Thief bot suppression?

[seeker3]

Hi all,I'm new here and recently started playing Descent 1 and 2 again.I have tried both D1X and D2X Rebirth and also D2X-XL.I have nothing but praise for all involved in these projects,I think it's great to be able to play these games in all their splendor,and I'm having a blast:) The problem I'm having is with D2X-XL and sound issues,no matter what I try,the weapon sounds cut out.I press the fire button and voila;no sounds.So at this time I'm sticking with Rebirth.Now as far as the thiefbot goes,he annoys the hell out of me! I know a lot of players like it,but not me.Now my question is this:Is there a way to suppress it in D2X-Rebirth? D2X-XL has an option to do that but I can't see anywhere to do it in Rebirth.Is there a command line way to do it? I remember reading/learning how to do it years ago but I can't find anything anywhere explaining it now.Just in case their is no way to do it,but there is a way to fix the sound problems, I have Soundmax onboard sound on WinXP SP3.Thanks.

[Pumo]

Hi Seeker3.

The problems you're having with sounds with XL can be fixed by installing the hi-res sounds pack (here: http://www.descent2.de/files/sound/hires-sounds.7z) on your XL installation folder. It's a common problem on XL but very easy to fix (generally, D2X-XL works better with hi-res stuff and looks prettier ).

And regarding Rebirth, as for now it doesn't includes any way to disable Thiefbot,
but if you want this feature you may discuse an option to add it with Zico for the next release (be it here or on dxx-rebirth forums).
Zico is working hard right now making the next release (that includes a new and cool vector reticle and some neat and organized options for Multiplayer), so I think this is the right moment to ask for the feature you want.

Also, as a last resort, you can delete the thiefbots on the levels you wanna play directly on any editor (Devil, DMB2, DLE-XP) but it would be a tedious work.

Hope this helps!

[seeker3]

Thanks for the reply,and yes it does help.I think I will go and make that suggestion right now

[karx11erx]

D2X-XL allows to suppress thief bots - no need to edit levels.

If you are going to use D2X-XL ut would probably be a good idea to register at the D2X-XL forum and ask directly there when you need help.

[MD-2389]

Or you could just kill the little bastard, and not worry about it. You don't have to hunt him down, he'll come to you! The easiest way, is to just either drop a smart mine JUST past a door so it triggers the second it opens, or to nail it in the face with a flash missile and pound the living hell out of it with your weapons. Remember, if you hit a robot with vulcan rounds, it can't respond.

[Tunnelcat]

You're forgetting that secret level in D2 where the little bastard respawns EVERY TIME you kill it. It's either fly fast or just eliminate it from the level if you don't want to be constantly harassed.

My favorite method is to go around the level until it shows up, then hightail it to a room, preferably one with no back way in that it can use to flank you. Waiting just behind a door is a nice spot, have patience, then you can clobber it with the gauss or vulcan cannon when the door opens. It's good to soften it up first with a few prox or smart mines left just behind the door it wants to come through.

I once trapped it in a mine entry room on a Quartzon level. I managed to fly up to the door and block it with my Pyro before it could backtrack and it was just a riot to watch because it was totally freaking out trying to get past me through the narrow door I was blocking. Couldn't get past my gauss though!

[MD-2389]

Oh, that's a fun level too! You get to exact revenge on the little sucker repeatedly!

Seriously though, as annoying as the thief is, it's there for a reason. Keeping a watchful eye out for it will help you last longer in multi-player matches.

[Alter-Fox]

You're forgetting that secret level in D2 where the little bastard respawns EVERY TIME you kill it. It's either fly fast or just eliminate it from the level if you don't want to be constantly harassed.

My favorite method is to go around the level until it shows up, then hightail it to a room, preferably one with no back way in that it can use to flank you. Waiting just behind a door is a nice spot, have patience, then you can clobber it with the gauss or vulcan cannon when the door opens. It's good to soften it up first with a few prox or smart mines left just behind the door it wants to come through.

I once trapped it in a mine entry room on a Quartzon level. I managed to fly up to the door and block it with my Pyro before it could backtrack and it was just a riot to watch because it was totally freaking out trying to get past me through the narrow door I was blocking. Couldn't get past my gauss though!

That's how I deal with him every time.

[Krom]

I used to just go on a rampage chasing it all over the place, leaving a trail of destruction in my wake. It was always a blast rushing after it and completely pulverizing every regular robot that got in the way, in some maps if the theif was especially slippery you could clear half the level in the process of chasing it. Nothing could beat finally cornering it somewhere with no escape and just unloading a constant stream of firepower pinning it to a wall till it finally died.

