Turning down the Ai a Notch

[Captain_AJ]

Dang destroyers got a peg on my sub once I start to move . what is a lower setting for me to get them to not be so easy for them to find me ?

thanks

[propbeanie]

Are you using Stock or a mod, such as TMO?

[Captain_AJ]

Using a Mod Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate v0.63 PublicBeta EN

[propbeanie]

At this point in time, it is a bit more difficult that TMO. Sometimes it's like Superman is playing for the enemy side... If you're in the middle of a Campaign, editing the game files doesn't do much for you until you start the next career, but the same files are in the Save folder in My Documents / SH4 that controls the current game.

Ducimus has a post on here somewhere, that I copied this from:
================================
[TEC] Adjusting the AI - cliff notes version
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:
The following is a terse version of my understanding on how to adjust the AI. That is to say, this is how i think it works. Im not saying authoritively, that his is how it works. Although im obviously confident enough about my understanding of it to make this post.

This is a condensed version because i honestly dont have the time or motivation to write out the essay that this could become. So here's he cliffnotes speil in no particular order:

------------------------------------------

Adjusing the AI as a whole i feel is comprised of the following:

- crew rating in campaign files
- defines the minium sensor signal strength the AI will respond to, and accuracy.

- AI_sensor.dat
- defines the geometry of active/passive sonar
- Sim.cfg
- the real guts of it, defines the parameters to illicet a response from the AI

- depthcharges. sim/zon
- becomes important when a response from the AI has been succesfullly made.

----------------------------------

AI_sensor.dat

- JP hydrohpones are "type3" and "type93" with a P annotated on the end for passaive.

- JP sonar is the same, only with an A nnotated on the end for active.

- It's beleived when sensitity is set 0, the game uses the senstivity rating defined in the sim.cfg. Else, it uses the value in the AI_sensor.dat

- It is NOT neccessary to establsh a min range on active sonar due to the downward gemoetry of the beam. If you go deep enough, you'll get under the sonar.

- Max Elevation defines the doward angle of the beam, hence dictates how easy, or hard it is to get under that sonar types active beam.

----------------------------

SIM.CFG (stock examples being shown)

[Mech]
Waves amplitude=0.2
Waves attenuation=0.75

Defines the height and trough of waves. Greatly effects visual sensors, and has many adverse side effects. USE GREAT CAUTION when playing with this variable. Frankly, i dont recommend touching it.

[AI detection]
Lost contact time=15

Defines how long the AI will activly look for you after detecting you. Also dictates response from nearby AI units. When player is detected, the detecting AI broadcasts its discovery to all nearby units. If your within 15 mins reach, they will come to look. At 16 mins, if another detection of the player is not made by then, the AI will go back to what it was doing.

[Visual]
Detection time=0.5
Sensitivity=0.01
Fog factor=1.0
Light factor=1.0
Waves factor=1.0
Enemy surface factor=400
Enemy speed factor=15

- Think of the AI as a traffic cop. To get a ticket, you must be in violation of certain rules. Likewise, for visual detection to occur, you must be in violation of certain parameters.

- speed factor in this case means that you must be doing 15 kts or more for the AI to notice you.

- Surface factor means how much surface area of your sub you must be presenting to the AI in order for him to notice you.

- Ive long suspected that for visual detection to occur, you must be breaking both of the above listed paremeters to get a response, but ive not conclusvly proved that. Its either A, or B, or All of the above, im not 100% positve.

- detection time. You must be exceeding the surface and speed factors for this amount of time to illiicet a response.

- Fog/light/wave factors. Think of them as enviormental dampeners, or how much the enviorment handicaps the AI. Smaller the number the less the handycap, the larger the number, the more the handycap.

[Hydrophone]
Detection time=1
Sensitivity=0.03
Height factor=0
Waves factor=0.5
Speed factor=15
Noise factor=1.0

- Player noise is dicated by motor RPM. The more RPM, the more noise your making. and if in Silent running or not. Silent running behaves boolean. Its either on, or off.

-detection time, how long you can make alot of racket before the AI takes notice.

-speed factor in this case dictates how fast the AI can go, and still be able to use this sensor. At 16kts, he can no longer hear anything.

- noise factor seems to dictate how much of your motor noise the AI can hear at a given range. Arbitary numbers, 0.25 is quite sensitive, 1.0 is quite deaf.

- waves factor is your standard enviormental handycap. 0.5 being quite the handycap, 0.95 being barely a handycap at all.

[Sonar]
Detection time=20
Sensitivity=0.03
Waves factor=0.5
Speed factor=20
Enemy surface factor=200
Lose time=30

- for player detection to occur (IE, to get the AI to ping), you must
A.) present him a favorable surface factor as defined by said variable
b.) be within his sonar cone as defined by the AI_sensor.dat
c.) be doing all of the above for the length of time specified by the detection time.

- stock, detection time being 20, alot of ground can be covered in that time by yourslf, or the AI. hence the AI is often not able to keep you within his sonar cone and presenting a favorable surface factor during that time. WHich is why you dont hear it ping a whole lot.

Depthcharges:sim/zon

SIM:
- fall speed, self explantiory

- depth percision, sets area at which DC will randomly explode when set at a given depth by the AI. FOr example, with a depth percision of 20, if the AI sets the DC to explode at 160feet, then the DC could randoly expldode anywhere between 140 feet and 180 feet. Default game setting is a depth percision of FIVE.

- explosion range, defines how much of the depth charge's shock wave you can feel. Does no damage. By raising this value, the closer the DC is, the more your boat will shake when it explodes DO not go overboard with this, as said shockwave can (if you set it high enough) acutally propell the boat in the water at high speeds. Rather humorous, but highly unrealistic.

ZON:
Min/Max EF
-defines min and max damage range.

- Min radius. Defines the area at which the depth charge will do full damage. Default i beleive is 4.5, meaning if the depth charge explodes within 4.5 meters of your sub, it does full damage.

- Max radius, defines outward radius that damage is applied by diminishing returns. Meaning if you have a depth charge at 4.5 min raadius and and a 40 max radius. this means that anywhere witin 4.5 meters the depth charge does its full damage. From 4.5 meters outward to 40 damage is still applied but less damage is applied to the player sub at 39 meters then at 5 meters. The farther away you are from the center of the explosion, the less damage it does. 4.5/40 is the game default.


Misc remarks on the AI in general:

- Does not ping without reason. (IE, be in sonar cone, presenting favorable profile to said sonar cone, and be doing both for X amount of time)

- Ai has two states. Normal and alert. You see it all the time. When alerted the threshold values are heightened in order to more easily illicet a response from the AI.

- The AI can only use active or passive at a singluar moment in time, it cannot do both. YOu see this all the time whenever you raise your periscope. WHen you do, your using yoru visual sensor, and your hydrophone contacts are tempoarly lost until you stop using your visual sensor (periscope). AI works the same way. A or B, it cannot do both at once.

================================
That's a lot to absorb, and is beyond my skill level. We'll have an optional mod before too long for the FotRSU mod, that will let you set the game the way you want it. The main thing to do in the game as it stands right now, is to chose and plan your attacks based upon the distance to your target, what your target is, the condition of the water and the wind, and whether it's daylight or night time... and most of all, be QUIET!!!