AI Wolfpacks?

[hachiman]

Hi

Any chance we might get AI wolfpacks in the single player campaign?

Thanx

[gdogghenrikson]

Im not getting my hopes up

[JU_88]

IMHO It would be travasty if they neglected this for the third time in a row.

Everyone keeps saying 'Wolfpacks' but what we need is an AI routine for NPC submarines.
Once they have been granted 'a brain' (so they know what the hell they are doing in the SH5 would) - NPC Uboats or Enermy subs can simply be dumped in to the campaign like any other unit.

How hard can it be to Code some decent AI for submarines? (along with Torpedo controller)
Not too hard - but I appreciate they would require slighly more complex routines than say - Escorts.
Subs however need to be told, when to dive, when to surface, when to try and attack & when to do a runner etc.

In the past modders have applied merchant? AI routines to NPC subs, so they can at least follow way points, shoot at stuff with their guns and zig-zag. Its Better than nothing but its far from ideal.
Several talented modders tried to make a frankenstien AI Torpedo controller and some made actual progress before hitting a brick wall.

In SH3 when asked about Ai subs & wolfpacks, the devs said 'No but maybe in the next version'
..then they said the same in SH4...
So fingers crossed this time.

[Annatar]

Wolfpacks are my personal dealbreaker this time. Graphics aren't terribly important to me, first person perspective isn't particularly important to me. These things are nice, don't get me wrong, but it'll feel like we're just treading water if after all this time we still can't get some AI boats.

Originally Posted by Annatar

Wolfpacks are my personal dealbreaker this time.

Could not agree more!

Im dissapointed by Ubisoft. SH3 was a bad joke and SH4 was even worse. For me only the Mods, especially GWX made SH3 worth the money...

If they dont get it right this time, Im totally done with Ubisoft´s products.

[JU_88]

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

Could not agree more!

Im dissapointed by Ubisoft. SH3 was a bad joke and SH4 was even worse. For me only the Mods, especially GWX made SH3 worth the money...

If they dont get it right this time, Im totally done with Ubisoft´s products.

Now now, SH3 was still a good game, even out of the box. Fair enough it was an Silent Hunter 'comeback' title and had to built from the ground up including the game engine (hence the looooong develpment time)
Sh4 was rushed out the door somewhat, bar the graphical improvments, it was really no better or worse than SH3 overal in terms of gameplay, I rate them about equal.

But now they have an engine, a weath of 3d material and plenty of code -all ready to go, they can certainly invest more time & resources in to things like Submarine AI (look at the interior work they've done already)

[John Channing]

If they dont get it right this time, Im totally done with Ubisoft´s products.

I have heard this so many times about so many Ubisoft games I am frankly surprised they don't have to give the things away at flea markets!



"Sales for the second quarter of 2009-10 are expected to come in at around €80 million..."

JCC

[TigerOmega]

I played multiplayer in SH3. It was a lot of fun and kinda simple to create the scenario you wanted. If SHV doesn't have AI wolf packs it will be multiplayer for me.
I just hope they include the mission editor.

[longam]

Even in Falcon 4 you flew in formation with 3 other AI. They followed your lead, flew at your alt, and would span out or close up by your command. They could even change formation and would not attack until given the order to do so.

I see this as a bases on a basic wolf pack AI and is very possible to do.

[Grothesj2]

Originally Posted by longam

Even in Falcon 4 you flew in formation with 3 other AI. They followed your lead, flew at your alt, and would span out or close up by your command. They could even change formation and would not attack until given the order to do so.

I see this as a bases on a basic wolf pack AI and is very possible to do.

Heck, look at IL-2 with even more aircraft buzzing around and shooting at each other, all in three dimensions with AA fire and targets, bomb strikes, machinegun fire from fighters and bombers, rockets.....

No way I'll believe that they can't come up with a passable AI for friendly subs. AI doesn't even have to be exceptionally good as how many U-boat captains were wasted on thier first or second patrol? A novice and veteran U-boat captain AI setting should be fine for the AI and niether as crafty as a live player. You are after all supposed to be the star U-boat ace in the game.

[java`s revenge]

Originally Posted by Grothesj2

Heck, look at IL-2 with even more aircraft buzzing around and shooting at each other, all in three dimensions with AA fire and targets, bomb strikes, machinegun fire from fighters and bombers, rockets.....

No way I'll believe that they can't come up with a passable AI for friendly subs. AI doesn't even have to be exceptionally good as how many U-boat captains were wasted on thier first or second patrol? A novice and veteran U-boat captain AI setting should be fine for the AI and niether as crafty as a live player. You are after all supposed to be the star U-boat ace in the game.

You are right.
For example the ai in IL2 was very good.
But when you take an exemple of Red Orchestra, they are
very dumb.

But i indeed think that it would be possible.

[THE_MASK]

Maybe a randomly generated wolf pack with a slight chance but only for convoys over a certain large size .

[SubV]

Originally Posted by Lanzfeld

We sent a man to the moon in the 60's with the aid of an onboard computer that had less capability then the watch I am wearing.

A real (often called 'strong') A.I. has nothing in common with computing. There's still no robots and intelligent machines around us. Most computer scientists now think that creating such machines is an impossible task.

Originally Posted by karamazovnew

We don't want wolfpacks, we just don't want to feel that we're alone there. Dynamic communications and reports, radio messages from other boats and from the sinking ships, orders that make sense from BdU, weather reports from the entire ocean, that's what wolpacks were all about.

Exactly.

Give a player control of 10+ wolfpack submarines? Probably not a good idea at all. I don't like the idea of converting SH into real-time strategy game.

[Mittelwaechter]

As far as I know most U-boats sunk by allied submarines were not sunk in a dogfight but with the same tactics the U-Boats sunk allied merchants: sit in the dark and wait until the bait shows up- then hit and run.

Imagine sailing from Lorient in 1941 and 60 km west you get a sudden death screen: hit by torpedo. I'd love it!

Real wolfpack AI torpedos would even be a threat to the player's U-boat.
Again the screen: hit by torpedo.

Btw - I'm sure it is not an affair for the pros to script U-boat and torpedo AI.
But I'd prefer to see torpedo bombers attacking convoys in the Mediterranean or in the Channel and DDs laying mines of the British east coast.
Rare events should not be modelled - like sub on U-Boat dogfight or sinking fishtrawlers in the black sea with handgranades...