[UPDATED] ICECreatureControl v1.4.0 - creature AI for enemies, animals, monsters, zombies ...

Just in case someone's already heavily invested time & integration methods with ICE for their project, or interested in ICE_CC's internal script name spaces here's a link: http://www.icecreaturecontrol.com/docs/html/namespaces.html

May come in handy for those of us whom have already deeply integrated ICE into their project but not quite ready to strip it all out and start over. I've noticed over time that every Unity update requires namespace references within ICE to be updated when Unity yields those annoying Null Reference Exceptions & GUI-ID conflicts.

Pit's ICE_CC was so ambitious and ahead of its time it may very well take years before another developer can eclipse all of its built-in features and combine it with an easy on the eyes UI/UX. The closest comparable competition to ICE (even in its current glitchy status) on the Asset Store requires the combination of multiple plug-ins. In other words, back to prehistoric NPC workflows until Machine Learning NPCs become useable.

 

FYI: For those who haven't found a replacement for ICECC yet and considering to get their hands dirty in crafting their own basic AI through visual scripting, here's a good opportunity. If you still haven't heard, HumbleBundle is currently offering a "pay-what-you-want" bundle for a nice mix of games and Unity Assets including FlowCanvas and GameFlow. The list of included Unity Assets are:

• FlowCanvas - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from nuverian.
  
• Gaia - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from AdamGoodrich
  
• GameFlow - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from Evasion Games.
• Heroic Fantasy Creatures Full Pack Vol.1 - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from rosor.
• Inventory Pro - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from jorisshh.
• Realistic Effects Pack 4 - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from kripto289.
  
• UFPS: Ultimate FPS - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from opsive.
  
• Ultimate Game Music Collection - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from JLF
• uMMORPG - Yes, can be used commercially. Received reply from vis2k.
  
• Universal Sound FX

Pay only US$ 15 minimum for everything in the list plus a few more games thrown in and a tutorial on Unity game development!

Edit: I've added replies I got from the developers/creators of the Assets in the list above whether they can be used commercially or not. No indication just means I still haven't received a reply.

 

That's pretty great, I just wish NodeCanvas would be included as well. I think FlowCanvas works best when both are installed in the project.

 

I will try FlowCanvas first then if I like it, will see if I can get NodeCanvas separately. NodeCanvas is on sale in the Asset Store now though so for those with extra budget (+ US$ 56.25 ), it might be a good time to get both working together.

Anybody have tried both GameFlow and FlowCanvas? Which do you prefer and why?

 

I do not get this:
One part on the page says:
Heroic Fantasy Creatures Full Pack Volume 1
MSRP: $349

So I pay 15 bucks and I can download and use it legal, is that Right?
How Long do I have to pay 15 then?

 

On previous occasion i remembered Humble bundle TOS mentioned purchased bundle items are for PERSONAL use only.But i am also confused how it will be applied to Unity Asset store, as store purchases are covered by Unity EULA

Better to confirm it with either Unity or Humble staff, if anyone intend to use them for commercial purpose.

 

I don't think it matters how it was purchased - if its purchased on the asset store it can be used for profit projects unless specified on the asset page. I know HFC Pack Volume 1 is absolutely for use on commercial projects - they are in mine.

 

I paid the 15 dollars....Made out like a phat bandit!

 

Yeah, I don't get it too. But I guess its for charity? I think all assets bought there are legit and can be used commercially since there are no non-commercial versions of those specific assets available in the Asset Store. If its not for commercial use, then many people will probably get angry with HumbleBundle for not indicating a note upfront.

 

I dig into the humble bundle TOS given : https://www.humblebundle.com/terms , by searching the commercial word here are the two major points in their TOS.

Under 1.USE OF SERVICE---->(b) Restrictions---->(viii) using the Service for any commercial solicitation purposes.
Under 1.USE OF SERVICE--->(d) Your Information--->The Service is only for sales of products or product rights (collectively, "Products") to end user customers for their personal, non-commercial use.

From my understanding these two points clearly suggest that all purchases are for personal use only.Kindly go through them.

