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Around the Walls

Lesson 17 of 20 in Coddy's Roblox Game: Battlegrounds course.

Hide in the shelter in the corner of the arena and the bot walks straight into its back wall and stays there. Walking straight at you only works when nothing is in the way.

First, is anything in the way? workspace:Raycast(origin, direction, params) sends a ray and returns a RaycastResult for the first part it hits, or nil. If it hits nothing, or hits you, walk straight.

Otherwise ask PathfindingService for a path around the walls, and walk to its next waypoint. The loop asks again a quarter second later, from wherever the bot has got to:

path:ComputeAsync(root.Position, goal)
local points = path:GetWaypoints()
if path.Status == Enum.PathStatus.Success and points[2] then
	bot.Humanoid:MoveTo(points[2].Position)
end

points[1] is where the bot already stands, so the next step is points[2].

challenge icon

Challenge

Hard
  1. Get PathfindingService, and make one path per bot in runBot: local path = PathfindingService:CreatePath().
  2. Write walkToward(bot, target, path): raycast from the bot's root to the target's root, leaving the bot out; if nothing (or the target) is hit, MoveTo the target; otherwise compute the path and MoveTo its second waypoint.
  3. Chase with walkToward.

Press Play and hide in the shelter. Then Check.

Try it yourself

local Players = game:GetService("Players")
local ServerStorage = game:GetService("ServerStorage")
local Debris = game:GetService("Debris")
local Settings = require(game.ReplicatedStorage.Settings)

local remotes = game.ReplicatedStorage.Remotes
local bots = workspace.Bots
local lastSwing = {} -- player -> when they last swung
local combo = {} -- player -> { hits in a row, when the last one landed }

-- Roblox's own sword animations
local slash = Instance.new("Animation")
slash.AnimationId = "rbxassetid://522635514"
local lunge = Instance.new("Animation")
lunge.AnimationId = "rbxassetid://522638767"

print("Swords deal " .. Settings.SwordDamage .. " damage")

-- A number that floats over whoever was hit, for a moment
local function damageNumber(character, amount)
	local root = character:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart")
	if not root then
		return
	end
	local tag = Instance.new("BillboardGui")
	tag.Name = "Damage"
	tag.Size = UDim2.fromOffset(60, 30)
	tag.StudsOffset = Vector3.new(0, 4.5, 0)
	tag.Adornee = root
	local text = Instance.new("TextLabel")
	text.Size = UDim2.fromScale(1, 1)
	text.BackgroundTransparency = 1
	text.TextColor3 = Color3.fromRGB(255, 220, 80)
	text.TextScaled = true
	text.Text = "-" .. math.round(amount)
	text.Parent = tag
	tag.Parent = character
	Debris:AddItem(tag, 0.8)
end

-- Every hit in the game goes through here
local function hurt(humanoid, amount)
	if humanoid.Health <= 0 then
		return
	end
	local character = humanoid.Parent
	-- a block takes most of the hit
	if character:GetAttribute("Blocking") then
		amount *= Settings.BlockMultiplier
	end
	humanoid:TakeDamage(amount)
	damageNumber(character, amount)
end

-- A stun freezes someone for a moment
local function stun(humanoid)
	local character = humanoid.Parent
	if character:GetAttribute("Stunned") then
		return
	end
	character:SetAttribute("Stunned", true)
	local speed = humanoid.WalkSpeed
	humanoid.WalkSpeed = 0
	task.delay(Settings.StunTime, function()
		if character.Parent then
			humanoid.WalkSpeed = speed
			character:SetAttribute("Stunned", nil)
		end
	end)
end

-- A swing: the animation, then everyone in the box in front of you is hit
local function swing(player)
	local character = player.Character
	local root = character and character:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart")
	if not root or character.Humanoid.Health <= 0 then
		return
	end
	local now = time()
	if lastSwing[player] and now - lastSwing[player] < Settings.SwingCooldown then
		return
	end
	lastSwing[player] = now
	-- three swings in a row make a combo; the third is a lunge
	local c = combo[player]
	if c and now - c.last <= Settings.ComboWindow then
		c.count = c.count % 3 + 1
	else
		c = { count = 1 }
		combo[player] = c
	end
	c.last = now
	local finisher = c.count == 3
	character.Humanoid.Animator:LoadAnimation(finisher and lunge or slash):Play()
	-- the box in front of you, never your own body
	local params = OverlapParams.new()
	params.FilterDescendantsInstances = { character }
	local box = root.CFrame * CFrame.new(0, 0, -3)
	local hit = {} -- each humanoid once per swing
	for _, part in workspace:GetPartBoundsInBox(box, Settings.HitboxSize, params) do
		local humanoid = part.Parent:FindFirstChildOfClass("Humanoid")
		if humanoid and not hit[humanoid] then
			hit[humanoid] = true
			hurt(humanoid, Settings.ComboDamage[c.count])
			if finisher then
				stun(humanoid)
			end
		end
	end
end

-- The abilities, by name: what each one does
local abilities = {}

function abilities.Dash(player, character, root)
	root.AssemblyLinearVelocity = root.CFrame.LookVector * Settings.DashSpeed + Vector3.new(0, 15, 0)
end

