Flesh Creeper Bot AI

[Zien4]

Hello,

I did some coding for the Flesh Creeper bot. As I decided to look into it more. But its a challenge, so its still buggy. Still does the job for now. Feel free to fix or update the bug.
#6 #145 #127 #149(maybe zombie boss? not sure if it helps based on my ulx at the bottom of the page)

Here is a video of the demo of the Flesh Creeper Bot AI in action.

• Version 1 Demo - Flesh Creeper Bot AI Version 1
• Version 2 Demo (Latest Change) - Flesh Creeper Bot AI Version 2

Download the file below and extract somewhere and do the below installation to your ZS server. I kept Version 1 in case anyone wants to go back to it.

• Version 1 (Old) --> Flesh Creeper Bot.zip
• Version 2 (Latest) --> Flesh Creeper v2.0.zip

I decided to add my ulx I have below. Even created a auto-generate Nav-mesh for AI pathing. I was hoping this will help save mapping navmesh easier but likely not the case. Feel free to look around. Hoping it works as not tested with anyone yet.

Truly want to say thanks to @Dadido3 for his work and Jetboom for his ZS gamemode. As well as everyone.
Feel free to add this in to your code if you want to @Dadido3.

####################################################################################

D3bot ZS Bot Handler - Flesh Creeper AI & Smart Spawn System

Advanced Flesh Creeper AI with intelligent nest building, coroutine-based behavior, smart zombie spawn selection, and ULX integration for Garry's Mod Zombie Survival.

Version: 2.0.0

---

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Flesh Creeper Bot Features
• Fallback Bot Features
• Coroutine Behavior System
• Bot States
• ZS ULX Commands
• Configuration
• Smart Zombie Spawn Selection
• Shared Utility Functions
• Map Compatibility
• Troubleshooting

---

Installation

Requirements

• Garry's Mod Server
• Zombie Survival gamemode
• ULX/ULib (for admin commands)
• D3bot addon

File Structure

Copy files from the Flesh Creeper v2.0 folder to your garrysmod/addons/d3bot/ folder:

d3bot/
├── lua/
│   ├── d3bot/
│   │   ├── sv_extend_player.lua             ← Player meta extensions (D3bot core)
│   │   ├── sv_zs_utilities.lua              ← Shared utilities & Gas-aware functions
│   │   └── sv_zs_bot_handler/
│   │       ├── handle.lua                   ← Smart Spawn Integration
│   │       └── handlers/
│   │           ├── undead_fleshcreeper.lua  ← Flesh Creeper AI (coroutine-based)
│   │           └── undead_fallback.lua      ← Fallback handler for other zombies
│   └── ulx/
│       └── modules/
│           └── sh/
│               ├── ulx_d3bot.lua            ← D3bot ULX commands
│               ├── ulx_d3bot_module.lua     ← D3bot ULX module
│               └── ulx_zs_commands.lua      ← ZS-specific ULX commands (!human, etc.)

Source Files

Source files are organized in Flesh Creeper v2.0/:

Flesh Creeper v2.0/
├── fleshcreeper/                            ← Copy to lua/d3bot/
│   ├── handle.lua                           → sv_zs_bot_handler/handle.lua
│   ├── sv_extend_player.lua                 → sv_extend_player.lua
│   ├── sv_zs_utilities.lua                  → sv_zs_utilities.lua
│   ├── undead_fallback.lua                  → sv_zs_bot_handler/handlers/
│   └── undead_fleshcreeper.lua              → sv_zs_bot_handler/handlers/
└── zs_ulx_commands/                         ← Copy to lua/ulx/modules/sh/
    ├── ulx_d3bot.lua
    ├── ulx_d3bot_module.lua
    └── ulx_zs_commands.lua

Verify Installation

Check server console for:

[D3bot] undead_fleshcreeper.lua loaded successfully!

Use !bot viewmesh in-game to verify navmesh is working.

