Hedge Maze: Testing our Pathfinding
Added 2022-11-04 16:59:13 +0000 UTCHi!
Jérémie recently made changes to the game’s code that improved the Parafolks’ pathfinding that we’ve already told you about in a previous post. What is pathfinding? It’s how the characters will find their way in the world and walk around walls and objects. In order to test it out, we built a hedge maze for our Paras!
🎥▶️ Watch the video at the top of this post to see our pathfinding in action!
Eli seems pretty excited about this maze!
Behind the scenes: the game generates a navigation map (in blue) to determine where the characters can walk.
It’s so satisfying seeing our little Parafolks navigating their world! We still have some improvements to do like smoothing the movements when they turn a corner, adding custom navigation when encountering objects along the path like doors or stairs and optimizing the code that does the pathfinding.
Have a great weekend!
Alex
Edit - January 26, 2023: This post in now public, feel free to share it!
Comments
this looks stunning! i would love to make a corn field maze in game for some fall time fun
Anna
2023-01-23 22:46:56 +0000 UTCIt would be cool if they could climb over things like walls, and sit or jump to the other side, like if you click a wall an option for climb and sit could appear. And if you click on a path beyond were there is a wall in front on the para they could jumb over it and continue their path. And also if they could walk over smaller objects would be cool too, would be nice when you clutter on the home. But I'm guessing it's quite a bit of work to do that.
Deborah Aittokallio
2023-01-13 14:47:44 +0000 UTCWhen I look at everything in paralives and it soooo soooo sooo cozy to me when the game come out i’m gonna play it for 24 hours
meng
2023-01-05 09:27:26 +0000 UTCI'm not sure if this makes sense on this specific post but the thought just hit me! In certain games time moves way too fast and it feels like I don't have time to really enjoy simple activities without 2 hours flying by. Will you guys have a way to have time be slower than most simulation games?
Felicia Bailey
2022-12-06 19:29:30 +0000 UTCOh wow! The game looks absolutely stunning 🤩
Nyssa Joseph
2022-11-18 19:26:13 +0000 UTCSo amazing! I'm very impressed that you guys really do care about such things.
Ricardé
2022-11-15 12:08:38 +0000 UTCVery cool. I am so impressed by this and I love seeing the progress!
Hannah Moody-Goo
2022-11-11 04:17:24 +0000 UTCAmazing
Lucie Baha
2022-11-10 17:57:50 +0000 UTCIt would be amazing if the game could “detect“ spots in the house that your Paras can’t fit through. Although I don’t know how that would technically work
Maxx
2022-11-10 13:35:33 +0000 UTCThis is amazing! I love how Eli is raring to go! 😆 superb job! Jérémie & team! 👏🏻⭐️
Becky
2022-11-09 10:12:07 +0000 UTCthat feels annoying honestly unless it's a maze minigame, like the seasonal festival games in sims 3
Luna
2022-11-07 18:43:07 +0000 UTCThis looks so fun! I wanna make my paras run around in mazes too 🤩
JossGun Shipper
2022-11-06 17:36:48 +0000 UTCcan we please get that as a mode while in build and buy mode please? i think it will be especially useful cause as a builder in sims i like to clutter my rooms but its hard to say how tight a area can be for the sims to walk in example
Natasha de Beer
2022-11-06 14:01:17 +0000 UTCThe real question is…did any of them find their way through the maze? 😜
Zeevryn
2022-11-06 07:11:27 +0000 UTCLove your idea! Also ITA, the sims walks are annoying and distracting for realistic play. A new take could add so much character and life :)
Slippers
2022-11-05 17:14:17 +0000 UTCYes differentiate modes of walking depending on age would be a game changer. Also maybe depending on mood, excitment vs sad not the overly dramatized ones in sim lol but more realistic
S&M Gonzalez
2022-11-05 16:57:11 +0000 UTCYay, this means I can make complicated houses with my parafolks canceling actions.
RavenShadow
2022-11-05 15:53:59 +0000 UTCI just gotta say, everything is so pretty. I love the look of the game c:
samber
2022-11-05 15:41:42 +0000 UTCIt all looks very believable, including that the child is running - they do that. The only problem with AI is it has already worked out the path before it starts, which means that mazes will always be solved unrealistically quickly. It's almost worth thinking whether there could be a flag on the action "unfamiliar layout" where some fake false turns could be added in. Or would it just look too faked and get annoying to the player?
I JONES
2022-11-05 11:09:06 +0000 UTCI agree!!
