[WIP] U-Boat Killer AI Mod

[Nisgeis]

The AI Scripting should be patrol independant, so as long as you shut the game down before you install it, you should be able to run it from a save game on patrol. Using the AI debugger, you can re-load the scripts on the fly with the game running and it works mid-engagement. . Gord bless those devs.

[Heretic]

Originally Posted by Nisgeis

The AI Scripting should be patrol independant, so as long as you shut the game down before you install it, you should be able to run it from a save game on patrol. Using the AI debugger, you can re-load the scripts on the fly with the game running and it works mid-engagement. . Gord bless those devs.

Have you reloaded scripts successfully? When I tried that with the crew ai, they either lose all their strategies or crash the program.

[Nisgeis]

Well, the scripts are different per category and I've only been dealing with the units, so the 'sim' category, but reloading scripts isn't a problem. Refreshing can cause a crash, if you have a behaviour or unit selected which is not loaded. When you first load the AI debugger, select the category, then click refresh, BEFORE selecting anything in the second drop down, as for whatever reason, it will list all the old behaviours that may not be loaded and will crash the game if you try to access them. For example, if you are looking at a ship that sinks, then pressing refressh the game will crash, as that unit no longer exists.

EDIT: Oh yeah and if you muff up a script, it will crash the game if you reload the scripts, but then again the game won't restart with muffed up AI scripts.

[Heretic]

Thanks. I think I always had something selected in the 2nd dropdown.

[Will-Rommel]

Downloaded, will start testing tonight or tomorrow.

[Nisgeis]

Thanks Will-Rommel, feedback would be appreciated, so I can kill you all. I mean, improve the AI.

[Will-Rommel]

No problem, will report here as soon as i see actions. (Should be plenty of, it's the happy days)

[PL_Andrev]

I mean list with all versions.
Now it is, thanks.

[AOTD_Rhonen]

does the mod works in MP-mode?

[PL_Andrev]

Good question.
All modes (single and multi) based on this same game engine, but the correct question is:

What will AI do, if contact is lost and find another one?

My proposal:
1) Looking for lost contact by 10-15 minutes,
2) Listen uboat sound (no speed) by 2-3 minutes
3) Attack new, closest contact.

[Nisgeis]

Originally Posted by AOTD_Rhonen

does the mod works in MP-mode?

I don't know, I've never got an MP game running, but I would imagine so. The one thing I am wary of is testing in a single player missions, as historically with SH, single missions and campaign missions play differently.

Originally Posted by Antar

What will AI do, if contact is lost and find another one?

My proposal:
1) Looking for lost contact by 10-15 minutes,
2) Listen uboat sound (no speed) by 2-3 minutes
3) Attack new, closest contact.

In this mod, AI will start looking for a lost contact after about 10 minutes. If it finds a new contact, it will concentrate on the new contact. I think I'm right in saying that each ship can only deal with one contact at a time. From looking at the sensors, there is hardly any difference between slow moving and stationary as far as sonar detection goes, so slow and moving is better. The only reason for an AI to stop is if it wants to disappear from the U-Boats sonar.

There seem to be a few problems with the way the AI is implemeneted. One is that there doesn't seem to be a way to communicate that a new contact has been found, so the commander of a convoy will only know how long its been since the first sighting happened, not how the individual destroyers on the scene are doing, so it's a bit hard getting the commander to make informed decisions, as he doesn't know anything. This affects role assignment, as the commander can't tell a DD to go to attack mode, as the commander has no idea if the DD has re-acquired the target again. Annoying.