 

If the assets come with normal Unity product codes redeemable in the store, then it's OK for commercial use. Everything in the asset store is greenlit for commercial use. The Humble Bundle can't just "take it away".

 

hmm... I directly sent them a question about this and also suggested that they include a notice in the Bundle page if those assets cannot be used for commercial purposes. Most of the time I am careful about this sort of thing but since they are assets used for game creation using a popular game engine, I automatically assumed the same rights that apply here in Unity Asset store also applies to those products. If they reply, I will post more info. But if anyone here already has the confirmed answer, kindly share. Thanks.

Also, just wondering if ever those assets are not really for commercial use and someone decides to claim the purchased Humble Unity Bundle asset within Unity's system, that asset gets tied to the account right? Let's say later on you decided you wanted to use them commercially, what can you do? Is it possible to get more than one of the same asset within Unity's system? I haven't encountered that issue yet but just wondering how would that sort of thing work?

EDIT: I've also sent a question to Unity Support and awaiting their reply.

 

I think this is for the games they offer most of the time. You cannot buy a game there for one Dollar and then re-sell it...

Best deal ever (at least for me). Some assets are really valuable, I wonder how the authors think about it. Did it for charity?

 

Last night, Adam Goodrich of Gaia posted about the sale in his Gaia forum. Gaia is one of the assets.

"HUMBLE BUNDLE SALE

If you haven't already heard about it then do yourself a favor and check out the amazing Humble Bundle Sale! $15 gets you a bunch of cool games, a set of game dev courses valued at $600, and a whole bunch of premium unity assets."

I didn't believe it until I saw his comment. There are only a couple things I can use, but it is worth it for just one at that price. And it goes to a charity of your choice.

 

I got mine last night - this is a hell of a deal. The Fantasy Creatures pack alone is worth a few hundred dollars - toss in Gaia, UFPS and Realistic Effects Pack and it's a no brainer.

Adam also posted in Facebook yesterday as well, which was how I got my notice. I certainly plan on using the assets in my commercial projects, but I also know that you can - it was never up for debate I think some folks are just getting confused by the fine print that was originally written for Video Games and other products that cannot be resold.

 

I got mine today
Birthday present came early!
Amazing deal!!

 

Here's the reply from Unity Support:

 

So in other words do the humble bundle deal!

 

Thanks it resolves all the licensing confusion.

 

This AI Behaviors Asset I've just discovered, wondering if anyone here has tried it out and what's your opinions regarding its workflow advantages or disadvantages; compared to similar assets.

 

That's this one here: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/ai/ai-behavior-3442

 

Yep.

 

I'm pretty sure the TOS restrictions for the bundle only apply to the vouchers that they are selling, not the assets themselves. In other words, you can't buy the bundle for $15, then wait for the sale to end and sell your Heroic Creatures Pack voucher for $300. You have to redeem the voucher for yourself.

Once you redeem the Heroic Creatures Pack voucher, the Unity Asset Store EULA applies to the actual asset.

That's my interpretation, anyway.

 

It was the original paid AI asset for Unity, going back to 2010 I guess. It was hyped and well-received back then, but it was surpassed in quality and features by every single AI solution released since...

 

Oh wow that's GTK, Thanks!

 

So does anyone know, can I gift the keys from the humble bundle? Pretty much got it just for the fantasy creatures, and it really seems like a waste to not do anything with the rest of the keys.

 

where to get the refund

 

Here's the reply from HumbleBundle Support. It contains links upon links within Unity's website. So I am guessing they are relinquishing any remaining TOS clause they may have in relation to these bundled Unity Assets... if ever there really was any to begin with. If anybody is still unsure, another way to know is maybe to ask the Asset developers themselves (I've updated my first post about this to contain replies I've received so far).

To those who still want to refund, a quick way is maybe to send an email to contact@humblebundle.com. I sent my questions there about these usage rights.

 

I think so as long as only one copy exist for that voucher code/license key that was activated. Since these are tied to Unity's system, I think it automatically implements that. Meaning, the owner of an Asset will be the one who activates the code/key. It would be great if you can give away the Asset to someone else also if you have duplicates...