-- everyone around you is hit and thrown away from you
function abilities.Slam(player, character, root)
	local params = OverlapParams.new()
	params.FilterDescendantsInstances = { character }
	local hit = {}
	for _, part in workspace:GetPartBoundsInRadius(root.Position, Settings.SlamRadius, params) do
		local humanoid = part.Parent:FindFirstChildOfClass("Humanoid")
		local theirRoot = part.Parent:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart")
		if humanoid and theirRoot and not hit[humanoid] then
			hit[humanoid] = true
			hurt(humanoid, Settings.SlamDamage)
			local away = (theirRoot.Position - root.Position) * Vector3.new(1, 0, 1)
			if away.Magnitude > 0 then
				away = away.Unit
			end
			theirRoot:ApplyImpulse((away * Settings.SlamKnockback + Vector3.new(0, 40, 0)) * theirRoot.AssemblyMass)
		end
	end
end

function abilities.Block(player, character)
	character:SetAttribute("Blocking", true)
	task.delay(Settings.BlockTime, function()
		if character.Parent then
			character:SetAttribute("Blocking", nil)
		end
	end)
end

-- The client asks for an ability by name. The server checks it: a real
-- ability, a living player, and its cooldown over. When it is ready again
-- is an attribute of the player, so their screen can show it.
remotes.Ability.OnServerEvent:Connect(function(player, name)
	if typeof(name) ~= "string" or not abilities[name] then
		return
	end
	local character = player.Character
	local root = character and character:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart")
	if not root or character.Humanoid.Health <= 0 then
		return
	end
	local now = workspace:GetServerTimeNow()
	if now < (player:GetAttribute(name .. "ReadyAt") or 0) then
		return
	end
	player:SetAttribute(name .. "ReadyAt", now + Settings.Cooldowns[name])
	abilities[name](player, character, root)
end)

-- Every player gets Kills on the leaderboard, and a sword every life
Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player)
	local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder")
	leaderstats.Name = "leaderstats"
	leaderstats.Parent = player

	local kills = Instance.new("IntValue")
	kills.Name = "Kills"
	kills.Parent = leaderstats

	player.CharacterAdded:Connect(function()
		local sword = ServerStorage.Sword:Clone()
		sword.Parent = player.Backpack
		sword.Activated:Connect(function()
			swing(player)
		end)
	end)
end)

-- The training dummy: its health bar follows its health, and a beaten
-- dummy comes back after a moment, a fresh copy in the same place
local function setupDummy(dummy)
	local humanoid = dummy.Humanoid
	humanoid.HealthChanged:Connect(function(health)
		dummy.HealthBar.Back.Fill.Size = UDim2.fromScale(health / humanoid.MaxHealth, 1)
	end)
	humanoid.Died:Connect(function()
		local spot = dummy:GetPivot()
		task.wait(0.5)
		dummy:Destroy()
		task.wait(Settings.DummyRespawn)
		local fresh = ServerStorage.Dummy:Clone()
		fresh:PivotTo(spot)
		fresh.Parent = workspace
		setupDummy(fresh)
	end)
end
setupDummy(workspace.Dummy)

-- The nearest living player's character a bot can see, and how far it is
local function nearestCharacter(position)
	local best, bestDistance = nil, Settings.BotSight
	for _, player in Players:GetPlayers() do
		local character = player.Character
		local root = character and character:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart")
		if root and character.Humanoid.Health > 0 then
			local distance = (root.Position - position).Magnitude
			if distance < bestDistance then
				best, bestDistance = character, distance
			end
		end
	end
	return best, bestDistance
end

-- A bot's mind: every quarter second it looks around and decides
local function runBot(bot)
	local humanoid = bot.Humanoid
	local root = bot.HumanoidRootPart
	local lastAttack = 0
	while bot.Parent and humanoid.Health > 0 do
		local target, distance = nearestCharacter(root.Position)
		local state
		if bot:GetAttribute("Stunned") then
			state = "Stunned"
		elseif humanoid.Health < humanoid.MaxHealth * Settings.RetreatAt then
			state = "Retreat"
		elseif not target then
			state = "Idle"
		elseif distance <= Settings.BotRange then
			state = "Attack"
		else
			state = "Chase"
		end
		bot:SetAttribute("State", state)
		if state == "Chase" then
			humanoid:MoveTo(target.HumanoidRootPart.Position)
		elseif state == "Attack" then
			humanoid:MoveTo(root.Position)
			if time() - lastAttack >= Settings.BotAttackCooldown then
				lastAttack = time()
				humanoid.Animator:LoadAnimation(slash):Play()
				hurt(target.Humanoid, Settings.BotDamage)
			end
		elseif state == "Retreat" and target then
			local away = (root.Position - target.HumanoidRootPart.Position) * Vector3.new(1, 0, 1)
			if away.Magnitude > 0 then
				humanoid:MoveTo(root.Position + away.Unit * 12)
			end
		else
			humanoid:MoveTo(root.Position)
		end
		task.wait(0.25)
	end
end

-- A new bot on the red pad, with its numbers and a health bar
local function spawnBot()
	local bot = ServerStorage.Bot:Clone()
	bot:PivotTo(workspace.BotSpawn.CFrame + Vector3.new(0, 3, 0))
	bot.Humanoid.MaxHealth = Settings.BotHealth
	bot.Humanoid.Health = Settings.BotHealth
	bot.Humanoid.WalkSpeed = Settings.BotSpeed
	bot.Parent = bots
	-- keep the bot's physics on the server, so the slam's knockback moves it
	bot.HumanoidRootPart:SetNetworkOwner(nil)
	bot.Humanoid.HealthChanged:Connect(function(health)
		bot.HealthBar.Back.Fill.Size = UDim2.fromScale(health / bot.Humanoid.MaxHealth, 1)
	end)
	task.spawn(runBot, bot)
end

spawnBot()
quiz iconTest yourself

This lesson includes a short quiz. Start the lesson to answer it and track your progress.

All lessons in Roblox Game: Battlegrounds