Some cool AI

[TDK1044]

Last night when I was evading three Destroyers, having successfully attacked a convoy, I noticed something cool about SH4.

I was beneath a thermal layer and heading away at a speed of 1 knot. I knew I was safe, so I went to the external camera to see what the pinging Destroyers were up to. I witnessed one destroyer very close to where I had been about a minute earlier. It was working hard to locate me when it became obvious that it was now on a collision course with a large tanker.

The Destroyer couldn't turn to avoid the impact without steering into the path of another tanker, so it slammed into full reverse, creating a mass of foam and wave disturbance by its props. It s momentum kept it moving forward even though it was trying to stop, and after about 20 seconds and with about 10 feet to spare, it was able to stop and very slowly reverse in order to avoid a collision.

This was great to witness and was truly exciting to watch. I know there are AI issues with the game, but show me that kind of excitement in any other subsim.

Great job, Devs. Looking forward to patch 1.3

[kv29]

Yes, I saw something similar when I passed right beneath a freighter while evading from a charging DD. All the evasives manouvers created some havoc in the fromation but not even one collided, and most important, everything looked right and real.

[macky]

I must admit I am impressed:up:

Funny how though if you hadn't gone to external camera you would have never seen that.

That truly is AI:yep:

[Dowly]

Umm... doesnt the ships in SHIII do the exact same thing? If they are on a collision course with another ship, they hit full reverse. :know:

[TDK1044]

I haven't played SH3 in quite a while, but I seem to recall ships bumping into each other. This was actually like watching a scene from a WWII movie where a near miss took place. The Trigger Maru mod may also be a factor. :D

[Hitman]

Nice one:up:

In AOD escorts could go through the merchants :down: there was no collision detection....

[ReallyDedPoet]

Sounds like quite an experience:up:

RDP

[TDK1044]

It's why I don't play at 100 percent realism. I never use the external view in the heat of battle, but I love to use it to see the damage that I've caused. I would never have seen this near miss if I was a 'real' subsim Captain. :D

[Dowly]

I haven't played SH3 in quite a while, but I seem to recall ships bumping into each other. This was actually like watching a scene from a WWII movie where a near miss took place. The Trigger Maru mod may also be a factor. :D

I've had multiple occasions where I have almost rammed a friendly merchant when leaving port. The ships in SHIII come to a halt and reverse in such situations. :up:

[GT182]

In stock SHIII I've seen merchants collide many times. Especially when you're in their midst causing havoc. :D Also severe storms would cause them to collide while your on the hunt.

In GWX I haven't had the chance to see collisions yet, nor in SH4. RL has me too busy to even play anything at the moment. And I hope it slows down soon so I can get back in the swing of things. :damn:

[CaptainHaplo]

I have had the exact opposite experience. In sh3 - ships never collided that I saw. In fact - many fussed because ships could increase/decrease speed WAY too quickly for the thrust vs mass they had. I have seen the same think is SH4 - although the thrust/mass equation is improved - ships can still stop and accelerate too quickly compared to reality. The thing is - that pathfinding AI isnt really up to being able to do much when it comes to a slew of different ships all doing their own thing - much like real life its hold on and hope - so to keep collisions down they tweaked things. I dont mind them giving the AI a hand - but I personally still think its a bit too much - in reality a good attack could cause a packed convoy to have collisions. But then again - you dont want one torp attack to sink half a convoy because the AI couldnt compensate. Its a fine medium - they erred on the side of caution and I can't fault that.

[-Pv-]

Some of this emergency reversing can be frequently seen near ports where there is a lot of traffic. DDs in motion appear to try to follow way points in patrol around the area and where their paths conflict with land, they will surge backward for quite a distance, go forward again into the conflicting land and back out over and again. I have seen a few correct their course enough to eventually get around a point. I kinda like these episodes since I can easily torp the DDs while they are scooting back and forth. This bring up another point. Working shallows around traffic is fun and challenging in many ways. The risk is higher, but also the limited movement area is a combination of high risk for everyone (myself and targets) and There is no room for mistakes on the sub as being found is nearly instant and certain death. Add to this the very interesting effects of a reef is a big wow factor.
-Pv-

[crapgame]

in a recent game I played a heavy cruiser crashed into a fleet carrier, which I saw through my periscope. I wish I had taken a screen shot of it.

