[WIP] IRAI (Intelligent Random AI)

[TheDarkWraith]

Test version of v1.0.0 is available at post #1 at bottom. Ensure to read the reasons why I've released this test version before deciding to test it

[gap]

Thank you man!

[Zedi]

TDW, a million point question... what happens if the escorts are neutral? For example, a convoy in 40 with 1 or 2 american escorts?
How about the neutral ships sailing in a convoy?

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by Zedi

TDW, a million point question... what happens if the escorts are neutral? For example, a convoy in 40 with 1 or 2 american escorts?
How about the neutral ships sailing in a convoy?

Good question. As of now they are treated no differently than any other unit. I have the ability to see if they are neutral and can make different tactics for them if need be.

[Zedi]

So what they will do on attack? Will they obey to the convoy commander or act independently and set up their own command? Wish you could find a good solution because Im about to add american escort to the early convoys when they were still neutrals.

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by Zedi

So what they will do on attack? Will they obey to the convoy commander or act independently and set up their own command? Wish you could find a good solution because Im about to add american escort to the early convoys when they were still neutrals.

As it stands now they will obey the convoy commander and role given to them. I can make them be independent but it will cause some problems. The main problem is I don't have control as to which ships get assigned roles from the tactics. It could happen that the roles for the given tactic all get assigned to the neutral units and then nothing will happen when the player attacks the convoy. Or even worse the convoy commander could be a neutral and then nothing happens.
I'll see if there's anything that can be done about this but I don't have high hopes. There just isn't a lot of flexibility built into the AI.

[Trevally.]

By the time the US ships where escorting the convoys - were they not told to attack u-boat even though the US was not at war.
Im sure there are a few examples of this.

[Sepp von Ch.]

It is trueTrevally, but in reality it was different. When the U-Boat attacked the Convoy protected by a US (neutral in this time) escort, these destoryers attacked the German submariners.

US escort attacked normally before entering the war with Germany on german U-Boats. Erich Topp sunk a US destroyer Reuben James, which attacked him and other german U-Boats:

http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/1189.html

[PL_Andrev]

Does the AI operate with multiple sub targets?
I mean multiplayer games especially.

And what does it mean? I'm sorry, I dont understand:

- Tactics that weren't checking to see if torpedoes were in the water now do so
- Tactics that weren't checking to see if they could possibly ram a sub now do

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by Antar

Does the AI operate with multiple sub targets?
I mean multiplayer games especially.

And what does it mean? I'm sorry, I dont understand:

Each unit can only work with one contact at a time. This is the way the devs made it. I don't see any way to make it any better I can't even force the unit to disband the current contact and go after another. Once it 'picks' a contact it stays with it until some unknown tells it to go after another.

Each tactic used by the AI first checks to see if a torpedo is detected. If so evasive maneuvers are taken. If no torpedoes are detected then it checks to see if a sub is surfaced and close. If so then it will try to ram the sub. If no sub is surfaced and close then it performs the role it was given. These are continually checked while it's performing it's given role.

[The General]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

These are continually checked while it's performing it's given role.

Is it possible to change the time frame of 'continully checking' to checking once every 30 secs, for example? This may help break the lock on the player's sub that the AI (both escorts and planes that is) sometimes establishes.

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by The General

Is it possible to change the time frame of 'continully checking' to checking once every 30 secs, for example? This may help break the lock on the player's sub that the AI (both escorts and planes that is) sometimes establishes.

To do that would undermine the tactic/role of the unit also. This is because the tactic/role of the unit would be affected by this wait time. Let's say the unit has the plaster role and is within the range of the contact that it varies it's heading based on the contact's bearing from the unit (plus some random amount). If the delay was set to 30 seconds then the unit could not update it's heading to the contact ever update time of the function call but rather every 30 seconds. This would cause the unit to not track the contact and would undermine the plaster tactic/role.

[Dfalle]

Awesome mod bro, ive been useing the newest version you have and its made such a huge differance, its almost an entirely new game.
One thing i have noticed thou is while i was evading a destroyer its made me ctd three times in a row now. Im not sure if its the ira mod or the water disturbance mod. Anyone else have this issue so far? Not complaining by any sense of the word, i really appreciate what youve done...i know your probably tired of us all singing your praises. Thanks just the same


Hmm crashed 2 more times in a row all at the same time, removed all mods and no crash, ill test it more tomarro to see which mod it is thats making me ctd.

[urfisch]

nice mod. even the limited behaviours and the small variety of escorts tactics (as to the dev given limits of "only one sub a time", etc.) show us again, we cant change elemental things of the game. sad thing. even no workaround, to "inject code" to do this?

and what about the ai-subs? any news on that topic, tdw?

[Zedi]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Each unit can only work with one contact at a time. This is the way the devs made it. I don't see any way to make it any better I can't even force the unit to disband the current contact and go after another. Once it 'picks' a contact it stays with it until some unknown tells it to go after another.

Each tactic used by the AI first checks to see if a torpedo is detected. If so evasive maneuvers are taken. If no torpedoes are detected then it checks to see if a sub is surfaced and close. If so then it will try to ram the sub. If no sub is surfaced and close then it performs the role it was given. These are continually checked while it's performing it's given role.

Too bad that you had no time to check out the test version of MN campaign. Had it tested with the test version 32 and it was amazing to see how the AI worked on threat priority.

I was shadowing a convoy and sent few contact reports. Then I put my uboat into the position and had few long range blind shots. The escorts figured out very fast my position and headed into my direction when the Lufwaffe joined the show. Is when all escort had stopped the search and headed back to the convoy at full speed and engaged the air raid.

The AI vs AI battle was an absolutely amazing show, but I decided to spice up the battle and I sent another blind salvo. Only 1 torpedo hit a target, but the AI escorts considered the air threat bigger, so they ignored my presence.

Really, IRAI is a piece of art as it was in that test version, only one thing to report was the convoy tactic.. they were sailing in circle. And this was their doom as the air raid "reported" the convoy presence and more and more air raid were sent by the campaign engine untill all ship got sunk. At one point there were more planes than ships.

Another example of how the AI manage multiple threat was a long time ago with 0.26 when I had the luck to raid a convoy with the help of a wolfpack. It was a total chaos, but the escorts were hunting all of us. So the AI is capable to deal with multiple targets, is just they losing the capability to use a DC tactic.. like plaster. But they hunt every enemy and in the end they sunk all the AI subs.. thats because at that time they were extremly stupid. The AI sub even surfaced and took multiple hit on hull until he decided that diving is a better idea. The AI sub need special attention because right now they are very retarded.