[WIP] U-Boat Killer AI Mod

[scratch81]

Originally Posted by M4XDmG

Depthcharges in real life inflicted hulldamage only when detonated just a few meters away from the sub.

From Uboat.net:

"The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon, being developed during World War One. Original idea dates back to the "dropping mine" concept of 1911. The Royal Navy Commander in Chief, Sir George Callaghan requested its production in 1914. The first effective depth charge (Type D) was the 300-pound (140 kg) barrel-like casing containing high explosives, normally TNT being developed in 1916. A "pistol" actuated by water pressure at a selected depth detonated the depth charge.
The 300-pound WWI depth charge could be detonated as deep as 300 feet (roughly 100 meters this is what britain was using early war, from what research i've done) but at the eve of that was the more formidable 600-pound (270 kg) version was developed.

Even though the massive explosive power of the 600-pound charge was impressive to both the escort and the U-boat, highly unnerving to the latter even, the depth charge was not the answer to the U-boat threat. The pressure hull of the U-boat was strong enough to withstand anything but a charge exploding 10 or 20 feet from its hull. To place the weapon this close to the U-boat was extremely difficult to say the least, especially since the U-boat normally took drastic evasive maneuvers at the very last moment. Thus most U-boats that were sunk by depth charges alone probably sank due to accumulated damage from repeated depth charge attacks. Many U-boats survived as many as 300 depth charges over a period of many hours.

The greatest amount of depth charges dropped on a single U-boat during a single-hunt in the war is believed to be 678 dropped onto U-427 in April, 1945. Amazingly the boat survived the onslaught."

Hence why i think it could be toned back just a smidge, a barely audible charge (though it could be the direction i was facing at the time) that utterly devistates every component in ones engine room, to me, feels a little over the top, nor would it, from my perspective, roll a sub nearly sideways. As I stated in my previous post, i love the mod, to me, it just needs a bit more tuning to achieve something a bit closer to historical accuracy while still maintaining that tension filled thrill ride of being caught by escorts.

[Adlerson]

I'm interested in this mod, but I'm hesitant in using it because, from the description, it totally disables the thermal layer. Perhaps the thermal layer should be toned down, but totally disabling it isn't the right thing to do, IMHO. After all, the thermal layer is a real thing, and it was used during the war with the specific intent of losing the DDs that chase you. So why remove it from the game?
(If there is a reason/explanation I don't know about feel free to enlighten me. )

[Nisgeis]

Hi Scratch,

If it destroyed your whole engine room, the charge must have been very close. I don't seem to recall the loudness of DCs being particularly indicative of how close they were, I could be wrong though. I look forward to your further comments with the help of the external camera .

Hi Adlerson,

Yes, this is the first draft - second draft soon (TM). The thermal layer was far too effective before and was an invisibility cloak, perhaps it was a bit over zealous to completely remove the effects. but the thermal layer system is not well modelled. In the Atlantic, layers would form on hot sunny days over the course of the day, so that by late afternoon, conditions for ASDIC were very poor, but this is not modelled. It's on all the time, or off all the time. You can get night time or day time from the scripts, but I don't think you can get local time of day. I'll re-visit it later, as I'm thinking of a few things regarding this, flares and a few other things to do with ASDIC interference.

If you want to re-enable the thermal layer, it's a setting in a /data/cfg/sim.cfg. Here is the original line:

Thermal Layer Signal Attenuation=5.0 ;[>0], 1 means no signal reduction, 5 equals signal reduction to 20%

You can adjust this yourself, if you want to change the effectiveness of the thermal layer - the line shown is from stock, so stock reduction, once you get under the thermal layer, the enemy hydrophones are 20% as good as they were with you above the thermal layer, so they pretty much have to be on directly above you to find you.

[reaper7]

Originally Posted by Nisgeis

Yes, this is the first draft - second draft soon (TM). The thermal layer was far too effective before and was an invisibility cloak, perhaps it was a bit over zealous to completely remove the effects. but the thermal layer system is not well modelled. In the Atlantic, layers would form on hot sunny days over the course of the day, so that by late afternoon, conditions for ASDIC were very poor, but this is not modelled. It's on all the time, or off all the time. You can get night time or day time from the scripts, but I don't think you can get local time of day. I'll re-visit it later, as I'm thinking of a few things regarding this, flares and a few other things to do with ASDIC interference.

Hi Nisgis this may be of use to you:

def GetCurrentGameDateTime():
   d = Game.CurrentGameDateTime
   if d.Hour in [ 3,4,5,6 ]:
   return True
else:
   return False

You can put what ever times you want in the bracket.