Athena Juelfs
2022-11-05 01:55:49 +0000 UTCI'd like to say, on behalf of all fans in waiting, that Jérémie has certainly proven their skills in this Maze run. I absolutely cannot stress enough how incredible it is to see Para folk actually *pathfind. Please oh please continue the hard work and team additions!
Serasmiu
2022-11-05 00:56:33 +0000 UTC+ 1. I would be happy to support this game as long as development continues, even after release. Just these amazing updates alone are more than worth it.
Fran Smith
2022-11-05 00:33:30 +0000 UTC+ 1. I would be happy to support this game as long as development continues, even after release. Just these amazing updates alone are more than worth it.
Fran Smith
2022-11-05 00:22:07 +0000 UTCYes!! The VERY first thing I noticed!! No walking on a grid!! Awesome!! It looks so natural already!!
Fran Smith
2022-11-05 00:19:06 +0000 UTCAmazing! Will there be different walk styles?
Danielle Ellis
2022-11-04 23:54:00 +0000 UTCThis is too cute!!!😭
Madison Deitch
2022-11-04 23:48:34 +0000 UTCLooks so peaceful to play already!
Alex Robitaille
2022-11-04 22:57:32 +0000 UTCThank you Beth!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 21:00:57 +0000 UTCThat would be really cute to see indeed! Maybe we can have more and more details like that in the future
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 21:00:44 +0000 UTCThank you very much Athena!!! Really appreciated
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 21:00:01 +0000 UTCThank you!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 20:59:38 +0000 UTCthis looks so good! would be cute to have a little hedge maze tucked somewhere in the world too!
Beth Attrup
2022-11-04 19:47:02 +0000 UTCThe little boy running ahead of his dad is so cute and realistic! I know this video was set up to look like that but I've never seen that in a game before. I'd love to see an in-game option where a parent and child walk together at the same pace but the child is running ahead and lagging behind, stopping to look at the trees, etc!
Slippers
2022-11-04 19:13:26 +0000 UTCI agree with Amata! Paralives is the first and only game I support via patreon and will continue to do so. I was immediately drawn to the transparency and the openness from the developers to even the sense of community from other supporters. I think this game will make a huge impact on life simulation game play overall, and I LIVE for the updates we get! Amazing job everyone. I am sooo excited to see what other amazing things you guys come up with 😊💜
Athena Juelfs
2022-11-04 19:02:37 +0000 UTCSo awesome, I love your team.
PenudBudr
2022-11-04 18:21:02 +0000 UTCThey said in the post they will be improving this…
Matthew Geller
2022-11-04 18:15:10 +0000 UTCYou're overestimating my building skills, Alex. xD
Minakie
2022-11-04 18:01:39 +0000 UTCAwwww! Wow, thanks so much for your support and kind words!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 18:00:27 +0000 UTCAs an avid gamer, I follow the progress on a lot of games currently in development (for example, Ashes of Creation) -- this is the one game that I am most confident about supporting & genuinely feel like consistent, meaningful progress is always being made. Told my wife just the other day that Paralives could be in development for years, and I would be fine keeping the Patreon strong - I feel like y'all always do a great job of providing updates and keeping supporters "in the loop" for both good milestones and also hiccups along the way. Thank all y'all SO MUCH for all the hard work!!
Amata
2022-11-04 17:54:48 +0000 UTCThank you Sarah!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:48:21 +0000 UTCWill there always be space to move around a given object or will we be able to trap Paras behind a ring of lawn ornaments?
BonaparteBardithion .
2022-11-04 17:45:59 +0000 UTCAs a parent I wanted to call to Eli and tell him to slow down and not get lost 😂
Megan Santucci
2022-11-04 17:43:55 +0000 UTCThis looks amazing! I'm so impressed that none of the paras are walking directly in the middle of the path; they seem to be able to "see" corners up ahead and start angling their path towards the next bend. What a solid foundation for live mode!
