Making NPCs Look Scared

General Development Source 1
#1

Hello y’all.
I’ve been slowly chipping away at my own singleplayer map project for a little while, and it starts as you are on a tram going past a stop. However, the resonance cascade occurs and the tram suddenly stops, and the player can watch the events unfold for a little before being knocked out to continue in post-disaster state.
The only problem I’m having is getting the NPCs to actually look like they’re running for their lives when the monsters spawn. All they do is run around with their hands by their sides and occasionally shout. I’ve placed AI Nodes around the place so they can at least navigate, sometimes they even just stand in a position waiting for a while before the headcrab gets close enough. I would really like to find out a way to get them looking more interactive with the enemy and frightened. Otherwise, they’re running chickens.

Has anyone got an idea?

Edit: I know about the facial expression option to make them look scared in the face, but I’m talking about body movements, cowering, screaming etc.

#2

Try using some of these:

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Scripted_sequence

Use the “Custom movement” setting with one of the scared animations.

Then use some of these to get them to shout the lines that you want them to shout:

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Logic_choreographed_scene

If you wanna get into choreography, you could just create a single custom scene with a bunch of actors in it using Faceposer:

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Choreography_creation

Then you could take that scene and implement it with the logic_choreographed_scene entity and save yourself a lot of entity work.

#3

Thanks.
I’m thinking of just doing a whole choreographed scene, or 2. But it says I have to compile it into the scenes.image file. Is this possible to do and put it on the Workshop?

#4

I don’t know about putting it on Workshop, but it’s easily doable by pressing one button in Faceposer. Someone more familiar with Workshop mods need to weigh in on that.

#5

Managed to do the whole resonance cascade sequence (Only about 15 seconds but y’know) using scripted sequences + choreo entities for talking!

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.