Question

In RTS games, when you move some units, they find path and go to the places that are the closest to the selected place. I dont know how to select those places, I mean the target points for each unit.

For example, when I send 9 troops, I want them to have TARGETS like this:

. - empty, 
T - targets for units, 
O - the place that I've choosen to move them, target for unit too
.....
.TTT.
.TOT.
.TTT.
.....

Pathfinding algorithm is ready, just I need to generate the list (or vector) of target points, one for each unit. I dont want the complete code, but just some advices and ideas… Well I have to mind that not all places are walkable…

Thanx for any replies and sorry for my bad english…

Answer 1

You could use a BFS from the allocated point. “Fill” the selected tile with a unit if it is a tile that can hold a unit [not an obstacle]. Keep doing it until you “exhausted” the number of units.

In pseudo-code:

selectTargetLocation(point,units):
  currUnit <- 0
  queue<- new queue
  visited <- {}
  map<unit,point> <- empty map
  queue.push(point)
  while (queue.empty() == false): 
     current <- queue.takeFirst()
     visited.add(current)
     for each p such that p and current are neighbors: //insert neighbors to queue
          if p is not in visited: 
                queue.push(p)
     if current is not an obstacle: 
         map.put(unit[currUnit++],current) 
     if (currUnit == units.length) break //break when exhausted all units
  return map