Sarah
2022-11-04 17:40:57 +0000 UTCOh I see :) Does it mean you have to restart that action ?
ladyteruki
2022-11-04 17:38:05 +0000 UTCCool! I'll be looking forward to maze building!! 💞
tey711
2022-11-04 17:37:21 +0000 UTCThank you :D
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:36:54 +0000 UTCThank you Pedro!! Vehicles will be really fun to work on in the future and I'm looking forward to seeing how we will be designing the navigation system for them!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:36:43 +0000 UTCThank you :) <3 Not sure yet if there will be a maze in our first town but players will be able to create one if they wish!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:35:46 +0000 UTCThis will be improved, thanks for the feedback!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:35:09 +0000 UTCThanks for the feedback! We will be working on smoothing the animation when turning a corner
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:34:48 +0000 UTCThank you!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:34:20 +0000 UTCHehehe <3
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:34:14 +0000 UTCStepping over small objects on the floor is not planned for now but it would be a nice touch to add in the future maybe! If you place objects while a character is walking, it might interrupt them if their path becomes blocked
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:34:01 +0000 UTCThank you Sarah!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:33:00 +0000 UTCWe're still working on pathways and how they will work! More details on that later
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:32:51 +0000 UTCThanks Daniel! Looking forward to working on stairs
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:32:15 +0000 UTCThank you!!!
Alex Massé
2022-11-04 17:32:01 +0000 UTCI'm SCREAMING!!! THEY DON'T WALK STRAIGHT! OMG YOUR PATHFINDING ALGORITHM IS SO REALISTIC 😍😍😍
Serasmiu
2022-11-04 17:29:57 +0000 UTCI was thinking (hoping for) something more complicated, like that, as well. At the end of the day though, I'll just be happy if the paras bring their dish to the kitchen sink and don't take the strangest routes to get the mail. Haha Edit: this was in reply to a comment I made where someone replied to it. They were suggesting different ways for people to path find, whether they lived at the house or not or if based on age (if they would use a walkway or go on the grass, etc.). I was trying to say that I'd think it'd be great but I'm very happy so far with what we're seeing. For some reason the comment didn't come up as a reply to them.
Christine Harvey
2022-11-04 17:25:10 +0000 UTCShort update and very technical, but probably one of the most important so far. Keep up the awesome work guys!! I'm curious how the pathfiding will work in combination with the open world. How the paras will choose their vehicles, how the vehicle will navigate in the world and other pressing questions.
Pedro Lima
2022-11-04 17:25:06 +0000 UTCWhat a wonderful and fun way to test pathfinding! Run, Eli, run!! The teams's work is always creative and top notch! Looking good! Can we keep the maze for the game?? 😄💕
tey711
2022-11-04 17:24:53 +0000 UTCIts looks good but when they turn corners they sort of hug the wall and snap their body into place when they turn it looks a bit unnatural.
Alexandra Brownlee
2022-11-04 17:24:44 +0000 UTCIf possible would be good to break down for generations... like people who live there cross the lawn, but visitors follow the path... kids always across the lawn etc
ZombieZmaj (Jenni)
2022-11-04 17:22:49 +0000 UTCoh, didn't see that, thanks!
Stefan Zylbersztein
2022-11-04 17:21:48 +0000 UTCThey literally mention at the end of the post that there are some improvements to be made on the animations when paras turn corners, so no worries ;)
Marilee
2022-11-04 17:19:21 +0000 UTCamazing! I love how the progress is going so far, tho I have a comment about the animations, when they change directions while moving seems a little abrupt, but I'm sure you're still working on those things, still its looking great!
Stefan Zylbersztein
2022-11-04 17:15:48 +0000 UTCExcellent work as always! Can’t wait to play the game in full!
Michael Green
2022-11-04 17:12:13 +0000 UTCI know it's just a game but i feel like my baby accomplished something ❤️
Misia
2022-11-04 17:10:18 +0000 UTCWill they be able to step over things ? Since the build mode IS the live mode, how would it work if you placed a bush on their path or created a shortcut while they're walking ?
ladyteruki
2022-11-04 17:09:46 +0000 UTCAmazing job so far guys! The pathfinding is looking incredible so far!
Sarah Rodrigues
2022-11-04 17:09:30 +0000 UTCThat looks great! How exciting to see all this progress coming together! I have a question relating to pathfinding. If we build a walkway or something, say to the front door from the street, will paras take this path or the quickest path to the door?
Christine Harvey
2022-11-04 17:05:54 +0000 UTCI'm really looking foward to see this pathfinding system works with stairs, Looking cool so far!
Daniel Asraf
2022-11-04 17:04:51 +0000 UTCPathfinding is looking great, as is that hedge maze! I loved the animation at the beginning of the grass swinging in the wind, it's subtle and not too distracting. Seeing Sebastian strolling calmly with Eli energetically rushing in front of him is very realistic and just makes me smile. I see kids running in front of their caretakers all the time. Amazing update as always! :)
Minakie
2022-11-04 17:02:35 +0000 UTC
