I just raced the bot (name: "RACER") on MCPOLICE's server (servername currently: "UF1 ONLY - GOT SKILL?" on KY National) and had an interesting conversation with it. The bot appeared blue on the minimap (is this correct? ), and his name didn't appear in the name list. I don't have the chat log but here is a sample of some of the dialog from memory:

kernelpanic: are you a bot?
RACER: Yes I am a bot
kernelpanic: are you not a bot?
RACER: I really am a bot
RACER: : )
...
kernelpanic: where are you located?
RACER: I am located on MCPOLICE's hard drive
kernelpanic: what language were you coded in?
RACER: C++
...
kernelpanic: what is your name?
RACER: RACER
kernelpanic: what is your goal in life?
RACER: I was created by MCPOLICE to win races
kernelpanic: what are you?
RACER: I am a bot racer
...

Anyway, I was wondering if there has been efforts to create CHATTING bot racers for LFS before? If not, is MCPOLICE pushing a new area? What about the implementation, how is the chat interfaced exposed in LFS? Is there a public API?

The talking bot added some realism to the races, as it would reply back when you commented or would talk when it was unhappy from a mistake or happy from passing you.

Any further insight/comments are appreciated.

Haha, yea i just checked that server, it's an AI car called Racer and there's an InSim program that can spam random message and reply to questions a bit using the /msg command.
Pretty funny. Im trying some questions on it.
It says: would you like to race? if you say yes, he restarts the race.
Tho he cant do anything more than say simple stuff like, GOOD RACE, and he says Good Race as well. If he replied to In what code are you programmed i think it was the admin using the ./msg command and say things for Racer.

the player that has their AI running can talk under their name.

Quote from ayrton senna 87 :

the player that has their AI running can talk under their name.

ROFL!!!

now that makes sense.

Quote from ayrton senna 87 :

the player that has their AI running can talk under their name.

I never thought that was possible, are you sure? And it wasn't 'talk' messages like you do with the T button, but they were server messages that were just disguised as if the AI spoke. I really doubt McPolice typed them all himself. A simple program via InSim can do that.

I was racing the bot, when it lagged (ping was 183ms when i joined) and i hit it. I typed 'lag' by way of an apology to server owner if watching.

It, or the owner, said 'you on dialup?'. i replied 'no' then it said 'get it fixed'. I stopped the car and said i could send a replay if wanted.

Then I tried to apologise again by saying ping was 183, but i didn't think that was too bad to race with, to which the response was 'bull**** get lost moron' and i was kicked off!

Does anyone know if this guy programmed his bot to be so unfriendly, or is the guy himself an idiot?

So when we will see Shodan managing LFS online servers? It certainly would make some interesting races when you'd receive messages like:

"Look at you racer, a p-p-pathetic creature of meat and bone. Sweating as you drive on my tracks..."

That shows us how much ppl can do with InSim, I'm sure we get loads of more cool stuff in future

[offtopic]
Btw, Spankmeyer, you're still my worst enemy in BF2
[/offtopic]

Now if that bot could be used in conjunction with an Eliza type of knowledge-base based chatter bot, lol..

Quote from frokki :

[offtopic]
Btw, Spankmeyer, you're still my worst enemy in BF2
[/offtopic]

[offtopic]
Haha I guess it's a small online world after all! BF2 is a good way to vent race track frustrations, don't you think?
[/offtopic]