The Quake bot scene is thriving once again, there are currently quite a few bots being worked on for the game. A fair amount of the details on this page are thanks to Randar and his excellent catalogue of links to Quake bots on his site, and the beloved BotShop.
Finding the information on the number of Quake Client-Side bots in this archive would not have been possible without the help (via his site) of Mike Warren so
thanks to him.
BGBot
Website: http://www.neta.com/~punisher/quakec.htm
Author: Punisher
Version: 1.60 (or higher?)
An early Quake bot and according to DS: "...was a big step into emualating real players...".
Very much dead now but you can pick up a copy from CDROM.com. Incidentally Punisher also wrote a Q2 Bot Launcher.
Plays deathmatch.
CronosBot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/cronos
Author: Cronos
Version: 1.06
A rather new Quake bot from Cronos that is progressing nicely and provides a pretty decent challenge to average quakers, although experienced players will probably find the bot a little too easy. Extra features include camera support and several tournament modes coded in. In the most recent release dynamic waypoint creation has been added to the rapidly expanding list of features.
CTFBot
Website: Maybe a copy on CDROM.com
Author: Drew 'BZ' Davidson
Version: ?
The first bot to play Quake CTF. Uses a static waypoint system and is pretty good but is eclipsed by:
CTFBot+
Website: http://www.captured.com/ctfbot
Author: Anthony '*this' Distler
Version: 2.1
A much tweaked and improved CTFBot. Definately the best Quake CTF bot out there. As well as the actual bot *this has also created the CTFBot+
Co-Ordinator for setting up the bot. Lots of features and lots more static routes for to play lots of the famous Quake CTF levels (and paks).
Dark Bot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/botshop
Author: Terry 'DS' Hendrix
Version: 1.6
A Quake deathmatch bot by DS that was intended "to train players for clan ring and DM net play, and allow male/female Quake players."
The last version was released quite recently as was the source to the bot. DarkBot was the first in DS' projects that led to SABIN and now Athena.
DarkCTF Bot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/botshop
Author: Terry 'DS' Hendrix
Version: ?
A hack of the CTFBot (not CTFBot+) that adds Darkbot emulation, which consists of client colors, frag score board and SBLE [?] bot level spawning.
Apparently it took one hour to hack.
Disposeable Heroes Bots
Website: http://www.thecoven.com/
Author: TheCoven
Version: Commercial Addon
As part of their Disposeable Heroes commercial mod set recently released (but only in the US so far) TheCoven included in one of the Quake mods a bot.
You can get a cut down version on TheCoven website but the bot mod is not included.
Djbot MK2
Website: http://www.botepidemic.com/quadmire/
Author: DJ
Version: MK2
Lots of deathmatch modes in the follow-up to the original Djbot ("The original Djbot was bad, really." - DJ) as well as an incorporated menu system.
Under the metaphorical bonnet: "The Djbot MK2 is a lot better. Smarter, smoother and smaller in code size (which makes it easier for me)." - DJ
DoomBot
Website: Check CDROM.com
Author: Roscoe A. Sincero AKA Legion
Version: 2.3
Basically a skeleton of a bot that incorporates Norse Movement.
It contains BGBot AI and due to the velocity movement in the code (like the player's)
is recommended as a good code base.
Guard Bot
Website: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Sector/7514/quake.htm
Author: Peter
Version: ?
One of the few CO-OP bots available the Guard Bot is actually a mod in itself with some more features available to player and bot.
FrikBot
Website: http://www.inside3d.com/frikbot/
Author: Frika C
Version: 0.09 (Normal Quake) & 0.03 (QuakeWorld)
Two ports are available of Frika C's new Quake Bot, the Frik Bot, one for Normal Quake and one for QuakeWorld. Also on Frika C's site there are several mod hybrids
that add support for particular Quake modifications to the bot.
Frog Bot
Website: http://www.telefragged.com/metro
Author: Robert 'Frog' Field
Version: 0.12c or 0.13 [Test]
The Frog Bot is generally regarded as certainly the most realistic Quake bot
and probably the most realistic of all bots in simulating a multiplayer opponent.
The bot's achilles heel is the lack of maps supported. Currently the bot can only play on DM4, DM6 and ZTNDM3. But many user made progs.dat files have popped up with much more map support.
Apart from this the bot is simply excellent. The Frogbot can currently play deathmatch and teamplay.
A QuakeWorld port is also available. Early Frogbot physics code is available from CDROM.Com.
