How do I get a pathfinding NPC to stop at a distance away from the player?

[Colinchannz (WWhoKnowsRight)]

I’m trying to make an AI that shoots the player when they are within a certain distance.

Here is an example using a graph:

X is where the target (player) is and the circle around it is the “deadzone” that the npc must be inside in order to shoot at the player. How can I achieve this? I wasn’t able to find anything about it on the devforum or youtube unless I have missed something.

[BigGuard20000 (CharlieAgony)]

You would need to use Magnitude for it and constant checking whether something containing a Humanoid is nearby. I would do it this way:

1. Initial setup

local pathfindingService = game:GetService("PathfindingService")
local spotDistance = 35 --adjust to preference
local stopDistance = 10

while task.wait(0.15) do

end

2. Is something in workspace that has a humanoid nearby?

local pathfindingService = game:GetService("PathfindingService")
local spotDistance = 35 --adjust to preference
local stopDistance = 10

while task.wait(0.15) do
	for _,v in workspace:GetChildren() do
		if v:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("Humanoid") and v.Name ~= script.Parent.Name and (v.HumanoidRootPart.Position - script.Parent.HumanoidRootPart.Position).Magnitude <= spotDistance then
			
		end
	end
end

3. Oh? In that case, let’s make a path to it.

local pathfindingService = game:GetService("PathfindingService")
local spotDistance = 35 --adjust to preference
local stopDistance = 10

while task.wait(0.15) do
	for _,v in workspace:GetChildren() do
		
		if v:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("Humanoid") and v.Name ~= script.Parent.Name and (v.HumanoidRootPart.Position - script.Parent.HumanoidRootPart.Position).Magnitude <= spotDistance then
			local playerHrp = v.HumanoidRootPart
			local hrp = script.Parent.HumanoidRootPart
			local humanoid = script.Parent.Humanoid
			local distance = (playerHrp.Position - hrp.Position).Magnitude
			
			local path = pathfindingService:CreatePath()
			path:ComputeAsync(hrp.Position,playerHrp.Position)
			
			local waypoints = path:GetWaypoints()
		end
		
	end
end

4. Right, I need to also make sure to constantly update the distance and actually make it walk to the target. Let’s also ensure to stop whenever it’s approaching too close.

local pathfindingService = game:GetService("PathfindingService")
local spotDistance = 35 --adjust to preference
local stopDistance = 10

while task.wait(0.15) do
	for _,v in workspace:GetChildren() do
		
		if v:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("Humanoid") and v.Name ~= script.Parent.Name and (v.HumanoidRootPart.Position - script.Parent.HumanoidRootPart.Position).Magnitude <= spotDistance then
			local playerHrp = v.HumanoidRootPart
			local hrp = script.Parent.HumanoidRootPart
			local humanoid = script.Parent.Humanoid
			local distance = (playerHrp.Position - hrp.Position).Magnitude
			
			local path = pathfindingService:CreatePath()
			path:ComputeAsync(hrp.Position,playerHrp.Position)
			
			function updateDistance()
				distance = (playerHrp.Position - hrp.Position).Magnitude
			end
			
			local waypoints = path:GetWaypoints()
			
			for _,wPoint in waypoints do
				humanoid:MoveTo(wPoint.Position)
				if distance < stopDistance then
					hrp.Anchored = true
					repeat
						updateDistance()
						task.wait(0.1)
					until distance > stopDistance
					hrp.Anchored = false
				end
			end
		end
		
	end
end

[Colinchannz (WWhoKnowsRight)]

Is there a way around anchoring the npc’s HRP? Because it keeps stuttering and walking when freezing in place, clashing with my CFrame.lookAt that I have implemented.

As for pathfinding issues, I will deal with them on my own.

[BigGuard20000 (CharlieAgony)]

You can probably replace it with changing humanoid.WalkSpeed.

[Colinchannz (WWhoKnowsRight)]

that worked, thank you. I’ll set your code that you first sent as the answer to help others.