---

Flesh Creeper Bot Features

Intelligent Nest Building

• Optimal positioning - Builds nests hidden from humans, off walking paths
• Sigil-aware - Targets uncorrupted (blue) sigils with humans nearby
• Non-sigil support - Falls back to human-based targeting on maps without sigils
• Dynamic relocation - Destroys suboptimal nests when humans move
• Gas-aware placement - Positions nests to complement gas spawner coverage (not overlap)

Leader/Follower Coordination

• Multiple Flesh Creepers work together
• Leader builds, followers help complete the nest faster
• Automatic leader succession if leader dies

Post-Build Behavior

After 2 nests are built globally:

• 90% chance: Switch to attack class (weighted selection)
• 10% chance: Stay as Flesh Creeper and attack humans/barricades/sigils

---

Coroutine Behavior System

The Flesh Creeper uses a fully coroutine-based behavior system with 5 phases:

PHASE 0: Check Nest Limit
├── 2+ nests? → Post-build behavior (switch/attack)
└── Continue building

PHASE 1: Handle Nest Destruction
├── Corrupted sigil → Destroy nearby nests
├── Nest too far → Destroy and rebuild closer
└── Human relocation → Optimize placement

PHASE 2: Leader/Follower Check
├── Leader → Continue to build
└── Follower → Help leader's nest

PHASE 3: Find Build Target
├── Find sigil with humans nearby
└── OR use human positions (no-sigil maps)

PHASE 4: Move to Build Position
├── Navigate via D3bot pathfinding
├── Avoid barricades, gas, spawns
└── Opportunistic build if close

PHASE 5: Build Nest
├── Hold position and build
├── Tag nest with OwnerUID
└── Loop back to Phase 0

---

Bot States

The states are used by the coroutine but are not the coroutine itself. They serve as communication between the coroutine (decision making) and UpdateBotCmdFunction (movement/input handling).

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  COROUTINE (ThinkFunction_Coroutine)                │
│  • Decision making logic                            │
│  • Sets state via YieldWithState(mem, STATE_X)      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ Sets state
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  BOT STATES (mem.Volatile.FleshcreeperState)        │
│  • Integer values (1-7)                             │
│  • Communication layer                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ Reads state
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  UpdateBotCmdFunction                               │
│  • Movement and input handling                      │
│  • STATE_BUILDING → hold Attack2, stay still        │
│  • STATE_MOVING_TO_BUILD → walk, handle stuck       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

State	Value	Description
STATE_FINDING_SIGIL	1	Looking for build target
STATE_MOVING_TO_BUILD	2	Navigating to build position
STATE_BUILDING	3	Actively building nest
STATE_ATTACKING	4	Post-build attack mode
STATE_DESTROYING_NEST	5	Destroying suboptimal nest
STATE_BACKING_OFF	6	Retreating after damage
STATE_FOLLOWING_LEADER	7	Following lead Flesh Creeper

Summary:

• Coroutine = Brain (decides what to do)
• States = Message (tells body what mode we're in)
• UpdateBotCmdFunction = Body (executes movement/input)

---

ZS ULX Commands

Player Commands (All Players)

Command	Description
!human	Redeem yourself as human (zombie only)

Self-Redeem System (!human)

• Wave limit: Only works up to configurable wave limit
• Cooldown: Escalating cooldown (30s x tier) to prevent spam
• Loadout: Spawns with fists + peashooter + 50 pistol ammo
• Teleport: Automatically teleports to random human teammate
• Restrictions: Disabled during last human / zombie escape modes

Admin Commands

Command	Description
!killnests	Remove all zombie nests from map
!waveduration100h	Extend current wave to 100 hours
!botmod <num>	Adjust zombie bot count modifier

Superadmin Commands (Navmesh Editing)

Command	Description
!bot viewmesh	Show navmesh overlay
!bot editmesh	Edit navmesh (adds NOTARGET flag)
!bot viewmeshspec	View navmesh in spectator mode
!bot editmeshspec	Edit navmesh in spectator mode
!bot hidemesh	Hide navmesh overlay
!bot savemesh	Save navmesh to file
!bot reloadmesh	Reload navmesh from file
!bot generatemesh	Auto-generate navmesh from position
!bot refreshmeshview	Refresh navmesh display
!bot setparam <id> <name> <value>	Set navmesh item parameter
!bot setmapparam <name> <value>	Set map-wide parameter
!bot viewpath <start> <end>	Visualize path between nodes
!bot debugpath	Debug pathfinding

