[REQ] Accurate Night Attacks

[Camaero]

Hey guys, something I would really like improved on is the AI ships ability to spot you in the dark. Right now they spot me way too easy from too far out, even with no moon out!

Surface night attacks happened probably more often than submerged attacks. I read a story in the Trigger, they shot off their torps, then stayed surfaced and ran off trying to get away from a destroyer. The next thing they heard was the destroyer dropping depth charges after not realizing they hadn't submerged.

Night encounters happened fairly close up and sometimes the japs spotted them, sometimes they didn't.

Can this be adjusted a bit better? Night in the Pacific can be very dark!

[tater]

Seems like the spotting distance should be highly tied to speed. The phosphorescent wake was highly visible at speed, and the sail itself very hard to spot at night.

tater

[Camaero]

I think this is the only thing that needs changing, correct me if I am wrong.

[Visual]
Detection time=0.5 ;[s] min detection time.
Sensitivity=0.01 ;(0..1) at (sensitivity * max range) we have a double detection time.
Fog factor=2.0 ;[>=0] (was 1.0)
Light factor=1.0 ;[>=0]
Waves factor=1.0 ;[>=0]
Enemy surface factor=400 ;[m2]
Enemy speed factor=15 ;[kt]
Thermal Layer Signal Attenuation=1.0

Those are the stock settings under the Sim.cfg. What do you think about just bumping up the light factor to a 3 or something? Maybe even waves for stormy weather?

Does increasing the number make it harder for the AI to detect you?

[Camaero]

Compare what I posted above to SHIII GWX:
[Visual]
Detection time=0.25 ;[s] min detection time.
Sensitivity=0.05 ;(0..1) at (sensitivity * max range) we have a double detection time.
Fog factor=1.0 ;[>=0] was 1.0
Light factor=2.25 ;[>=0]
Waves factor=0.75 ;[>=0]
Enemy surface factor=35 ;[m2]
Enemy speed factor=8 ;[kt]

To the more knowledgeable, could I directly port this over without side effects? Or is this set up to be used with other key GWX files in SHIII?:hmm:

[greekfire]

it's not accessing any other files so your safe to modify it. They didnt change that in the conversion from SH3 to SHIV.

[Jace11]

can you post all of the sim.cfg from GWX? I would like to look at it and dont have the mod, (on56k)

Porting over should be fine!

[Camaero]

Sure:
[Mech]
Waves amplitude=0.2 ;[0,1]
Waves attenuation=0.75 ;>=0

[AI Cannons]
Max error angle=4 ;[deg]
Max fire range=6000 ;[m]
Max fire wait=12 ;[s]

[AI AA guns]
Max error angle=5 ;[deg]
Max fire range=1000 ;[m]
Max fire wait=7 ;[s]

[AI detection]
Lost contact time=40 ;[min] (was 15)

[Visual]
Detection time=0.25 ;[s] min detection time.
Sensitivity=0.05 ;(0..1) at (sensitivity * max range) we have a double detection time.
Fog factor=2.0 ;[>=0] (was 1.0)
Light factor=2.25 ;[>=0]
Waves factor=0.75 ;[>=0]
Enemy surface factor=35 ;[m2]
Enemy speed factor=8 ;[kt]
Thermal Layer Signal Attenuation=1.0

[Radar]
Detection time=1 ;[s]
Sensitivity=0.01 ;(0..1)
Waves factor=1.0 ;[>=0]
Enemy surface factor=5.0 ;[m2]
Thermal Layer Signal Attenuation=1.0

[Hydrophone]
Detection time=1 ;[s]
Sensitivity=0.03 ;(0..1)
Height factor=0 ;[m]
Waves factor=0.5 ;[>=0]
Speed factor=15 ;[kt]
Noise factor=1.0 ;[>=0]
Thermal Layer Signal Attenuation=3.0 ;[>0], 1 means no signal reduction, 3 equals signal reduction to 33%

[Sonar]
Detection time=20 ;[s]
Sensitivity=0.03 ;(0..1)
Waves factor=0.5 ;[>=0]
Speed factor=20 ;[kt]
Enemy surface factor=200 ;[m2]
Lose time=30 ;[s]
Thermal Layer Signal Attenuation=5.0 ;[>0], 1 means no signal reduction, 5 equals signal reduction to 20%

I was also wondering about Sensors.cfg. That file also has a visual detection section. How does it work with Sim.cfg?

[SensorParameters]
; Sensors Detection Parameters

;Visual.
Visual range factor=0.5 ;[>=0]
Visual fog factor=1.1 ;[>=0]
Visual light factor=5.0 ;[>=0]
Visual waves factor=0.8 ;[>=0]
Visual speed factor=0 ;[>=0]
Visual aspect=0.9 ;[>=0]
Visual enemy speed=0.2 ;[>=0]
Visual noise factor=0 ;[>=0]
Visual sensor height factor=0.4 ;[>=0]
Visual already tracking modifier=600 ;[detection probability modifier], most accurate, once a contact is detected it will lose it very hard
Visual decay time=200 ;[>0] already tracking bonus decay, in seconds
Visual uses crew efficiency=false ;[true or false]

Is that for your own crew or something?

[Camaero]

Just a note: I was reading Submarine! and the Batfish was 2000 yards away from a jap sub and they could not see the sub. The author said that you could not even see the skyline it was such a dark night.

I really wish some propper night attacks were possible in SHIV. Right now the enemy just spots you from pretty far out.

[Scoochy]

Did any of the GWX changes influence the AI?

[Camaero]

Originally Posted by Scoochy

Did any of the GWX changes influence the AI?

It did, but something doesn't quite seem right. It needs to be tweaked further. I guess I will play around with it some more, but I have no idea how much changing say light factor from 2.whatever to 4 will make. I have no concept of how much weight each number caries.

[Scoochy]

Perhaps make a mission, night time, and set your sub x yards from a cruiser. Keep moving it closer till he sees you, then adjust accordingly?

[jhelix70]

I was reading Submarine! and the Batfish was 2000 yards away from a jap sub and they could not see the sub. The author said that you could not even see the skyline it was such a dark night.

On the other hand, according to Adm. Lockwood a sub was spotted 12000 yards out in full moonlight.

So I think moonlight and starlight must have a MAJOR effect. I assume the "light factor" parameter controls this?

Sub speed has an influence too since the bow wave is the most visible part of the sub at night.

[Scoochy]

Being in the navy, I had plenty of full moon nights out in the middle of the ocean. I can tell you first hand that on a full moon night w/ clear sky that it is much brighter than one would think. W/ night vision in tune, you can easily see for quite some distance with no problem. Full moons are like a night sun, although it sounds like an oxymoron.

[Camaero]

That is also true. When you adjust the night levels, does SHIV take into account the moon? Or does it just say ok its night time and this is how far the ai can see?

If so, I guess an adjustment inbetween would be needed. Obviously not all nights are dark, but not all of them are bright either.