Interesting AI Behaviour

John Channing · 03-08-10, 12:30 PM

So here I am, on my first patrol as Captain, near the southern end of my patrol zone when my sonar operator picks up a contact. I surface and move in to investigate. It's dark and a little foggy so I have to close the range for a while until I see it is a warship of some sort. Now, I'm here to sink merchant tonnage, not to get into cat and mouse games with warships, so while I am still outside of his visual range I reverse course and move out slowly.

But he follows me.

I am still out of his visual detection range so I increase speed. He increases speed.

I change course. He changes course.

I slow down. He slows down.

I decide to submerge, head north and go to silent running for a few hours in hopes he will get bored and go away. Nope.. he just hangs around. Never getting within attack range, and never moving away. I surface, change course and pour on the coals and he matches me course and speed. We are now over 100 miles from where I picked him up and he is still there.

Again, he never closes the distance, never moves in, but he is stuck to me like an annoying kid brother.

I may have to sink him just to get rid.

JCC

Sunfighter · 03-08-10, 12:39 PM

Ive heard quite a few people talking about this, never had it happen yet myself.

Im curious to see what would happen should you drag him all the way to a friendly port of yours, to see if the port guards engage him.

It almost sounds to me like its a scripted counter attack from the merch sending out a distress signal, but its obviously screwed up in some way.

Ziggy · 03-08-10, 01:53 PM

I had German ships doing this. They followed me into the English Channel... Think they got sunk eventually. I would try to close in to see what ship they were (didn't know they were following me at first I thought, hey they are going on the attack I am going to support.) When I tied to close in, they turned away. I tried this a while, they would try to stay the same distance away from me no matter the direction or speed I went, they always matched. I know one was an escort from outside the Kiel Canal, but one was a biggin as I could see his huge puffs of smoke and make out a big black smudge on the horizon.

Was very weird, I think they saved me from a huge mess of escorts that I made mad when I attacked a tanker between Dover and Calais.

SteamWake · 03-08-10, 02:00 PM

You got an AI stalker there JC

Have you tried closing the distance? Will he sail away to keep the distance?

Oh I know drag him accross the map into a friendly convoy !

shawnyp420 · 03-08-10, 02:02 PM

This little annoyance plagued me the last time I tried SHV. I heard a warship and cruised in on the surface to investigate. Looked small so I turned away, then I noticed it was following. Encountered the same strange behavior everyone else has noted. So I tried to play his own game against him. I got him in between me and the coast of England. I drove in at him at flank speed headed toward the coast with men on the deck gun. Once he got within deck gun range I manually blasted him with a few close calls. THAT got his attention. He change course and headed for me. I tried bow shots with torpedoes but they either bounced off or never got close enough to trigger. Short story, I ended up on the bottom.

Haven't played since.

ReFaN · 03-08-10, 02:06 PM

had the same problem loads of times, dont know what is causing it.

Frederf · 03-08-10, 02:25 PM

Maybe this is the "wolfpack code" designed to make other U-boats stick to the player sub to recreate group behavior.

Merlin.75 · 03-09-10, 03:27 PM

Here's another one for you had a DD try and sink me but sunk himself instead.

AndrejD · 03-10-10, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Channing

So here I am, on my first patrol as Captain, near the southern end of my patrol zone when my sonar operator picks up a contact. I surface and move in to investigate. It's dark and a little foggy so I have to close the range for a while until I see it is a warship of some sort. Now, I'm here to sink merchant tonnage, not to get into cat and mouse games with warships, so while I am still outside of his visual range I reverse course and move out slowly.

But he follows me.

I am still out of his visual detection range so I increase speed. He increases speed.

I change course. He changes course.

I slow down. He slows down.

I decide to submerge, head north and go to silent running for a few hours in hopes he will get bored and go away. Nope.. he just hangs around. Never getting within attack range, and never moving away. I surface, change course and pour on the coals and he matches me course and speed. We are now over 100 miles from where I picked him up and he is still there.

Again, he never closes the distance, never moves in, but he is stuck to me like an annoying kid brother.

I may have to sink him just to get rid.

JCC

it happens on almost every patrol run. 1-5 Destroyers are folowing you. They always match the speed and course. One time the same happened with a convoy of merchants... You can`t get close to sing them, and you can`t run away. This game has so many bugs that it should be named The silent hunter bug game.
And the only thing that`s important to UBISOFT is the DRM and the money.
Go to h**** UBISOFT.

Noren · 03-10-10, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Got tired of having my crew constantly calling him out so I started moving towards him to torpedo him. Couldn't close the distance and he ended up crashing into the coast of France.

Haha! There's your solution gentemen! Round them up and crash them to the nearest continent!

PhantomLord · 03-10-10, 07:32 AM

Hope you get the renown for this fine art of sinking ships. And an extra medal for saving eels

kraznyi_oktjabr · 03-10-10, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrejD

it happens on almost every patrol run. 1-5 Destroyers are folowing you. They always match the speed and course. One time the same happened with a convoy of merchants... You can`t get close to sing them, and you can`t run away. This game has so many bugs that it should be named The silent hunter bug game.
And the only thing that`s important to UBISOFT is the DRM and the money.
Go to h**** UBISOFT.

Excellent idea! "Bug Hunter 5" or BH5.