[NefariousKoel]

I've seen them reversing numerous times in SH4. It's in there.

[Reaves]

In SH3 escorts regulary came too close to each other and were sort of 'locked' not knowing what to do. They would sit there for awhile until one finally inched away. Reminded me of Austin Powers doing a U-turn in the little car with no space. Made for easy pickings several times.

[dean_acheson]

TDK,

I'll admit, I cheat alot and use the camera, because I like to watch the surface ships.

What impresses me the most with the AI is that when you are being hunted by two or more DDs, one will usually stop and lay quiet while the other is DCing you. The quiet one is listening for you.

Very impressive, I think.

[Sailor Steve]

Umm... doesnt the ships in SHIII do the exact same thing? If they are on a collision course with another ship, they hit full reverse. :know:
Yes, but every time I've seen them do it they stop withing two or three seconds, avoiding collisions they couldn't have in real life. TDK's description makes me wish I could see it. Sounds good!

[Julius Caesar]

In stock SHIII I've seen merchants collide many times. Especially when you're in their midst causing havoc.

This is realistic; I just read log files of "Barb" and they recorded enemy ships colliding when they attacked the convoy.

[OrlandoM3]

The emg. rev. on the DD is great to see in SH4. This wasn't a part of SH3 from what I recall. The AI can get carried away sometimes. I was playing one of the Quick Missions and the convoy must have had fifteen various ships. Once the battle started full tilt with torps and dive bombing planes the AI clumped most of the ships together or placed them in a slow circles.

[edjcox]

Had occasion to damage a CV and a BB. Both where at 90 to each other and neither had adequate room to stop yet they managed to get the CV to stop and reverse directions... A collision wold be more realstic and allowing a Sub Commander to arrange dance partners by destroying rudders and props should be possible. Have yet to see a BB or CV collide..

Laters:huh: Ill keep looking.................

[McBeck]

Unfortunately it doesnt allways work :(

Iv seen escorts nudging merchants untill they sank...

[joegrundman]

It most certainly does happen in SH3 too. I happened to be in Loch Ewe when i got detected and soon had two DDs circling me and periodically dropping depth charges, when sure enough one of them was on a collision course with the other, and slammed on the emergency back. However, Able Seamen Bob MacDougall and Andy Stuart had just pushed 4 DC's off the back - i saw it all happening on external camera.

You should have seen their faces when they realised the DD was starting to go back. Boom, boom, boom, boom right under the keel!

I only had one destroyer after me then. I wish I'd made a video of it.

[OrlandoM3]

Here's an example where ships can run into each other and cause damage! It was late at night and very dark. I had to photoshop them some.

http://www.teksolvers.com/images/image11.jpg
http://www.teksolvers.com/images/image12.jpg

[sportcap]

http://static.pici.se/pictures/EUqaTsOCX.jpg
Here is pics of some cool colisitions, one where my sub is heavily flooded in the stern so my bow is pointing up above the waterline. The destroyer is going to finish me off with some charges but instead does he run over my bow so it ripps his ship up and burst into flames and i survived for some minutes more. ;-) The other destroyer run into the pier where i sunk an Carrier and a heavy cruiser all pics is from that night.

[switch.dota]

Collisions are rare. However the collision prevention is only applied to ships considered afloat. If there's the sinking hulk of a ship that just endured an explosion, no other ship will try to avoid it. I've seen a destroyer try to go right through half a tanker still afloat. It resulted in the DD getting split in two itself.

[SingeDebile]

as cool as that must have been to witness i still feel its very un realistic (i really do not want to sound like a pessimist, really!) there is no way no matter how absorbed that dd was in finding your sub that it would not notice that it was on a collision course with another boat!