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Creating chicken pathfinding AI - Movement between coops tutorial

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FarmCoder_Ben

Posted on July 25, 2025 • Intermediate

🐔 Need help with chicken pathfinding code!

Hey everyone! I’m working on a farm simulation game and I’m having trouble with the chicken AI. Here’s what I want them to do:

  • Chickens should walk to the left until they hit a coop
  • Then turn around and walk right until they hit another coop
  • Keep repeating this pattern back and forth
  • Currently they get stuck or don’t move properly

I don’t really know pathfinding code and could use some help making this work smoothly! 🐓

Project: Farm Simulation with Chicken AI

AI

AIPathfinder_Sarah

Replied 35 minutes later • ⭐ Best Answer

Great question @FarmCoder_Ben! I can see the issue with your chicken movement. Let me help you create a proper pathfinding system:

🧠 Understanding the Problem

The issue is in the movement logic - here’s what’s happening vs. what should happen:

flowchart TD A[🐔 Chicken Starts] --> B{Current Direction?} B -->|Left| C[Move Left] B -->|Right| D[Move Right] C --> E{Touching Coop?} D --> F{Touching Coop?} E -->|Yes| G[Change Direction to Right] E -->|No| C F -->|Yes| H[Change Direction to Left] F -->|No| D G --> I[Move Away from Coop] H --> J[Move Away from Coop] I --> D J --> C style G fill:#e8f5e8 style H fill:#e8f5e8 style I fill:#fff3e0 style J fill:#fff3e0

🚀 Solution 1: Proper State Management

First, let’s set up proper direction tracking:

    // Chicken sprite - Initialize
when flag clicked
set [Direction v] to [right]
set [Speed v] to [2]
set [State v] to [moving]
forever
if <(State) = [moving]> then
move chicken
end
end

// Custom block: move chicken
define move chicken
if <(Direction) = [right]> then
change x by (Speed)
else
change x by (0 - (Speed))
end
check for collision

🎯 Solution 2: Smart Collision Detection

The key is proper collision handling with distance checking:

    // Custom block: check for collision
define check for collision
if <touching color [#8B4513]?> then  // Brown coop color
// Move away from the coop first
if <(Direction) = [right]> then
change x by [-10]  // Step back
set [Direction v] to [left]
else
change x by [10]   // Step back
set [Direction v] to [right]
end

// Add a small delay to prevent immediate re-collision
set [State v] to [turning]
wait [0.2] seconds
set [State v] to [moving]
end

⚡ Solution 3: Advanced Pathfinding System

For more sophisticated movement with multiple coops:

    // Enhanced chicken AI
when I start as a clone
set [Chicken ID v] to (Chicken Counter)
set [Target Coop v] to [1]
set [Direction v] to [right]
set [Moving v] to [1]

forever
if <(Moving) = [1]> then
// Move towards target
if <(Direction) = [right]> then
change x by [2]
else
change x by [-2]
end

// Check if reached target coop
if <(distance to [Coop v]) < [30]> then
find next target
turn around
end
end
end

// Custom block: find next target
define find next target
if <(Target Coop) = [1]> then
set [Target Coop v] to [2]
else
set [Target Coop v] to [1]
end

// Custom block: turn around
define turn around
set [Moving v] to [0]
wait [0.5] seconds  // Pause at coop
if <(Direction) = [right]> then
set [Direction v] to [left]
else
set [Direction v] to [right]
end
set [Moving v] to [1]

🔧 Solution 4: Distance-Based Movement

Use distance calculations for smoother pathfinding:

    // Distance-based pathfinding
define move to target
set [Target X v] to (x position of [Coop v])
set [Distance v] to ((Target X) - (x position))

if <(Distance) > [5]> then
// Move towards target
if <(Distance) > [0]> then
change x by [2]  // Move right
else
change x by [-2] // Move left
end
else
// Reached target, switch to next coop
broadcast [Switch Target v]
end

🎨 Solution 5: Visual Debugging

Add visual indicators to debug the pathfinding:

    // Debug visualization
when flag clicked
forever
clear
// Draw path line
pen down
set pen color to [red]
go to x: (x position of [Chicken v]) y: (y position of [Chicken v])
go to x: (x position of [Target Coop v]) y: (y position of [Target Coop v])
pen up

// Show direction arrow
go to [Chicken v]
if <(Direction of [Chicken v]) = [right]> then
say [→] for [0.1] seconds
else
say [←] for [0.1] seconds
end
end

💡 Pro Tips for Chicken AI

  • 🎯 Use states: moving, turning, paused, feeding
  • ⏱️ Add delays: Prevent rapid direction changes
  • 📏 Distance checks: More reliable than color collision
  • 🔄 Smooth transitions: Gradual speed changes
  • 🎲 Add randomness: Vary pause times for realism

This should give you smooth, realistic chicken movement between coops! 🐓✨

FB

FarmCoder_Ben

Replied 1 hour later

@AIPathfinder_Sarah This is absolutely amazing! 🤩

I implemented the state management system and the collision detection fix - my chickens are now moving perfectly between coops! The visual debugging was super helpful for understanding what was going wrong.

One question: How would I add multiple types of chickens with different speeds and behaviors?

GD

GameDesigner_Maya

Replied 2 hours later

@FarmCoder_Ben Great follow-up question! Here’s how to create different chicken types:

    // Chicken variety system
when I start as a clone
set [Chicken Type v] to (pick random [1] to [3])

if <(Chicken Type) = [1]> then
// Fast chicken
set [Speed v] to [3]
set [Color v] to [white]
set [Pause Time v] to [0.5]
else
if <(Chicken Type) = [2]> then
// Slow chicken
set [Speed v] to [1]
set [Color v] to [brown]
set [Pause Time v] to [2]
else
// Normal chicken
set [Speed v] to [2]
set [Color v] to [red]
set [Pause Time v] to [1]
end
end

You can also add unique behaviors like wandering, feeding, or following the player! 🐔

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🚀 Master AI and Pathfinding!

Excellent discussion on AI movement systems! For developers looking to create even more sophisticated AI behaviors, our community can help with:

  • 🧠 Advanced pathfinding algorithms (A*, Dijkstra)
  • 🎯 Behavior trees and state machines
  • 🤖 Complex NPC interactions
  • 🎮 Multiplayer AI synchronization

📚 Related Topics

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