Nodes, NPCs and Stairs Created 12 years ago2012-01-13 18:56:42 UTC by Archie

So despite working almost exclusively in Goldsource for the past 6 months, (thanks very much, The Core) I still find myself forgetting how I used to do things back in my HL1 mapping days.

So I have some NPCs who simply refuse to climb a set of wide stairs despite there being nodes at the foot, middle and top of them. If it was Source, I'd use an NPCclip brush to make the stairs into a triangular slope as far as the nav mesh is concerned, but I just can't remember how to solve this in Goldsource.

The stairs are standard Source dimensions (12b x 8h)

I've never really used nodes before but I remember being told you have to use a node on each step. Try that.

Or make a clip brush that makes it like going up a slanted walkway?

Tried that, dimbark. Didn't work. Trying putting a node on every step now.

I know nothing about npcs since i really never used them, but maybe you could disable/un-render/kill the npcs when they get to the bottom of the stairs and then enable/render/activate a new npc to take it's place, and maybe he will be willing to go up the stairs?

I think npcs stop following u if the height difference between the two of you gets too high. Dunno much about npc's and stairs, but there was this one part of blue shift where the rosenberg was scripted to go down a flight of stairs. Perhaps if nothing else works, u can try scripting the npc to go up the stairs.

it's a script I was having the most trouble with since it was the only one absolutely required to go up the stairs. Putting nodes on the centre of every step seems to have done it, but it's hella messy in Hammer because the 3D in-editor model for nodes is fucking massive.
Keeping in mind that this is for The Core, and cenoff1 (the map i've shown most in the WIP thread) is basically one massive staircase, this is a total pain in the ass.

are you gonna hit the entity limit?

entity limit is for visual entities only, isn't it?

There is an entity limit in Goldsource, but it is really high (about 2048 I think, someone confirm?)

The visual entity limit is significantly smaller as you probably know.

But for stairs, when contructing the node graph, Half-Life doesn't recognise stairs as a solid and required you to put a node on each step. Due to their close proximity, Half-Life recognises that nodes so close together obviously must connect and makes that assumption. If you don't put one on each step, Half-Life assumes there is a significant elevation and that there may not be a logical path to get to the other node, so it won't connect them.

Half-Life is dumb when it comes to node graphs so always use lots of nodes where possible with complex geometry or stairs.

I don't think I've ever had this problem with Half-Life. I'm pretty sure I've used stairs before...

This calls for an investigation! To Hammer.

(Bugger. At work. I'll have to write myself a postit note that is cryptic to all the none hammer users in the office. "Test stairs in Hammer")