---

Configuration

Flesh Creeper Handler Options

Edit lua/d3bot/sv_zs_bot_handler/handlers/undead_fleshcreeper.lua:

HANDLER.MaxFleshCreeperBots = 2      -- Max simultaneous Flesh Creepers
HANDLER.NestsRequired = 2            -- Nests before post-build behavior
HANDLER.BarricadeAvoidDistance = 150 -- Distance to avoid barricades
HANDLER.GasAvoidDistance = 500       -- Distance to avoid zombie gas
HANDLER.OpportunisticBuildDistance = 700  -- Build if this close to humans
HANDLER.MinNestDistance = 200        -- Minimum distance between nests
HANDLER.NestCorruptedSigilDistance = 1500 -- Range to destroy nests at green sigil

-- Gas-aware nest placement (coroutine-based)
HANDLER.GasAwarePlacement = true       -- Enable gas-aware scoring
HANDLER.GasComplementaryMinDist = 500  -- Min distance from gas for good coverage
HANDLER.GasComplementaryMaxDist = 1200 -- Max distance for ideal coverage
HANDLER.GasComplementaryIdealDist = 800 -- Best scoring distance from gas

Post-Build Class Selection

Weighted priority tables determine which class to switch to:

Barricade Destroyers (when barricades present):

HANDLER.BarricadePriority = {
    ["Zombie Gore Blaster"] = 100,  -- MeleeDamageVsProps = 28
    ["Noxious Ghoul"] = 85,         -- MeleeDamageVsProps = 24
    ["Lacerator Charging"] = 80,    -- MeleeDamageVsProps = 23
    ["Elder Ghoul"] = 75,           -- MeleeDamageVsProps = 22
    -- ... more classes
}

Fast Attackers (when humans unreachable):

HANDLER.FastAttackerPriority = {
    ["Fast Zombie"] = 100,          -- Speed 255, can climb/pounce
    ["Lacerator"] = 98,
    ["Wraith"] = 90,                -- Can phase through
    -- ... more classes
}

---

Smart Zombie Spawn Selection

Overview

D3bot uses an intelligent spawn selection system that mimics vanilla Zombie Survival behavior while adding strategic decision-making for bot zombies.

Regular Zombie Spawns

Regular zombies use a 90/10 probability distribution:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  REGULAR ZOMBIE SPAWN SELECTION                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  Roll random 1-100                                          │
│  ├── 1-90 (90%): Spawn at CLOSEST NEST to humans            │
│  │   └── Uses D3bot navmesh pathfinding for distance        │
│  │                                                          │
│  └── 91-100 (10%): Spawn at SPAWN POINT or GAS              │
│      └── Random selection from available spawns             │
│                                                             │
│  Fallback: If no nests exist → spawn point/gas              │
│  Fallback: If nothing available → default spawn behavior    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Boss Zombie Spawns

Boss zombies use random selection with priority fallback:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  BOSS ZOMBIE SPAWN SELECTION                                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  Priority 1: info_player_zombie_boss entities               │
│  ├── Randomly select one boss spawn point                   │
│  └── If exists and not disabled → spawn here                │
│                                                             │
│  Priority 2: Fallback (if no boss spawns exist)             │
│  ├── Combine: info_player_zombie + gas spawners             │
│  └── Randomly select one from combined pool                 │
│                                                             │
│  ⛔ NEVER spawns at nests (matches vanilla ZS behavior)     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Spawn Point Types

Entity Class	Used For	Notes
prop_creepernest	Regular zombies (90%)	Built by Flesh Creepers
info_player_zombie	Regular (10%) + Boss fallback	Map-placed spawn points
info_player_zombie_boss	Boss zombies (priority)	Dedicated boss spawns
prop_zombiegas	Regular (10%) + Boss fallback	Gas cloud spawners
prop_deployableemitter_gas	Regular (10%) + Boss fallback	Deployable gas
status_poisonzombie	Regular (10%) + Boss fallback	Poison zombie gas