Frog Bot Clan Arena
Website: Frogbot Clan Arena 0.84 - Frogbot Clan Arena Sounds
Author: Matt 'Asdf' McChesney
Version: 0.84
Together with the HolyWars + Frogbot mod this is one of the most popular FBMODS around combining the Frogbot with the very popular Clan Arena.
In the latest version the bots are now able to rocket-jump too.
Holywars + Frogbot
Website: http://numb.macquakeinfinity/
Author: Gerard 'numb' Ryan
Version: ?
The first combination of the HolyWars mod and a bot, the bot in question being the excellent Frogbot. Great merger by numb and is up there with Asdf's FBCA as one of the
most popular Frogbot mods.
Itchy Bot
Website: http://www-mddsp.enel.ucalgary.ca/People/dreveny/itch/index.html
Author: Chad Dreveny
Version: ?
Itchy is written in C++ and is designed for the Linux operating system. What the author has managed to implement:
- The TCP/IP network connection to a Quake server.
- ScratchyVision™ - A proxy that can be used to see what Itchy is up to. As well, it can be used to control the bot in various ways: either full bot or proxy control as well as having Itchy simply aim and fire for you. The proxy accepts multiple connections to allow many players to observe Itchy. Only the primary proxy connection may send control commands to the bot.
- Target Box models used to show, through the proxy, available targets as well as the current target (see Itchy in Action).
- A console system that can be used to query and and control the bot when ScratchyVisionTM is not being used. The same language can be used through the proxy as well.
- A prediction based weapons control system. It tries to kill the most "hated" player in sight and uses line-of-sight obtained from traversing the BSP tree. A good grenade launcher aiming system is still needed (it can only hit stationary targets).
- Simple Lava avoidance. Full fledged navigation is still in the development stages (very primitive).
KoolioBot
Website: http://www.botepidemic.com/koolio/
Author: Koolio
Version: ?
A rather new Quake bot that has some cool features including locational damage, it appears to be progressing rather nicely and is shaping up to be a very fun bot.
mikeBot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/mikebot
Author: Mike Warren
Version: ?
Mike has a massive site mainly based around his Quake C-S bot, the mikeBot.
Aims of the project:
The mikeBot Project is currently developing a client-side deathmatch opponent. It is being designed to be both a lethal killing machine, as well as being nearly- indistinguishable from other (skilled) human opponents.
It is important to note that mikeBot has no human controller, as do other bots (most notably Stooge Bot) mikeBot does, however, have the ability to allow human observers to connect to him to watch what he does. He can also record .DEMos of the action.
If you are playing against mikeBot, it may be interesting to issue mikeBot Language commands to him, such as mbl-cooperate or mbl-maximal-hate. Also, all automatically-generated insults are preceded by the string ".mbt.". The person running the bot can talk for it, but cannot control it. If you see any messages not beginning with the mbt string, it is safe to assume they are from the operator.
The ultimate goal of the Project is to make mikeBot the best quake player in the world. Although probably an unreachable goal, I do hope to make mikeBot (on his highest skill setting; 100%) a very challenging opponent.
Nirvana Mods
Website: http://member.aol.com/radratxl/7thSeal.htm
Author: RadRatXL
Version: ?
Arwing has created several bot mods, all under the Nirvana name, that use a class system for bots and players alike to provide a varying game as the characteristics for each class
are employed and the mod has been very well received.
Oak Bot
Website: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.henderson/theoak/
Author: John Crickett
Version: ?
Does Oak have something to do with Terminator? Anyway that's what the original Oak was based around.
Damage skins, little Terminator phrases ('I'll be back' etc.) and more. JohnC was planning Rocket Jumping and some other stuff for
the next version but then along came
Quake2 and work on Oak II began.
Omicron Bot
Website: http://www.botepidemic.com/gladiator/obots/obots.html
Author: Mr. Elusive
Version: 1.02
A brilliant bot and worthy of a download. A lot of good features incorporated into the bot from Mr. Elusive.
The bot can play any level although you will need to create hardcoded waypoints if you want the bot to know each level before hand.
Mr. Elusive has now finished work on the bot and 1.08 is the final version. Omicron can play deathmatch, teamplay and Rocket Arena
(very good).
PandoraBot
Website: http://www.optics.arizona.edu/Pandora/
Author: Darrin Cullop
Version: ?
Roark's Quake C-S bot. Unfortunately the pages seem to have been swallowed so where there used to be information on the Quake & Quake II versions of Pandora all there is is an intro.
QuakeBot
Website: ?
Author: Grinder
Version: ?
Also known as WarBot this was a modification of the Reaper code that added a load of new stuff (many from the RIP and BIP tutorials on Inside3D).
Pretty good and better than the Reaper.
