A couple weeks ago I discussed the challenges of implementing cover behaviors in a modern shooter, but this photo illustrates the point even better:

Photo 1. See the large version here (forum registration required).

Lesson learned, make sure each of your cover objects have a lock so they can’t be occupied by more than one agent! You may also want to check out this previous article about different ways to approach the problem of taking cover in a game.

Strategies for Implementing Cover Behaviors

Implementing good combat behaviors using cover isn’t always straightforward, but game developers often use the same tricks to solve this problem. This article looks into the process of placing the cover points manually or using automated analysis, as well as the behaviors for selecting and using cover. Click here to read.