[seeker3]

Yeah it can be a blast,their is no doubt about that,and I usually do it with two of the methods you guys mentioned;I either wait for it in a room it can't get out of or chase it 'til I kill it like Krom said.But I would still like the option in Rebirth to suppress the little bastard when I'm not in the mood,lol.I fixed XL so the sound works now,so I guess I could just play XL when I don't want him around,and then play Rebirth when I want to unload some frustration on the little sob:)

[Tunnelcat]

Seriously though, as annoying as the thief is, it's there for a reason. Keeping a watchful eye out for it will help you last longer in multi-player matches.

I agree. That's the only bot in D2 that has any modicum of intelligence. None of the other bots will chase or hunt you down, they're dumb as bricks, and it gives you valuable practice for fighting other humans in multiplayer. But it does have a simple algorithm that's easy to beat.

[Sirius]

None of the other bots will chase or hunt you down

Oh yes they will... on a high enough skill level. More so if the AI is set to something like "snipe", but as I recall not many of the original D2 robots actually had that. I've seen a level that did though, and it was patently evil...

[Alter-Fox]

BPer bots and Green Spiders in Bahagad Outbreak...
I've seen some robots switch from normal AI to snipe if you put too much pressure on them.

[Tunnelcat]

None of the other bots will chase or hunt you down

Oh yes they will... on a high enough skill level. More so if the AI is set to something like "snipe", but as I recall not many of the original D2 robots actually had that. I've seen a level that did though, and it was patently evil...

Yes, you're right, especially in D3, but only the thief bot really gets my dander up. It's a pest that must die before all other mine clearing business is attended to and I've gotten into trouble chasing the thing to ground. Many of the other bots may be smart, but the thief bot seems more, I don't know, "human"?

[vision]

I always thought the thief bot should be a little easier to kill only because it seems to have unrealistic armor compared to other bots. Kind of stupid actually. I would rather it's character be more like "old scratch" in D3 who can tear stuff from your ship. Give the thief minimal weaponry, let it take your power-ups, but make it easier to kill (like a bot of similar size). If that were the case I would be comfortable with a few or several thief bots per level. I mean, it's already got a speed advantage.

[Sirius]

Thief was definitely the one that got noticed the most, yes... mostly because it is exceptionally effective at being exceptionally annoying. Other robots never ran, and if they did, they never ran very far. They always wanted to attack you immediately afterward, not give a couple minutes' break and wait for your guard to drop.

And actually, I'm quite glad they didn't. The only thing that would make the thiefbot worse is if it shot a mercury missile up your arse and scooted again.

[MD-2389]

Thief was definitely the one that got noticed the most, yes... mostly because it is exceptionally effective at being exceptionally annoying. Other robots never ran, and if they did, they never ran very far. They always wanted to attack you immediately afterward, not give a couple minutes' break and wait for your guard to drop.

And actually, I'm quite glad they didn't. The only thing that would make the thiefbot worse is if it shot a mercury missile up your arse and scooted again.

Or if it used your weapons and powerups against you!

[Krom]

Thief was definitely the one that got noticed the most, yes... mostly because it is exceptionally effective at being exceptionally annoying. Other robots never ran, and if they did, they never ran very far. They always wanted to attack you immediately afterward, not give a couple minutes' break and wait for your guard to drop.

And actually, I'm quite glad they didn't. The only thing that would make the thiefbot worse is if it shot a mercury missile up your arse and scooted again.

Or if it used your weapons and powerups against you!

Doesn't the Super Thief in D3 level 3 do that?

[vision]

Doesn't the Super Thief in D3 level 3 do that?

Yeah, I thought that was a brilliant use of the thief bot. I wouldn't mind it acting like that in a future Descent release, as long as it wasn't too hard to kill (and by hard, I mean "annoying" because it's not really hard).

[Alter-Fox]

I have no idea how the people at outrage got it to do that though, when I put it in a level it just shoots lasers.
And I don't think anyone else has either (I have my reasons to think that).

I remember one time I was playing coop in D3 level 3 and Thomas told us to "give it a weapon", to make the fight more challenging. A hilarious deathfest ensued.

[MD-2389]

Thief was definitely the one that got noticed the most, yes... mostly because it is exceptionally effective at being exceptionally annoying. Other robots never ran, and if they did, they never ran very far. They always wanted to attack you immediately afterward, not give a couple minutes' break and wait for your guard to drop.

And actually, I'm quite glad they didn't. The only thing that would make the thiefbot worse is if it shot a mercury missile up your arse and scooted again.

Or if it used your weapons and powerups against you!

Doesn't the Super Thief in D3 level 3 do that?

The super thiefbot did, yeah.

[Xfing]

Personally I make the asshlole eat my smart mines. 3-4 at a time. Sometimes he outruns the globules, but depending on the architecture he can soak them all up as well. Two tries and he dead