But don't take my word for it. You can ask either HumbleBundle and/or Unity to get a more definite answer.

 

You want to refund the deprecated ICECC? You may want to ask help from Unity Support if the Asset developer won't reply.

I will now also refrain from posting any further non-related ICECC matters into this thread, sorry. However, I found a thread here that is dedicated to this HumbleBundle...

 

I already asked for a IceCC Refund About a year ago (only time I ever did for an asset). Didn't get any.
I still find it completly unusable even the earlier versions for Unity 2017.
I made my own scripts now which work pretty well.

 

Never got to fully utilize ICECC as I bought it early before to support the developer because I found potential. I thought I will be able to use it later on. It's really a gamble purchasing a Unity Asset. You'll never know when the developer/creator will abandon/drop their product. Currently, I try to get only those Assets that have active community support from both developers/creators and users as well as having clear documentation/tutorials whenever applicable... which is really quite few.

I was thinking it would actually be great if Unity will introduce some sort of Dynamic Rating System for Assets in the store based on how active a developer/creator is with regards to their support offerings and powered by their customers and the developer's/creator's site activity. Then the resulting rating will automatically affect the visibility/presence of their product in the Asset Store's front page, ad/search results, and the actual support the developers/creators will get from Unity. Not sure if the current Asset Rating System has dynamic features but I noticed since the "Stars" don't get reduced even after some time, it can show inaccuracies. If they did this, it will provide more confidence to Asset Buyers because Unity will have some measures in place to protect customers and also a way to sort of automate the "cleanup" of their Asset Store.

 

has ICE gone from the store?

 

Yup. Only those who bought it before will still be able to access it for download.

 

It was bound to happen, surprised that it took so long! All we can do is use it, or learn from it to make our own.

 

Anyone knows why Pit gave it up? I recall him displaying a newfound enthusiasm for ICE after 1.4 came out.

 

Other commitments maybe, or his accident had a knock on effect with a life changing moment - things happen, it's how well you recover from it would have had a deciding factor - like spending more time with family or a long road to recovery. We just don't know.

 

I guess supporting too many assets and too many features made it hard to debug, impossible to improve after a while.
In my opinion it would be much better to support less assets and have less features but working without problems.
Source Code "Windwuchs" -> uncrontrolled growth.

I bought it just to have my Monsters follow the Player without using Navmesh and Maybe run around an obstacle. I never got that working with IceCC, but now with my own scripts (not perfect but okay).

 

I found some of the Unity Assets still available in the store that were released a long time ago were rewritten and have somewhat changed from their original version. I would still have accepted ICECC even if it was broken down into multiple modules and sold some of those modules as an upgrade if it would achieve a more stable system (and can be used without NavMesh). I feel it is such a waste of potential and sad that the community it has built around it may vanish soon. Anyway, using a Waypoint System works for me now for movements but will probably create my own basic AI System too. Will try using GameFlow first as I can't seem to grasp the use of FlowCanvas. If that was NodeCanvas in the bundle, would've prioritized using that.

 

Such a shame.

 

I still think ICECC is solid enough to continue to keep using, even without support. Unfortunately, most of the assets don’t give much support once I buy them, so this is just another in a long line. I know an injury like his can take a long time to heal, so maybe he’ll bring it back, or not. I wish him the best in his recovery.

I’ll continue to use ICE as much I know how to work it. I understand that most people will try to find another solution, but since I’m not good at coding yet, I’m stuck with what’s in the store. And I’m kinda tired of buying expensive assets and having the developers bail out, so I’ll just keep on with ICECC until I use it up and it serves me no purpose at all.

I was taught a long time ago that even a broken tool can still be useful even if it’s not capable of functioning as design. A broken screwdriver can still poke a hole, so maybe ICECC will be able to keep working for what it can do now.

 

To those interested, I've posted this idea here so it can be voted on. Not sure if this will make a difference but it just took me a couple of minutes to write so...

 

Good suggestion, but I'm afraid it will never be) You want to break the business model Unity assets store: -? Accepting your offer, you must immediately reduce the number of assets sold from 58 876 to a maximum of 500, and I think this is an optimistic assessment No business can stand it ..