Sounds much better than SH5 actually...

robbo180265 · 03-10-10, 09:35 AM

Das Bug? lol

Deimos01 · 03-10-10, 09:41 AM

I wonder if this also has to do with friendly ships that you encounter in the Keil Canal. Ill come across ships heading the other way and they stop and reverse engines as if they are trying to pace my boat. Found it curious. Anyone else see this?

Conrad von Kaiser · 03-10-10, 10:03 AM

Pace me no, but I have had some rather close calls. Seems the AI on friendly ships see you as "Der Supreme unterseeboot Commander" and do everything they can to give you the right of way.

Still hasn't stopped me from colliding here and there though lol.

03-08-10, 12:30 PM	#1
John Channing Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 1998 Posts: 1,846 Downloads: 163 Uploads: 5	Interesting AI Behaviour So here I am, on my first patrol as Captain, near the southern end of my patrol zone when my sonar operator picks up a contact. I surface and move in to investigate. It's dark and a little foggy so I have to close the range for a while until I see it is a warship of some sort. Now, I'm here to sink merchant tonnage, not to get into cat and mouse games with warships, so while I am still outside of his visual range I reverse course and move out slowly. But he follows me. I am still out of his visual detection range so I increase speed. He increases speed. I change course. He changes course. I slow down. He slows down. I decide to submerge, head north and go to silent running for a few hours in hopes he will get bored and go away. Nope.. he just hangs around. Never getting within attack range, and never moving away. I surface, change course and pour on the coals and he matches me course and speed. We are now over 100 miles from where I picked him up and he is still there. Again, he never closes the distance, never moves in, but he is stuck to me like an annoying kid brother. I may have to sink him just to get rid. JCC

03-08-10, 02:00 PM	#4
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	You got an AI stalker there JC Have you tried closing the distance? Will he sail away to keep the distance? Oh I know drag him accross the map into a friendly convoy ! __________________ Follow the progress of Mr. Mulligan : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147648

03-08-10, 02:06 PM	#6
ReFaN Grey Wolf Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 831 Downloads: 101 Uploads: 0	had the same problem loads of times, dont know what is causing it. __________________ Liverpool is my relegion, Anfield is my church. True believers never walk alone.

03-10-10, 07:32 AM	#11
PhantomLord XO Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 408 Downloads: 124 Uploads: 0	Hope you get the renown for this fine art of sinking ships. And an extra medal for saving eels __________________ ~^~ War does not determine who is right - only who is left. ~^~

03-10-10, 09:41 AM	#14
Deimos01 Frogman Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: St louis Posts: 304 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	I wonder if this also has to do with friendly ships that you encounter in the Keil Canal. Ill come across ships heading the other way and they stop and reverse engines as if they are trying to pace my boat. Found it curious. Anyone else see this? __________________ "No matter where you go... there you are" - Buckaroo Banzai

03-08-10, 12:39 PM	#2
Sunfighter A-ganger Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 78 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Ive heard quite a few people talking about this, never had it happen yet myself. Im curious to see what would happen should you drag him all the way to a friendly port of yours, to see if the port guards engage him. It almost sounds to me like its a scripted counter attack from the merch sending out a distress signal, but its obviously screwed up in some way.

03-08-10, 01:53 PM	#3
Ziggy Torpedoman Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 111 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	I had German ships doing this. They followed me into the English Channel... Think they got sunk eventually. I would try to close in to see what ship they were (didn't know they were following me at first I thought, hey they are going on the attack I am going to support.) When I tied to close in, they turned away. I tried this a while, they would try to stay the same distance away from me no matter the direction or speed I went, they always matched. I know one was an escort from outside the Kiel Canal, but one was a biggin as I could see his huge puffs of smoke and make out a big black smudge on the horizon. Was very weird, I think they saved me from a huge mess of escorts that I made mad when I attacked a tanker between Dover and Calais.

03-08-10, 02:02 PM	#5
shawnyp420 A-ganger Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 78 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	This little annoyance plagued me the last time I tried SHV. I heard a warship and cruised in on the surface to investigate. Looked small so I turned away, then I noticed it was following. Encountered the same strange behavior everyone else has noted. So I tried to play his own game against him. I got him in between me and the coast of England. I drove in at him at flank speed headed toward the coast with men on the deck gun. Once he got within deck gun range I manually blasted him with a few close calls. THAT got his attention. He change course and headed for me. I tried bow shots with torpedoes but they either bounced off or never got close enough to trigger. Short story, I ended up on the bottom. Haven't played since.

03-08-10, 02:25 PM	#7
Frederf Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 665 Downloads: 79 Uploads: 1	Maybe this is the "wolfpack code" designed to make other U-boats stick to the player sub to recreate group behavior.

03-09-10, 03:27 PM	#8
Merlin.75 Nub Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 4 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	Here's another one for you had a DD try and sink me but sunk himself instead.

03-10-10, 09:35 AM	#13
robbo180265 Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brighton, England.Party capital of the south Posts: 2,255 Downloads: 126 Uploads: 0	Das Bug? lol

03-10-10, 10:03 AM	#15
Conrad von Kaiser Helmsman Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: New York Posts: 105 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Pace me no, but I have had some rather close calls. Seems the AI on friendly ships see you as "Der Supreme unterseeboot Commander" and do everything they can to give you the right of way. Still hasn't stopped me from colliding here and there though lol.