[TEC] Differences between "random" groups and scripted?

Originally Posted by tater

Hey, thought someone else might have a handle on this.

I started redoing the "eastasiacampaign" layer.

Compulsive bastard that I am, I'm sitting here with a pile of books, and about 10 tabs in a browser window while I do it. I actually know some of the specific transports that went to specific invasion beaches, that level OCD, lol. For example: 1x Takao, 1xNaka, 4xFubuki, 2x Large Old Liner, 1x Modern liner at Kota Bharu the morning of the 8th (I have all the ship names, too).

There are two ways to do this.

One, I can make groups by hand, and arrange the ships. The formations move somewhat rigidly, though I think the DDs weave some.

Two, I can make a random group that appears at the time desired 100% of the time, and I can limit the number of times the group is generated to exactly 1. DDs can be assigned as members of the force, or as escorts.

Does anyone know if the 2 different groups behave differently? Is the AI more robust in the random vs scripted groups in terms of how far the DDs go while escorting, etc, or do I have to run a bunch of experiments and watch them?

tater

scripted one gives you more control of formations so I would probably use that one.

[tater]

Yeah, that's a big benefit, control of the arrangement. OTOH, I wonder how the station keeping is in a zig-zag compared to AI (random). It's certainly easier to build the units with random though instead of placing each unit by hand.


tater

[nematode]

Originally Posted by tater

Yeah, that's a big benefit, control of the arrangement. OTOH, I wonder how the station keeping is in a zig-zag compared to AI (random). It's certainly easier to build the units with random though instead of placing each unit by hand.


tater

Just thought of something else, if you are looking to create one and only one instance of something, I'm not at all sure that can be done with a random group .. unless there's a way to "zero out" Repeat Interval. -1 won't do it.

But for me, it never gets that far, the inability to control when something is going to spawn kills random groups for me for anything but simulating merchant shipping lanes.

I'm not sure what you're wondering about with "station keeping in a zig zag", but the AI doesn't know how to do a column turn, what happens is the leader turns and the other group members skid out at max speed to the new bearing like waterskiers towed behind a ski boat.

With respect to creating decent looking zig zagging, it doesn't matter scripted or random, either way the members wil hold formation (except DDs of course) .... but subject to the problematic AI turning behavior. It becomes a question of how much wierdness you're willing to cope with. The crappy AI formation turning behavior can be ameliorated to some degree by formating multiple smaller groups so that there isn't so much "back end" in any single formation to cause its members to skid out a great distance during a zig.