Pathfinding optimization help please!

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
, ,
#1

I have this code to make an NPC chase players, and it works but
lags very badly. Does anyone now how to help with this?

local PS = game:GetService("PathfindingService")
local RunService = game:GetService("RunService")

local players = game:GetService("Players")

local zombie = script.Parent
local humanoid = zombie:WaitForChild("Humanoid")

function chase(plrRoot)
	--print("chase function fired")
	
	local point = plrRoot.Position
	local path = PS:CreatePath({
		AgentRadius = 2,
		AgentHeight = 5,
		AgentCanJump = true,
		AgentJumpHeight = 10,
		AgentMaxSlope = 45,
	})
	
	
	local success, errorMessage = pcall(function()
		path:ComputeAsync(zombie.HumanoidRootPart.Position, point)
	end)
	
	
	if success and path.Status == Enum.PathStatus.Success then
		print("success")
		for _, waypoint in pairs(path:GetWaypoints()) do

			humanoid:MoveTo(waypoint.Position)

			if waypoint.Action == Enum.PathWaypointAction.Jump then
				humanoid.Jump = true
			end

			humanoid.MoveToFinished:Connect(function()
				print("moveto finished")
			end)
		end
	else
		warn("The path has unsuccessfully been created", errorMessage)
	end
end


RunService.Heartbeat:Connect(function()
	--print("hearbeat")
	for _, player in pairs(players:GetChildren()) do
		--print(player.Name)
		if not player.Character then
			break
		end
		
		local plrRoot = game.Workspace:FindFirstChild(player.Name).HumanoidRootPart
		if plrRoot then
			--print(player.Name, "plrRoot found")
		end
		
		--print((plrRoot.Position - zombie.PrimaryPart.Position).Magnitude)
		
		if plrRoot and (plrRoot.Position - zombie.PrimaryPart.Position).Magnitude <= 25 then
			--print("chasing", player.Name)
			chase(plrRoot)
		end
	end
end)

I’m desperate please someone anyone I just need to know how to optimize this :smiling_face_with_tear:

1 Like
#2

Constantly creating new paths is pretty expensive so if your enviroment isn’t constantly changing, don’t make a new one constantly either. And only have one chase() running at a time, you call it every heartbeat.

Second, if the NPC has line of sight with the player, and there’s a negligible difference in height, don’t pathfind, just move directly to the target.

1 Like
#3

Sorryy but how do I make it run less and stop chase() when it plays more than once? I’m new to pathfinding

#4

you need to make the path cache and just have the NPC walk to each destination and use the provided events for when a path waypoint is completed, rather than running it on heartbeat, as thats very expensive.