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Deerclopsbrain

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-02-27

Overview​

deerclopsbrain defines the behavior tree (BT) controller for the Deerclops entity. It coordinates high-level decision-making across combat, movement, and environmental interaction by combining several behavior nodes such as ChaseAndAttack, Wander, DoAction, Leash, and FaceEntity. The brain integrates with the entity's combat, burnable, and knownlocations components to make context-aware choices—including when to grow ice, destroy player structures, or return to a home location. It also supports the Deerclops' unique mechanics such as frenzy states, ice regeneration, and catapault-aware pathing over water.

Dependencies & Tags​

  • Components used:
    • combat — reads target, InCooldown, HasTarget, TargetIs, battlecryenabled
    • burnable — checks IsBurning
    • knownlocations — stores/retrieves "spawnpoint", "home", "targetbase" positions; calls RememberLocation and ForgetLocation
    • workable — accessed via action == ACTIONS.HAMMER to identify destroyable structures
    • burnable and combat — used in conjunction to determine ice-regrowth conditions
  • Tags:
    • BASEDESTROY_CANT_TAGS = {"wall"} — used by FindEntity to exclude walls from base destruction targets
  • Behaviors imported:
    • chaseandattack, wander, doaction, attackwall, leash, faceentity
    • giantutils — provides utility functions: GetWanderAwayPoint, CanProbablyReachTargetFromShore, BufferedAction, FindEntity

Properties​

PropertyTypeDefault ValueDescription
SEE_DISTnumber40Maximum search radius for base-destroy targets (in game units)
CHASE_DISTnumber32Deerclops stops chasing beyond this distance
CHASE_TIMEnumber20Maximum chase duration before behavior node re-evaluation
OUTSIDE_CATAPULT_RANGEnumberComputed valueMinimum safe distance from shore when targeting entities on water, to avoid ranged attacks
BASEDESTROY_CANT_TAGStable{"wall"}Tags that exclude entities from being targeted for base destruction
inst.forgethometaskTasknilDelayed task to forget "home" location after 30 seconds of inactivity

Main Functions​

BaseDestroy(inst)​

  • Description: Attempts to find and initiate an action to destroy a nearby hammerable structure (e.g., walls, floors). If a "targetbase" location has been remembered and a valid target is found, it returns a BufferedAction targeting that structure. Used by the DoAction behavior node.
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
  • Returns: BufferedAction targeting a structure, or nil if no target found or "targetbase" not known.

GetWanderPos(inst)​

  • Description: Determines a fallback wandering target position by prioritizing known locations: "targetbase", "home", then "spawnpoint".
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
  • Returns: Vector3 position if a known location exists; nil otherwise.

GetNewHome(inst)​

  • Description: Assigns a new "home" position using GetWanderAwayPoint, and schedules a task to forget this location after 30 seconds. Cancels any existing home-forget task.
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
  • Returns: nil

GetHomePos(inst)​

  • Description: Returns the "home" position, or generates a new one if none exists.
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
  • Returns: Vector3 — The current "home" position.

GetTarget(inst)​

  • Description: Returns the current combat target.
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
  • Returns: Entity or nil — The target entity stored in inst.components.combat.target.

IsTarget(inst, target)​

  • Description: Checks whether the given entity is the current combat target.
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
    • target — Entity — Entity to compare against the current target.
  • Returns: boolean — true if target matches the current target.

GetTargetPos(inst)​

  • Description: Returns the world position of the current combat target, or nil if no target exists.
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
  • Returns: Vector3 or nil

ShouldGrowIce(inst)​

  • Description: Evaluates whether Deerclops should regrow ice (e.g., ice ring, eye ice, body ice). Considers burning state, combat status, frenzy, and memory of missing ice (sg.mem). Logic covers both out-of-combat regeneration and combat phase-specific summoning/regrowth.
  • Parameters:
    • inst — The Deerclops entity instance.
  • Returns: boolean — true if ice regrowth should be started.

DeerclopsBrain:OnStart()​

  • Description: Constructs and assigns the root behavior tree node. The behavior tree prioritizes:
    1. Ice regeneration (if ShouldGrowIce returns true)
    2. Battlecry activation (via AttackWall + DoAction)
    3. Cooldown phase — leash behavior, facing target
    4. Combat chase and attack
    5. Target base destruction (via BaseDestroy)
    6. Attempt to leave via wander-to-home
    7. General wandering via GetWanderPos
  • Parameters: None
  • Returns: nil

DeerclopsBrain:OnInitializationComplete()​

  • Description: Records the Deerclops' spawn position under the "spawnpoint" key in knownlocations. The dont_overwrite flag is set to true, so it will only be stored once.
  • Parameters: None
  • Returns: nil

Events & Listeners​

  • Listens to: None (no inst:ListenForEvent calls in this file)
  • Pushes:
    • "doicegrow" — Pushed by the IceGrow action node when ice regeneration is triggered

Note: Event pushing is limited to one internal event ("doicegrow"), and no external event subscriptions are defined in this file.