Also you can set up the above using different veriables so to have different action at different times .

Hope this is of help.

[scratch81]

[QUOTE=Nisgeis;1413316]Hi Scratch,

If it destroyed your whole engine room, the charge must have been very close. I don't seem to recall the loudness of DCs being particularly indicative of how close they were, I could be wrong though. I look forward to your further comments with the help of the external camera ./QUOTE]

Yeah scratch that, they were pretty close, maybe 13m away, which is what i'd been reading. as far as how i was gauging the "distance" by sound, the further they were, the more muffled and softer they were. however right on top of me, they sounded just the same as 20m away. odd... we need a better louder DC sound currently being harrassed by a single escort dropping 2-3 dc's per run pretty close together so right now they're not really doing anything.

Edit: i've definately not found a difference in volume between distant and close hits. odd. i'd have thought if it exploded next to my pressure hull, 250kg of tnt would sound more like an explosion and less like someone beating my boat with a pillow.

[Ducimus]

Nisgeis, i have a question.

Just because im a glutton for punishment, what do you suppose would happen if i reduced the hydrophone noise factor in the sim.cfg file from 1.3 to say, 0.75 or even 0.5? Maybe reduce the wave factor by that much as well?

I'm just curious since your familiar with how the AI is scripted. I do love this mod, and couldn't play SH5 without out.

[The General]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Nisgeis, I do love this mod, and couldn't play SH5 without out.

I concur. Is there gonna be another update Nisgeis?

[Nisgeis]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Just because im a glutton for punishment, what do you suppose would happen if i reduced the hydrophone noise factor in the sim.cfg file from 1.3 to say, 0.75 or even 0.5? Maybe reduce the wave factor by that much as well?

I'm just curious since your familiar with how the AI is scripted.

Hmmm, interesting question. You'd certainly find that it was harder to evade in a storm than it was previously.

The hydrophone noise factor - that's the one that affects their passive sonar with respect to their own speed? If it is that, then I don't think that would have much impact. It would perhaps give them a slight edge over what they have now. There's a couple of scenarios I can see it making a small tactical difference, but they would be rare. If you're feeling adventurous, try it and see .

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I do love this mod, and couldn't play SH5 without out.

It's like food, it always tastes better if someone else cooked it .

Originally Posted by The General

I concur. Is there gonna be another update Nisgeis?

Soon (TM). I have some bits and bobs to finish up on the 3D TDC and 40k yard radar range mod that I just put out for SH4, which took ages. I've got a few plans I'd like to put in though. Unfortunately star shells don't illuminate the area, just like they didn't in SH4, so I'm not so sure about them.

[The General]

There is a very nasty feedback loop in the AI that keeps surface warships (friendly and enemy!) spinning around in your vicinity. It's as though they keep reaquiring a ghost contact nearby. A save/reload is the only way to break it (very annoying). Have you had any luck with this Nisgeis?

[7thSeal]

Originally Posted by The General

Tthat keeps surface warships (friendly and enemy!) spinning around in your vicinity.
A save/reload is the only why t o break it (very annoying).

Don't know if it happens to everyone the same but always happens to me when submerged. Surfacing while in TC and traveling a distance always gets rid of them for me, without having to save and restart.

[toudi667]

thanks

[frankiekam]

Hiya

I noticed that when I add U-Boat Killer AI mod to my soup, in the Marham Mission, when I surface my U-Boat, the destroyers take an awful long time before they fire on me. It is almost as though the British ships are *blind* to my 'sitting-duck' and surfaced U-Boat. So much so that I can steam right in the midst of the ships before they start firing on me! Is this a bug with the U-Boat Killer AI mod? Without the U-Boat Killer AI mod, the shells start coming in after 16 seconds or less when I surface my U-boat.

I installed these mods:
GWX - Alternate Loadscreen - Full Circle
GWX - Alternative Flotillas
GWX - Axis Mediterranean Aircraft Skins
GWX - Black Sea Campaign Files Only
GWX - Captain America's Officer Icons
GWX - English Nav Map and Grid Refs
GWX - Enhanced Damage Effects
GWX - Fix French
GWX - Indian Ocean Campaign Files Only
GWX - Lite Harbor Traffic
GWX - Main movie - 'Das Boot'
GWX - Merged Campaign
GWX - No Medals on Crew
GWX - VIIC41 Player Sub
U-Boat Killer AI Mod v1.02

Cheers
Frankie Kam

Update: I am so sorry. This mod is for Silent Hunter 5 !!! I installed it with JSGME inside Silent Hunter 3 (!) Arrgh!! Since I am on this topic, is there an equivalent mod for Silent Hunter 3 !?