QuakeBot
Website: http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~jfrorie/quakebot.htm
Author: jfrorie@uncc.edu
Version: ?
A Client-Side bot for Quake, here's a quote:
"Our project, QuakeBot C/S, consists of developing a functional core around which different developers can contribute their own AI modules. This central core will deal with the communications and low level functions required for basic bot operations. The heuristic or AI of the bot would consist of rulesets that would vary from bot to bot. These AI portions will be modular and replaceable. By simply changing the module, the bot would completely change function. If John Q. Smith comes up with a new AI algorithm and it adheres to the specifications, then you could swap it in like batteries. This way, as time goes along and AI gets more sophisticated, the bot will too."
'Reapa' Bot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/botshop
Author: Terry 'DS' Hendrix
Version: ?
A hack of the Reaper bot code by DS that allowed the bot's name and fragcount to appear on the proper Quake scoreboard.
Reaper Bot
Website: ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/idgames2/quakec/bots/reaper/reaprb81.zip
Author: Steven Polge
Version: 0.8
Before the Omicron and later the Frog came along this was the best Quake bot available.
It propelled Steven Polge to a job at Epic (to work on Unreal) and spawned many addons where the Reaper source was modified to create
even better versions. The Reaper is not without it's faults though and compared to the Reaper hacks released it can pale in comparison.
Many still love the bot and swear by it. The bot plays deathmatch and teamplay.
ReaperFX
Website: http://www.btinternet.com/~impaler
Author: Pob the Impaler AKA Steve Johnstone
Version: 1.21
A modification of the Reaper bot, based around the Reaperbot Improvement Protocol (R. I. P.) tutorials on Inside3D some of which were written by Pob and
legion's Norse movement code.
Anyway you get lots of new game options (like Last Man Standing and CO-OP), more features inluding proper names/colours in the game/on the scoreboard and floating bodies. Due to the Norse code the bot isn't particularly fast and 32Mb RAM is recommended.
Requiem QW Bot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/requiem
Author: Requiem
Version: ?
One of the, if not the, first Quake bot to use alternate weapons, have a QW port and appear on the scoreboard.
They're also tough to beat into the bargain :)
Square Bot
Website: http://www.botepidemic.com/square/
Author: Ashley 'Ze0' Reynolds
Version: 0.1a
Another of the new breed of Quake bots the Square has been developing very quietly as Ze0 is hard pressed for time outside of school.
tEdBot
Website: http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~adsoft
Author(s): Grant Davies & Ramanan Rajeswaran
Version: ?
According to the tEdBot site: "tEdbot was dreamt up one day between myself
(Grant Davies) and my friend (Ramanan Rajeswaran) in maths class.
Here are some of the features: "Decent navigation through entire level, weapon/item/backpack collection, persistent player attacking, deep item searches, missile avoidance, unpredictable running and strafing in close combat (hard to hit), predictive fire (rarely misses with any gun)."
TF Bot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/tfbot
Author: 666
Version: ?
A bot for the TeamFortress Quake mod.
Uses static waypoints and route-files for several levels are included only (the author couldn't make the progs.dat bigger than 9xx KB or the compiler would crash).
Uses some of the character classes in the mod.
The original author passed it on to several other authors but development fizzled out.
Recently development has been rekindled and the TFBot may also be inserted into a seperate TF mod.
Tutor Bot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/minion
Author: Coffee
Version: 1.0
A bot created by Coffee purely for the purposes of teaching Quake bot coding. It has gathered a large following (together with the tutorials on Coffee's site that allow users to provide all sorts of modifications).
There are now other sites offering Tutor Bot tutorials and even the occasional Tutor Bot mod is appearing from other authors.
Tutor Bot + HolyWars
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/redemption/ [Possibly]
Author: RiEvEr
Version: ?
RiEvEr, author of the DroneBot for Q2 and the ReDeMpTiOn Bot for SiN released this recently; a modification of the Tutor Bot so that it plays the popular HolyWars mod.
Tutor Bot + RocketArena
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/redemption/ [Possibly]
Author: RiEvEr
Version: ?
Another little project of RiEvEr's, a complete merger of the RA and Tutor Bot sources, to create a bot that plays Rocket Arena.
The final Rocket Arena client files are required.
Zeus Bot
Website: http://www.planetquake.com/qca/zeus
Author: Jonathan 'Nelno the Amoeba' Wright
Version: ?
One of the most popular Quake bots, that plays DM, Teamplay and more importantly CO-OP. Widely regarded as the best co-op Quake bot.
After Zeus (and other Quake mods) Nelno went on to work for ION Storm and is now working at Bloodshot Entertainment.