 

I think it was a combination of discouraging store reviews and negative posts here: he was unprepared for how tough a crowd Unity devs can be, at least a part of them... It takes like 2 minutes for an amateur user to write a scathing review for an advanced product that took 2 or more years to create.
On the off chance that Pit reads this: please be aware that us "core" ICE fans would gladly join you on Patreon if/when you feel like continuing its development.

 

Maybe that was the reason. That is why I think the Asset Store's Review System must be further improved to assist both Asset Publishers and Customers. More and more people are discovering Unity and the user base is growing. Those people have varied behaviors and conditions which I think must be handled properly. Expectations must be made clear at the onset whether someone is buying an asset or about to publish theirs.

 

Not sure if this will break their business model. I consider it more of augmenting it. It does not need to happen overnight but can be a gradual process allowing Publishers to adjust. If Unity doesn't do this or something similar, it might actually hurt their business in the long run.

This system won't reduce the Assets in the store. But it will sort it more effectively I hope. Enabling those highly rated Publishers to have more customers and therefore more funds to grow their business then allowing them to build more effective products... maybe even run a bigger development studio which they can properly manage, etc.

 

You are absolutely right, so it should be ... in an ideal world ... but.
The asset store is primarily a store. And any shop needs to be sold, and the more, the better. And, preferably, each buyer the same category of goods several times, every year, for example, a new asset ai for each user. And the buyer will be satisfied if a reasonable compromise between the refresh rate, the availability of new opportunities and the price and other costs for the transition to a new one will be observed. Many popular developers are following this path, releasing their assets in version 2, the pro version, and I understand them.
And you want the store on the price tag to write in huge letters, not about the merits of the product, but about its shortcomings. Where such stores))

And this situation will not change until Unity does not contain all the tools needed for development, for example ai. And the store will sell templates to them, which require much less support from the developer. To make changes to your product for each version of Unity for many years - for free - it's a very big job, and I bow to the publishers who do this, and still answer the questions of newbies ... this is hell)))

 

I think I understand what you mean. More sales, more income and all of these being achieved without spending additional budget to upgrade and improve the Store. Most people, after being fed up, just then move on to creating their own system and some graduate to also sell their Assets to the Store which later on they realize they can't support and the cycle continues. That is actually sad and if not enough people will want to change, nothing will really happen. But I'm predicting something will happen if not now in the near future because as more and more people discover this strategy they will probably refrain buying from the Asset Store, move on to using another Game Engine, or just totally abandon creating games. I prefer Unity to promote competition among Asset Publishers though to have more variety of quality products and outstanding support rather than hide who are deserving or not. There are some Asset Publishers who have managed to provide both of that and I feel this "hiding" strategy is totally unfair to them.

Unity has its own Ticketing System and I guess they believe in using that for their own purposes. I hope they extend it to be able to be used by Asset Store Publishers and their Customers too then utilize garnered data to improve the Asset Store.

Sorry again everyone for being off-topic. I guess it would be more appropriate to continue any conversations related to this in the corresponding Feedback page? I appreciate the replies, thanks!

 

Personally I think this is great. Too many asset developers jump on the bandwagon thinking its going to be easy money, an easy gig without having to put too much time into it. Once they discover there is work beyond the fun part (creating the asset), in the form of support, they bail. This would be a great way to hold asset developers accountable, and establish the idea that no, this won't be a part time gig. If you have an important asset an it sells well, you'll need to support it in order to grow it and keep it selling. Those of us selling on Steam have had to deal with a level of accountability like this for a long time - its about time the asset store starts adapting some of the methods other asset/software selling outlets are using. Right now, as it stands, the Unity asset store is mostly set up to benefit Unity first, then the seller, than the buyer. Personally I feel like this is the opposite of how a store should work - Buyer, Seller than Unity as far as priority is concerned.

 

Exactly!!! I couldn't have said it better. I quoted your message in the Idea Feedback Page but made it sort of anonymous just in case. I can change that if you prefer. Having someone who is an actual vendor in Steam and a Unity user share their experience is very valuable in pushing the idea. Thank you for making the message much more clearer!