The bots work with HLDM and the following multiplayer mods:
- Half-Life 1.1.1.0 (deathmatch & teamplay) — newer versions (1.1.2.0, 1.1.2.1) are supported too;
- Deathmatch Classic (DMC) 1.1.1.0;
- Opposing Force 1.1.1.0 (deathmatch only);
- HolyWars 2.0.

Features:
  • very low system resource usage;
  • easy to install;
  • highly configurable, with lots of settings;
  • they learn from players' actions;
  • they react to sounds (footsteps, gunfire);
  • they can heal and recharge at armor/weapon chargers;
  • they can chat (using predefined message lists) and respond to their nickname in chat.
Download:
Parabot_v0.91.rar [3.04 Mb] (downloads: 43052)

 

Parabot — about the simplest bots there are. They suit those who don't have a powerful computer or don't want to fiddle with settings. The bots work on an "install and play" basis: no setup is needed out of the box. And if you do want to tweak the bots, there are plenty of settings, right down to individual settings for each bot, such as:
  • bot nickname;
  • accuracy;
  • perception;
  • chat activity.

 

Installation:
Extract the archive into the game folder, the same place where hl.exe is located. That's it — you can start the game and play right away. The bots learn from players' actions, so at first they will be pretty dumb on a new map, but after about 10 minutes of play they will "settle in" and run all over the place. The longer you play on a particular map, the smarter the bots get there.

 

Configuration:
As mentioned, the bots can be fine-tuned quite precisely. The configuration files are in the \Parabot\valve folder of the game's root directory, and there are two of them: Characters.cfg and Parabot.cfg.

 

The Characters.cfg file stores the bots' nicknames and their individual settings.
The Parabot.cfg file contains general settings for all bots, plus server settings. There are also *.pcf and *.pnf files in the \Parabot\NavigationFiles folder, which contain the experience the bots have gathered playing on maps. Such files are already included for some maps. You don't need to touch these files at all — they are updated automatically.



Configuring Parabot.cfg.
This file stores the general settings for all bots and the server. It contains the following setting lines:

 

Server mode = On
Allowed values: On, Off
When set to On, this parameter makes the game look like a real server. Bots will periodically leave the game and new ones will join it. Off by default.

 

MinBots = 4
Allowed values: a number up to 32
Sets the minimum number of bots on the server. Works only when Server mode is enabled.

 

MaxBots = 8
Allowed values: a number up to 32
Sets the maximum number of bots on the server. Works only when Server mode is enabled.

 

AverageStay = 10
Allowed values: a number up to 32
Sets the approximate time a bot stays in the game, after which it leaves ("disconnects" from the server). Works only when Server mode is enabled.

 

NumBots = 7
Allowed values: a number up to 32
Sets the number of bots in the game when Server mode is disabled. Bots will not join or leave; their number will always stay constant and equal to this value. Works only when Server mode is disabled.

 

PeaceMode = Off
Allowed values: On, Off
An unusual parameter that sets bot behavior. When it is on, the bots will not attack the player, only each other. A bot attacks the player only if the player attacks it first. Beginners can use this mode for learning and practice. Off by default.

 

RestrictedWeapons = Off
Allowed values: On, Off
This parameter also sets bot behavior. When it is on, the bots will use no weapons other than the crowbar and the pistol, while the player can use any weapon. Off by default.

 

MinAimSkill = 1
Allowed values: numbers from 1 to 10
Sets the bots' "skill level" — the minimum accuracy the bots will shoot with in the game: 1 — like beginners, 10 — like snipers. Note: this parameter overrides the individual accuracy settings of each bot, i.e. if a bot is set to accuracy "2" and this parameter is set to "5", the bot will shoot with accuracy "5", not "2".

 

MaxAimSkill = 10
Allowed values: numbers from 1 to 10
Same as the previous parameter, except it sets the maximum accuracy. It also takes values from 1 to 10 and also overrides the individual accuracy settings of each bot, i.e. if a bot is set to accuracy "9" and this parameter is set to "7", the bot will shoot with accuracy "7", not "9".

 

BotChat = Off
Allowed values: On, Off
Sets whether the bots will chat. Off by default. Bot chatter consists of lines taken from a specific file. 
That file is set by the following parameter:
ChatFile = "ChatEnglish.txt"

 

Allowed values: a string — a file name in quotes, without spaces
Points to the file with the bots' chat lines. By default these are English lines stored in ChatEnglish.txt in the \Parabot\ folder. If you want to switch to another chat file, copy it into the \Parabot\ folder (so it sits next to ChatEnglish.txt) and put its name in this parameter.

 

AlwaysRespond = On
Allowed values: On, Off
Sets the bots' chat behavior. When it is on, bots will react to messages containing their nickname and reply to them in chat. Off by default.



Configuring Characters.cfg.
This file contains the individual settings of all bots in the game. It is laid out as a table of characteristics that can be changed for each bot. Each line is one bot with its own individual parameters. There are four of them: accuracy, aggressiveness, perception, chat activity.

 

Line syntax:

 

"Bot nickname"  "Bot model"  <Accuracy> <Aggressiveness>  <Perception>  <Chat activity> 

 

Let's look at them in more detail:

 

"Bot nickname" — a string parameter. Here you can enter the bot's own nickname, always in double quotes. It may contain spaces. Using very long nicknames (longer than 32 characters) is not recommended, since they will be truncated anyway.

 

"Bot model" — a string parameter. Sets how the bot looks in the game. You can put any model from the \valve\models\player folder here, always in double quotes.

 

<Accuracy> — a numeric parameter. Allowed values: numbers from 1 to 10. Sets how accurately the bot shoots in the game. Bots will shoot like beginners (1) or like snipers (10). 
Note: this parameter depends on the MinAimSkill and MaxAimSkill parameters in Parabot.cfg.

 

<Aggressiveness> — a numeric parameter. Allowed values: numbers from 1 to 10. Sets the bot's combat behavior. At "1" the bot will be passive and will hardly attack other bots/the player, while at "10" it will try to kill everyone it sees or hears.

 

<Perception> — a numeric parameter. Allowed values: numbers from 1 to 10. Sets the bot's sight/hearing: at "1" the bot will notice very little around it, while at "10" it will see everyone and everything, including players/bots on the other side of the map or in various hiding spots.

 

<Chat activity> — a numeric parameter. Allowed values: numbers from 1 to 10. Sets how often the bot posts lines in chat. At "1" the bot will be almost silent, while at "10" it will "chatter nonstop".

 

All parameters go into the file line by line: each line starts with "Bot nickname", then preferably two Tab indents, followed by "Bot model", two Tabs, <Accuracy>, one Tab, <Aggressiveness>, one Tab, <Perception>, one Tab, <Chat activity>. At the end — a line break.

You can create your own bots, but the table must not exceed 128 lines. The file must also contain at least one entry (one bot).

 

Example line:

"CoolBotPro"     "scientist"     9    7    5    1

 

Controlling the bots in the game

 

There are several console commands for controlling these bots right during the game, but the most versatile one
is the botmenu command. It brings up a menu on the screen with most of the described commands and settings. You can
navigate the menu with the number keys on your keyboard. While the menu is displayed on screen, all bots stop. 
Another of the most popular commands is addbot. It adds one bot to the server. The bot is picked at random from the Characters.cfg file. And to remove a bot from the server, you use the game's well-known kick command. Its syntax is kick <bot nickname>, for example

 

kick CoolBotPro

 

WARNING: installing these bots may break the ability to play Half-Life single player. If that happens, to get it back you need to remove the bots by deleting or renaming the file \valve\addons\metamod\dlls\parabot_mm.dll in the game folder.