Author Topic: ESAI: FH2 Edition  (Read 34583 times)

Offline Void

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
  • AI Dev
    • View Profile
    • ESAI at Moddb
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #30 on: 02-11-2010, 00:11:48 »
With Mareth Line, I was able to get the correct orders to bots and have them attack where I wanted, but they just never seemed to be able to cap the flags in the end.

Here is a screen of a typical British offensive under the changes I've made so far:



I'm still working on Mareth Line, but will start playing with Vilars Bocage. Djinn, if you make those changes to Luttich I will code the AI for it also.

Offline djinn

  • Masterspammer
  • ****
  • Posts: 5.723
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #31 on: 02-11-2010, 00:11:27 »
Well, then I need an amateur mapper.


Anyone here know how to put maps and spawn points on flags?

Offline Void

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
  • AI Dev
    • View Profile
    • ESAI at Moddb
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #32 on: 02-11-2010, 01:11:28 »
Quote
Anyone here know how to put maps and spawn points on flags?

I know how.

Changing up control points, moving/adding/deleting spawns, changing Strategic Areas / SA Neighboring - all these things I can do. I just thought you knew also, and that you were going to work up a map version like the idea you posted.

I may make your changes to Luttich myself if no one else steps forward. Would rather first do some SAI coding on a map that doesn't need a makeover.

I have BF2 Editor open right now in fact. I have added some infantry and vehicle waypoints to Mareth Line, and am in the process of removing the tank blockades from the start of the road in to Toujane. The other static obstacles in Toujane I will leave alone - I just want to see what happens with those bot trapping hedgehogs out of the way.

"ESAI: Forgotten Hope Edition" exists now. I will post a d/l link as soon as I have a satisfactory FH2 map ESAI enabled and running the way I want.

Offline Void

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
  • AI Dev
    • View Profile
    • ESAI at Moddb
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #33 on: 02-11-2010, 05:11:29 »
Done more coding on Mareth Line. Good news and promising results.

In testing so far, Britain has broken the barrier and made it past Mareth 2 times in 2 trials. The allies can't really advance much farther because I haven't yet written the strategy for them to do so, but check this out:



And in a separate test, Britain captured and held Matmata again. Sorry, no screen of that miracle.

I have hope for Mareth Line now after all, and intend to finish a version 1.0 for its ESAI plugin before moving on to another map.

Offline cannonfodder

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1.228
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #34 on: 02-11-2010, 09:11:52 »
Lookin' good, Void.

Although, I think the Brits should defend Mareth once they take it, and go for Matmata, the Command Bunker, and the flag in D1 before trying to take the town.

Once the Germans lose it (and their airfield) they won't have a hope.


Just my 2 cents worth... :)

Offline Void

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
  • AI Dev
    • View Profile
    • ESAI at Moddb
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #35 on: 02-11-2010, 10:11:08 »
Quote
I think the Brits should defend Mareth once they take it, and go for Matmata, the Command Bunker, and the flag in D1 before trying to take the town.

I thought so as well at first,and indeed tried it that way to begin with. It doesn't work out in practice. If you go that route, the allies are too impossibly slow to mount any kind of organized assault without being driven out of Mareth eventually.

The only success I've had has been to work my way North, and then "Cleanup" the remaining hard points after the airfield has been taken.

Though the main push after Mareth is toward Lower Gabes, I do send some bots attacking Matmata at this time, mostly to keep the Germans from coming down and retaking Toujane.

The Command Bunker isn't targeted until after Matmata falls, which it rarely does.

The above is just summary;the tactics employed by the British are more detailed. As I write this the Brits have 19 different strategies available, and I'm not even finished with the SAI code. Close, but not finished yet.

Offline djinn

  • Masterspammer
  • ****
  • Posts: 5.723
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #36 on: 02-11-2010, 11:11:08 »
Matmata is actually easier to take than Gabes. Sure, lower Gabes can be taken, but until Upper Gabes is too, it becomes a deathtrap for armor, infantry and aircrafts alike.

Matmata simply needs a concerted effort to take it - Even without ESAI, it is sometimes taken. Mareth is the toughy. Because its in the open and under mortar and artillery barrage, it tends to change hands easily.

In the end I still feel, the 2-pronged attack would at least bring out German oversight at either the Western or Eastern flank i.e Toujane or Mareth, and allow the Brits to sweep through that sector

Playing as Brit, I noted that, when one side is under pressure, usually Mareth, the Germans pull troops from other sectors to defend it, so the other flank becomes easy - IF the Brits would treat each unprejudiced

IF mateth does fall, taking Lower Gabes isn't too hard, but its costly and ultimately pointless moves, since it will be recapped and at a great cost, afterall, you still have all German tanks intact and the allied lines become thin, stretching from Mareth to Gabes with easy pickings for Germans coming from the Tebaga Gap.


Offline djinn

  • Masterspammer
  • ****
  • Posts: 5.723
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #37 on: 02-11-2010, 11:11:15 »
Before completely doing away with the Hedgehogs, I took a look at PR this morning, and noted how vanilla tanks move, AND how FH2 tanks USED to move. The current way tanks move in 2.3 is terribly annoying and makes them very clunky especially in narrow corridors.