Configuration

Located in sv_zs_utilities.lua:

-- Spawn probability (regular zombies)
local NEST_SPAWN_CHANCE = 90      -- % chance to spawn at closest nest
local SPAWN_POINT_CHANCE = 10     -- % chance to spawn at spawn point/gas

-- Distance calculation
D3bot.ZS.GetPathDistance(start, end)  -- Uses navmesh pathfinding

Console Commands

Command	Description
d3bot_smartspawn_test	Test spawn selection for current zombie class
d3bot_smartspawn_list	List all available spawn points by type
d3bot_smartspawn_debug 1/0	Toggle debug output for spawn selection

---

Shared Utility Functions

Located in sv_zs_utilities.lua:

Function	Purpose
D3bot.ZS.GetCorruptedSigil()	Get corrupted (green) sigil
D3bot.ZS.HasUncorruptedSigil()	Check if blue sigil exists
D3bot.ZS.AreHumansNearSigil(sigil, dist)	Check humans near sigil
D3bot.ZS.AreHumansNearAnyBlueSigil()	Check humans near any blue sigil
D3bot.ZS.IsTooCloseToNest(pos, dist)	Check nest proximity
D3bot.ZS.HasClearFloor(pos)	Validate build position floor
D3bot.ZS.GetNestNearCorruptedSigil(sigil)	Find nest to destroy
D3bot.ZS.GetAnyBuiltNest()	Get any completed nest
D3bot.ZS.FindHumanNotCoveredByNest(dist)	Find uncovered humans
D3bot.ZS.GetPathDistance(start, end)	Get navmesh path distance
D3bot.ZS.GetActiveNests()	Get all built/completed nests
D3bot.ZS.GetZombieSpawnEntities()	Get active info_player_zombie spawns
D3bot.ZS.GetZombieGasSpawners()	Get active gas spawner entities
D3bot.ZS.GetBossSpawnPoints()	Get active info_player_zombie_boss spawns
D3bot.ZS.IsBossClass(className)	Check if zombie class is a boss
D3bot.ZS.SelectSmartSpawn(class, isBoss)	Main spawn selection logic
D3bot.ZS.GetGasSpawnerPositions()	Get positions/radii of all gas spawners
D3bot.ZS.IsWithinGasCoverage(pos, gasPositions)	Check if position is in gas cloud coverage
D3bot.ZS.CalculateGasCoverageScore(pos, gas, humans)	Calculate strategic gas coverage score
D3bot.ZS.FindBarricadesNearPosition(pos, maxDist)	Find all barricades in range
D3bot.ZS.FindNearestBarricade(pos, maxDist)	Get closest barricade
D3bot.ZS.IsPathBlockedByBarricade(startPos, endPos)	Check if path obstructed by barricade
D3bot.ZS.IsNearBarricade(pos, distance)	Quick proximity check for barricades

---

Fallback Bot Features

Barricade Ambush Behavior

The fallback handler (used for all non-Flesh Creeper zombies) includes intelligent ambush tactics during wave countdown.

When It Activates

• Trigger window: Last 10 seconds of wave countdown
• Map requirement: Standard ZS maps only (not ZE or Objective maps)
• Distance check: Only activates if not already very close to humans (50+ units)

How It Works

1. Wave countdown reaches 10 seconds
2. Bot searches for hiding spot BEHIND WALLS
3. Moves to hiding spot and waits
4. When human comes within 150 units → Attack!
5. If timeout (30s) → Find new hiding spot
6. If wave ends → Return to normal behavior

Hiding Spot Selection

• World geometry only: Uses MASK_SOLID_BRUSHONLY to ensure hiding behind actual walls, not props
• Smart positioning: Scores spots based on:
  • Wall coverage from human line of sight
  • Distance from humans (farther = better hiding)
  • Distance from barricades (avoids nailed props by 300+ units)
• Navmesh integration: Uses navmesh if available, falls back to trace-based search

Configuration

Located in undead_fallback.lua:

HANDLER.BarricadeCountdown = 10       -- Trigger in last N seconds
HANDLER.BarricadeAttackRange = 150    -- Attack when human within range
HANDLER.BarricadeSkipRange = 50       -- Skip if already too close
HANDLER.BarricadeAmbushTimeout = 30   -- Timeout before retry
HANDLER.AmbushSearchDelay = 1         -- Delay between searches
HANDLER.AmbushBarricadeAvoidDist = 300 -- Min distance from nailed props

Debug Output

Enable detailed logging:

local DEBUG_BEHAVIOR = true  -- in undead_fallback.lua

Console messages show:

• [D3bot Behavior] Ambush triggered, movement, attacks, timeouts

Enhanced Barricade Detection

Comprehensive barricade detection system for tactical decision-making.

Detection Functions (in sv_zs_utilities.lua):

D3bot.ZS.FindBarricadesNearPosition(pos, maxDistance)  -- Find all barricades in range
D3bot.ZS.FindNearestBarricade(pos, maxDistance)        -- Get closest barricade
D3bot.ZS.IsPathBlockedByBarricade(startPos, endPos)    -- Check if path obstructed
D3bot.ZS.IsNearBarricade(pos, distance)                -- Quick proximity check

Detects:

• Nailed props (props with prop_nail entities attached)
• ZS barricades (prop_barricade entities)
• Filters out non-barricade entities for accuracy

Usage:

• Barricade ambush behavior uses these to avoid hiding near barricades
• Flesh Creeper uses these to avoid building nests in front of barricades
• Smart class selection uses these to determine if barricade destroyers are needed

---

Map Compatibility

Sigil Maps

• Targets uncorrupted (blue) sigils with humans nearby
• Builds nests along paths from zombie spawns to sigils
• Destroys nests when sigil becomes corrupted (green)
• Exception: Keeps nests if humans are at green sigil with no blue sigils left

Non-Sigil Maps

• Automatically falls back to human-based targeting
• Uses human positions as reference for nest building
• All sigil-related functions safely return nil/false
• Full functionality preserved

---

Troubleshooting

Flesh Creepers not building nests

1. Check HANDLER.MaxFleshCreeperBots limit (default: 2)
2. Verify navmesh exists (!bot viewmesh)
3. Check for valid build positions (420+ units from humans)
4. Ensure not blocked by barricades/gas/zombie spawns

Flesh Creepers building more than 2 nests

• Update to v2.0.0 - this bug is fixed
• Verify HANDLER.NestsRequired = 2

Flesh Creepers suicide looping

• Update to v2.0.0 - this bug is fixed
• PostBuildBehaviorApplied flag now properly transitions to attack mode

!human command not working

1. Check wave limit (only works early waves)
2. Check cooldown timer (escalating 30s x tier)
3. Ensure not last human / zombie escape mode

Navmesh not loading

1. Verify file exists: data/d3bot/navmesh/map/<mapname>.txt
2. Try !bot reloadmesh
3. Generate new: !bot generatemesh

---

Bug Fixes in v2.0.0

Critical: Flesh Creeper Building More Than 2 Nests

• Fixed coroutine attack loop fall-through bug
• Fixed missing early post-build check for respawned bots
• Fixed inconsistent nest limit checks (now uses HANDLER.NestsRequired)

Flesh Creeper Suicide Loop Fix

• Fixed infinite suicide loop after completing 2 nests
• PostBuildBehaviorApplied flag now properly transitions to attack mode
• Added RecentSpawnProtectionTime to prevent stuck-detection kills

---

Technical Details

EmmyLua Annotations

• @class, @field, @param, @return definitions
• Coroutine fields: BehaviorCoroutine, InterruptFlag

mem.Volatile Pattern

Auto-reset state that clears on spawn/death:

mem.Volatile.FleshcreeperState    -- Cleared on respawn
mem.PostBuildBehaviorApplied      -- Persists across death (not in Volatile)

---

Version History

v2.0.0 (February 7, 2026)

New Features

• Barricade Ambush Behavior System

  • Zombies hide behind walls during last 10 seconds of wave countdown
  • Wall-based hiding spot detection using MASK_SOLID_BRUSHONLY
  • Ambush timeout and retry logic (30s timeout)
  • Barricade avoidance (300+ units from nailed props)

