that if a bot does get dislodged (I.e. the under-the-covers coeffecient of static friction is overcome) it will need to fix itself again to halt it's mostion and stop. This I think will best simulate the mental "suction cup" model I think most people have for fixation.
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