AI generated shipping question for RSRDC

[JoeCorrado]

I have searched for an answer but have not found one. Also posted this question in an existing thread with no response. So, thought I would try again here:

I have a question about adding randomly generated merchant ships and convoys back into RSRDC. It seems that contact reports is not enabled in the campaign and apparently there are no AI generated ships either.

I also would like to know if the frequency of these events can be modified? Default game makes targets too frequent I think, and RSRDC makes them too infrequent- I would like something in between if it is possible.

Is there a way of turning these options back on in the RSRDC without messing up all of the historic movements, especially the naval movements? I am not looking to edit the mis files if there is simply an option that could be turned on.

[Armistead]

Sure, you can add all the groups you want to RSRD, but best to do so creating your own mission file. As descriibed already, if you want to make changes an existing group in RSRD, do so with notepad.

Most of RSRD groups spawn once, stock spawns groups numerous times, just uses percentages for different ships and spawn chances. It also uses a lot of generics, so simply the group will spawn differently each time, but it still follows the same path. With each group you can set a time limt each time it spawns. Simply, you basically have a percentage factors and time factors for each value

As for contact reports showing enemy location, you have values for that as well.

There is no option other than adjusting groups in the mis folders

[JoeCorrado]

Thanks for the info! I won't be touching the RSRDC mis files then at all.

[Armistead]

There seems to be some debate that saving a file using the ME upsets the timing. I think Lurker stated it wouldn't be a good idea adjusting TF layers, because he has those historically timed to arrive. I have changed and saved with the ME testing using convoys and never noticed any changes. Course if you change speed, waypoints, you may throw off historical time, not sure it would matter to anyone with convoys.

I even replaced some of the convoy files in RSRD with those of TMO just to have more random traffic.

[CapnScurvy]

I've been working on the very thing you've questioned.....the merchant ship spawning percentages, and the time between having the game choosing when to "roll the dice" for spawning a particular merchant(s) ship route, or not. Both are very different than stock......with the chances much less likely to happen. It's my opinion, the spawning percentage rates, and time between spawning possibility, should be somewhere in-between what RSRDC uses and the stock game.

Lurker, has some merchant routes spawning only about 15% of the time the game asks for the dice roll (the time the game spawns the route ,or not).

The time between the spawn chance is sometimes many fold (sometimes 5 to 10x longer between spawning chances over stock).This has us finding merchant shipping being very scarce. What we do find becomes very predictable....because those few shipping route's become the only route's we find.

The same is true of RSRDC's Contact Report chances. The stock game set the "Report" chances at 50% for each spawn. RSRDC has most set well below 10%.....sometimes at 2 or 3% of a chance for giving a report. On those that are reported, Lurker made sure the area of the report is far from accurate. So, its just as well not to rely on the report at all. There's nothing wrong with that....but it is good to know.

What's got me looking at RSRDC's campaign files for the merchants, is the finding that any merchant ship travelling at below half its maximum rated speed, will not allow the manual sonar "hearing" of that ship when you go to the station yourself. Lurker made ships vary their speeds between waypoints (as they would in real life) with different speed settings for each leg between waypoints (the stock game keeps the speed constant at 9 knots). The problem is, if a ship rated at 18 knots maximum speed drops below 9 knots between two particular waypoints......you won't hear the ship with manual sonar use. Many of RSRDC's merchant speeds drop to seven and eight knots....some even go lower.

I like what Lurker as done with his campaign files for the Task Forces, but the merchants are another story.

[Rockin Robbins]

And in fairness, part of the problem is game mechanics, illogically making targets silent below half speed. We're always up against the game mechanics, it seems. Try to make something realistic and the game mechanics twist what you did into something unrealistic.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

I've been working on the very thing you've questioned.....the merchant ship spawning percentages, and the time between having the game choosing when to "roll the dice" for spawning a particular merchant(s) ship route, or not. Both are very different than stock......with the chances much less likely to happen. It's my opinion, the spawning percentage rates, and time between spawning possibility, should be somewhere in-between what RSRDC uses and the stock game.

Lurker, has some merchant routes spawning only about 15% of the time the game asks for the dice roll (the time the game spawns the route ,or not).

The time between the spawn chance is sometimes many fold (sometimes 5 to 10x longer between spawning chances over stock).This has us finding merchant shipping being very scarce. What we do find becomes very predictable....because those few shipping route's become the only route's we find.

Cap'n, could you elaborate on how often the "game asks for a die roll"? Without knowing how often the game checks this, it is impossible to make the campaign traffic rational.