• Smart Zombie Spawn Selection System

  • Regular zombies: 90/10 distribution (nest vs spawn point)
  • Boss zombies: Random from info_player_zombie_boss (never at nests)
  • Path-based distance calculation using D3bot navmesh
  • Console commands: d3bot_smartspawn_test, list, debug

• Barricade Priority & Fast Attacker Systems

  • 25+ zombie classes ranked by barricade destruction effectiveness
  • 15+ zombie classes ranked by speed/mobility for chasing humans
  • Intelligent class selection based on tactical situation

• Gas-Aware Nest Placement Enhancement

  • Nests positioned 500-1200 units from gas for complementary coverage
  • Ideal distance scoring (800 units = best score)
  • Human coverage expansion bonus (covers humans NOT near gas)

• Enhanced Barricade Detection

  • 4 new detection functions in sv_zs_utilities.lua
  • Detects nailed props and ZS barricades
  • Path obstruction checking

• Fully coroutine-based Flesh Creeper AI

• Sigil/non-sigil map compatibility

• ULX commands integration

Bug Fixes

• Fixed Flesh Creeper building more than 2 nests (coroutine fall-through bug)
• Fixed Infinite suicide loop after completing nests
• Fixed Inconsistent nest limit checks (now uses HANDLER.NestsRequired)

[Dadido3]

That's really awesome and well done. I haven't tested it, but from watching the video and looking through the code it's obvious that a lot of thought went into it.

It also makes total sense that you added stuff like a more intelligent class selection.

Feel free to add this in to your code if you want to @Dadido3.

The bot is currently in "maintenance mode", which means i'll fix bugs if necessary or merge small scoped pull requests. That's just because i haven't really played GMod in a while, and i have other stuff that i need/want to work on. Therefore i can't make any promises for this being a native part of the bot anytime soon.

Fortunately your work seems easy to patch/install, and it's mostly orthogonal/non intrusive to the existing code which makes it likely to also work with variants and customized versions of D3bot.

I mean, theoretically i could just pop in the files into my repo and call it a day. But from experience this will likely cause a bunch of bug reports of people because of some incompatibility with one of the many other ZS versions out there. Not because your code is bad, but because each ZS version works a little bit different. Alone the fact that older ZS gamemode don't have sigils.

Just some notes and ideas when getting this into the master branch. Either for me in the future, or for anyone else that's interested in doing so:

• Simple helper functions from undead_fleshcreeper.lua could be moved directly into the main files (E.g. sh_utilities.lua, sh_extend_entity.lua). Like IsIgnorableProp, GetUnlockedZombieClasses, AreHumansUnreachable, FindTargetSigil and so on. There may exist similar functions already, so there is some chance for unification/deduplication. These helpers may also be useful for other stuff in the future.
• There are a lot of new mem variables that have to be set/reset correctly on every spawn/death. These variables are a long standing pain point and cause of problems. So there is room for improvement by putting them into their own sub-table (E.g. mem.Volatile) that is automatically reset when a bot dies or respawns. It's more of a refactoring; rework needs to be done over a lot of old code. But it should reduce lines similar to mem.nextCheckTarget = nil that are scattered across several places, which when forgotten may cause unexpected things like randomly suiciding zombies...
• Add EmmyLua annotations where possible. It's clean, can help with documentation and there are linters that warn about some possible runtime errors using these annotations. Most modern editors support these or a subset. It's a bit of a "nice to have" thing, but i always try to add these annotations whenever i add or rework stuff. This also includes adding field annotations to classes for newly added variables:

  ---@class D3bot_Mem
  ---@field public TgtOrNil GEntity? -- The target entity if not nil.

• Use coroutines inside bot handlers when handling complex tasks. This would replace the state machine inside the flesh creeper logic. It's more maintainable/readable in my opinion. This is also just a refactoring and nothing necessary. It could be used for other classes (especially bosses) as well.