I'm trying to get someone to take a look at this, if it pans out, I'm sure British tanks at the main base and entering Toujane will move alot smoother

Offline Void

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
  • AI Dev
    • View Profile
    • ESAI at Moddb
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #38 on: 02-11-2010, 12:11:48 »
Ok, I'll leave the hedgehogs alone, lol.

For humans, I'm quite sure it is easier to take Matmata. It is just a hardship for the bots.

I have to send troops attacking in both directions (North and West) right after capturing Mareth and Toujane, else these flags are promptly retaken by the Germans. I've tried a mixed offensive/defensive strategy and it does not work well at all.

 This is the basic structure of how things are setup now:

-  Two pronged assault on Mareth and Toujane
-  Once Mareth and Toujane are taken, another two pronged assault on Matmata and Lower Gabes
-  If Lower Gabes taken, attack Upper Gabes
-  If Matmata taken, attack Command Bunker
-  Once upper Gabes is secure, attack the Gap and Matmata / Command Bunker

I didn't set out to have the map play in a linear fashion. Note that the entire time Gabes is under attack, Matmata is also. Gabes tends to fall sometimes; Matmata tends not to.

I'll keep on it though.

Offline djinn

  • Masterspammer
  • ****
  • Posts: 5.723
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #39 on: 02-11-2010, 13:11:56 »
You like apples? Well how do you do like them apples?


We took Toujane, I noted the bots moved in sync with me as opposed to me spawn-capping with them. Mg defending Toujane was taken out by a Beau, tanks didn't ever the town. One capped, we made several attempt at Matmata. I got there first hoping my squad would spawn on me. They didn't, but another one made its way to join me and that was capped also.

I did spawn-cap Rommel's Bunker, but then it was bot tanks that capped the Tegaba Gap, as me and my squad couldn't make it pass weathering ack-ack fire harrassing as as far area C3.

Finally, the rest of the army captured Mareth and pushed into Gabes. Taken the Lower Gabes was easy, but then we were now facing the entire DAK and attempts on foot ended badly. I did note however, that the germans abondoned their tanks and our tanks were idling around the mouth of Upper Gabes, so I grabbed a captured hanomag halftruck with gunner and positioned it within the cap zone.

Amid exploding grenades, many of which did us service by causing German TKs, we finally closed the net around Gabes completely.

I noted a funny scenario afterwards. All of sudden,  about 7 or 8 DAK infantry came at us from the pilot mess right outside the tank area and launched what seemed like a counter-attack, but they were facing 3 tanks and the hanomag mg that cut them down is seconds....

Yer, passing through Matmata seems the more feasible option. Its not an easy cap, but its easier than the heavily defended Mareth  and easier to hold. Mareth changes hands until the rest of the force can swing around to attack the Tegaba gap and Gabes directly.

Offline Zoologic

  • Masterspammer
  • ****
  • Posts: 4.141
  • In FH Since 0.67
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #40 on: 02-11-2010, 15:11:43 »
LOL Djinn  ;D Nice work dude!

With our help, everything is possible, except winning round as Germans in Ramelle.

BTW, Totalize has path-mapping problem as shown in other thread. It is now a known bug.

Offline djinn

  • Masterspammer
  • ****
  • Posts: 5.723
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #41 on: 02-11-2010, 15:11:35 »
Funny you mention that, I just replaced 2.3 Totalize with 2.26 with 2.3's gameplayobjects.con and the bots were so sluggish I gave up. They almost didn't seem to recognize the planes repositioning and few left the main base. Well, I guess we need to leave this one in the capable hands of Remick to fix


Offline Zoologic

  • Masterspammer
  • ****
  • Posts: 4.141
  • In FH Since 0.67
    • View Profile
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #42 on: 02-11-2010, 16:11:55 »
You obviously missed this:



Taken from FH2.3 Totalize on crashing. Remick is currently busy and still finding time to work on it.

Offline Void

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
  • AI Dev
    • View Profile
    • ESAI at Moddb
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #43 on: 02-11-2010, 19:11:46 »
Well Djinn, I guess I like them apples just fine.

But... you are helping your bots, and so have different results than I do. I've been spawning at the airfield and just camping the entire round while the bots do their thing.

Today I am trying a new basic approach to this map's strategies, and will see how things work if Matmata is heavily prioritized over Lower Gabes.

Offline Void

  • Moderator
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
  • AI Dev
    • View Profile
    • ESAI at Moddb
Re: ESAI (Enhanced Strategic AI) by Void BFSP
« Reply #44 on: 03-11-2010, 21:11:05 »
The ESAI plugin for this map is now at its third complete rewrite, but I think it is almost finished. I'm using an entirely different approach to the assault now. It works well, but the Command Bunker seems to need human help to be captured in a timely fashion.

I'm getting consistent results with the following attack plan:

1. Capture Toujane
2. Capture Matmata
3. Attack the Gap, The Bunker, and Mareth
4. Once the Gap and Mareth also controlled, push in toward Gabes.

I've run the Mareth v3.0 plugin in 5 trials, and have gotten consistent results. It works, but the plan falls to pieces if Toujane is recaptured by the Germans, which it will be if Command Bunker is not capped.

Here are the Brits in control of Toujane and Matmata:



Here are the Brits in control of the Gap as Well



And finally, the Brits have Mareth and are ready for the push into Gabes:



I just wanted to get you guy's feeback on this approach before I finalized it. My next post should be the goods: ESAI FH2 Edition with Mareth Line map file and plugin included.