Hired Escorts reimplemented as Hireable Vagabonds with mini-personalities

dat/ai/core/control/generic.lua

@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ mem.form_pos      = nil -- Position in formation (for follower)
 mem.leadermaxdist = nil -- Distance from leader to run back to leader
 mem.gather_range  = 800 -- Radius in which the pilot looks for gatherables
 mem.lanes_useneutral = false -- Whether or not to use neutral lanes
+mem.autoleader    = true -- automatically find a leader
 
 --[[Control parameters: mem.radius and mem.angle are the polar coordinates
 of the point the pilot has to follow when using follow_accurate.
@@ -465,7 +466,7 @@ function control ()
 
    -- Select new leader
    local l = p:leader()
-   if not mem.carried then -- carried ships don't change
+   if not mem.carried and mem.autoleader then -- carried ships don't change
       if l == nil then
          local candidate = ai.getBoss()
          if candidate ~= nil and candidate:exists() then

dat/ai/escort_guardian.lua

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+require 'ai.escort'
+
+-- Settings
+mem.aggressive = true
+mem.guardbrake    = 350
+mem.guarddodist   = 3000 -- distance at which to start activities
+mem.guardreturndist = 6000 -- distance at which to return
+mem.enemyclose    = mem.guarddodist
+mem.atk_board = true
+mem.send_escort = true
+mem.autoleader =  false
+
+function create ()
+   create_pre()
+
+   local p = ai.pilot()
+   local ps = p:ship()
+
+   -- Default range stuff
+   mem.guarddodist   = 1000 + 200 * ps:size()
+   mem.guardreturndist = mem.guarddodist + 2000
+   mem.enemyclose    = mem.guarddodist
+
+   -- Finish up creation
+   create_post()
+end
+
+-- is it close to me or my protectee?
+local function gdist( t )
+   return math.min(
+      player.pilot():pos():dist( t:pos() ),
+      ai.pilot():pos():dist( t:pos() )
+   )
+end
+
+local _should_attack = should_attack
+function should_attack( enemy, si )
+   if _should_attack( enemy, si ) and gdist(enemy) < mem.guarddodist then
+      return true
+   end
+   return false
+end
+
+-- luacheck: globals idle (AI Task functions passed by name)
+function idle ()
+
+   local pp = player.pilot()
+   local me = ai.pilot()
+   local subordinates = me:followers()
+
+   local hostiles = pp:getHostiles(mem.guarddodist, me:pos(), true, false, false)
+   local detected_hostile = nil
+   local can_send = rnd.rnd(1, #subordinates * 2) == #subordinates
+
+   for i, enemy in ipairs(hostiles) do
+      if should_attack(enemy) then
+         local dangerous = false
+         if enemy:ship():size() >= 3 then
+            dangerous = true
+         end
+
+         if dangerous then
+            for j, under in ipairs(subordinates) do
+               me:msg(under, "e_attack", enemy)
+--               under:pushtask( "attack", enemy )
+            end
+            ai.pushtask( "attack", enemy )
+            return
+         else
+            -- send a random escort
+            if (can_send or mem.send_escort) and #subordinates > 0 then
+               me:msg(subordinates[rnd.rnd(1, #subordinates)], "e_attack", enemy)
+               mem.send_escort = false
+            end
+         end
+      end
+   end
+
+   -- get distance
+   local guarddist = ai.dist(pp:pos())
+   if guarddist > mem.guardreturndist then
+         ai.iface(pp)
+      ai.accel(1)
+      return
+   end
+
+   -- find something to board
+   hostiles = pilot.getInrange(me:pos(), mem.guarddodist)
+   for _i, target in ipairs(hostiles) do
+      if target:hostile() then
+         if mem.atk_board and ai.canboard(target) then
+            ai.pushtask("board", target )
+            return
+         elseif (should_attack(target) or (mem.aggressive and not ai.canboard(target))) and rnd.rnd(0, 1) == 0 then
+            -- a pot shot or two
+            ai.settarget( target )
+            ai.aim(target)
+            ai.shoot()
+         end
+      end
+   end
+
+      -- find nearby enemy
+   local enemy = detected_hostile
+   if not enemy then
+      enemy = ai.getenemy()
+   end
+   if enemy ~= nil then
+      for k, v in ipairs(me:followers()) do
+         me:msg ( v, "e_attack", enemy )
+      end
+      ai.pushtask("attack", enemy)
+   end
+
+   mem.send_escort = true
+
+   if guarddist < mem.guardbrake then
+      -- let him drift a bit
+      if rnd.rnd() > (guarddist / mem.guardbrake) then
+         -- brake
+         ai.brake()
+      else
+         -- just don't accelerate
+         ai.accel(0)
+      end
+      return
+   elseif guarddist < mem.guarddodist then
+      ai.face( pp, nil, true )
+      ai.accel((guarddist / mem.guarddodist) * rnd.rnd()) -- fun variability
+      return
+   end
+
+   ai.iface(pp)
+   ai.accel()
+end