Well that's everything that came into mind when i did a glance over the code and thought about how to incorporate the patch into master. It's not a request for you to work on, and more a list of things that need to be done before this can be added natively without causing much overhead and more complex code. But the patch like code you have provided is already a good way for everyone to try/install the new functionality. So i don't see any immdiate need to merge the code.

Anyways, thanks a lot for sharing this. It's really helpful for a lot of people.

[Zien4]

No problem at all if the code is in maintenance. I'm very open to what you felt is better. Truly to help and share this for everyone. As Flesh Creeper bot was such a high request even myself. If you do feel like changing and tweaking whatever it is needed I do not mind.

######################################################################################################

I mean, theoretically i could just pop in the files into my repo and call it a day. But from experience this will likely cause a bunch of bug reports of people because of some incompatibility with one of the many other ZS versions out there. Not because your code is bad, but because each ZS version works a little bit different. Alone the fact that older ZS gamemode don't have sigils.

I totally agree with this on other ZS versions out there. Therefore, this is a good idea for me to add another thought to the Flesh Creeper. Like below.

if there is no sigil, find human and build nest. Then repeat like the sigil logic (just no sigil)

Simple helper functions from undead_fleshcreeper.lua could be moved directly into the main files (E.g. sh_utilities.lua, sh_extend_entity.lua). Like IsIgnorableProp, GetUnlockedZombieClasses, AreHumansUnreachable, FindTargetSigil and so on. There may exist similar functions already, so there is some chance for unification/deduplication. These helpers may also be useful for other stuff in the future.

Forgot to keep my code dry. Thanks for the reminder. I will look into this and refactor it.

There are a lot of new mem variables that have to be set/reset correctly on every spawn/death. These variables are a long standing pain point and cause of problems. So there is room for improvement by putting them into their own sub-table (E.g. mem.Volatile) that is automatically reset when a bot dies or respawns. It's more of a refactoring; rework needs to be done over a lot of old code. But it should reduce lines similar to mem.nextCheckTarget = nil that are scattered across several places, which when forgotten may cause unexpected things like randomly suiciding zombies...

Hmm, that probably explains it. Thanks for sharing this. I will look into this also.

Add EmmyLua annotations where possible. It's clean, can help with documentation and there are linters that warn about some possible runtime errors using these annotations. Most modern editors support these or a subset. It's a bit of a "nice to have" thing, but i always try to add these annotations whenever i add or rework stuff. This also includes adding field annotations to classes for newly added variables: ---@class D3bot_Mem ---@field public TgtOrNil GEntity? -- The target entity if not nil.

I do, believe most are in there. I'll look into all the file and go from there. If you do see any, feel free to share and I will correct it whenever you felt to help of course. No rush or anything.

Use coroutines inside bot handlers when handling complex tasks. This would replace the state machine inside the flesh creeper logic. It's more maintainable/readable in my opinion. This is also just a refactoring and nothing necessary. It could be used for other classes (especially bosses) as well.

Interesting, this is new to me. I'll look into it further more.

[Zien4]

Update,

I looked into the Coroutine and comparing it to State Machine. There is so much pros and cons. Still, I'm going to implement it. As due to Zombie Bosses and more maintainable/readable. Like you have mention it. The only cons is debugging it and cancellation flags to interrupt. I may find a way to do this.

Overall Im working on a new update for the below features to be implemented. It will take some time.

• Simple helper functions
• EmmyLua Type Annotations
• Coroutine-Based Behavior System
• Look into mem or mem.Volatile as it impact Flesh Creeper suicide. As seen from the video demo.
  • Fix Flesh Creeper killing itself after nest is created
• Logic of Building Nest Rework
  • Instead of Human or Sigil distance. Closest to d3bot zombie path to human.
  • Adding if two or more human spot. Create a nest split.
    • Include on destroying nest logic as well.
  • Stealth nest - create nest closer to human from out of human site.
• All Zombie Survival compatible with or without Sigil.

Once Im done with this, as Im currently into ZS at the moment. Thinking about I might create a Human Team Cader Bot.

[Zien4]

Re-Update,

Added above and edit post to V2 version. There are still bugs. But it fulfilled most for PVE core functionality. Especially compatible with or without sigil zombie survival.