Author Topic: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod  (Read 10902 times)

Offline Drawde

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2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« on: 25-05-2010, 12:05:21 »
DOWNLOAD LINK

This is a BETA 2.26-compatible version of my FH2 AI minimod, compatible with the 2.26 patch version.

It includes most of the major fixes and improvements in the previous version 1.2, but is missing some of the smaller changes (such as raised viewpoints for howitzers; mortars are OK though), and has also not been fully playtested so may have some bugs and CTD issues on some maps. I've tested it on quite a few NA and Normandy maps (including Remick04's additions) and haven't had any CTDs or other major issues, but I haven't tried all the maps yet.

I will be away from home for a week tomorrow, hence the final 1.3 minimod will not be ready for at least 2 weeks - so I thought it would be a good idea to get a more or less complete and playable 2.26-compatible version sooner rather than later.

Reports on CTDs, bugs, AI issues etc. are still welcome (though I probably won't be able to read them till next week); some of them may just be things I haven't got round to fixing yet, but they could also be new issues introduced by 2.26 or (like the Jeep CTD in the last version) as a result of my own errors/typos.
« Last Edit: 25-05-2010, 14:05:58 by Drawde »

Offline Raziel

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #1 on: 25-05-2010, 13:05:42 »
Goodjob mate! Thanks!

Offline djinn

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #2 on: 25-05-2010, 17:05:10 »
Mortars in the stock 2.26 don't have raise perspective so they still suffer from the issues of yours in 1.1, only firing at point blank targets, except on El Alamein, where it has god's eye perspective

thanks for the patch. Really grateful, man

cF, you might want to update the download list with this newest version....

EDIT: Noted that the mg gunners are still able to stand and fire :-(
« Last Edit: 25-05-2010, 17:05:42 by djinn »

Offline cannonfodder

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #3 on: 26-05-2010, 12:05:37 »
Thanks Drawde. Sticky's been updated.

Offline Frysian

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #4 on: 29-05-2010, 08:05:17 »
Thanks! i'll give it a try

Offline Shears

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #5 on: 31-05-2010, 11:05:04 »
Thanks for sharing your work,
Im intersted to see the improvments and will
DL and install your mod.

Shears

Offline Drawde

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #6 on: 07-06-2010, 21:06:55 »
Now back to working on the minimod, might take another couple of weeks to complete the final version but I'll definitely get it done eventually.

I've managed to create separate artillery/mortar objects (with raised perspective) for the SP maps, they work fine but every single SP map (at least ones with artillery) needs its gameplayobjects.con editing. I'll include the edited map files with the minimod, but users will have to manually install them into the map archives.

The finished version will definitely have a fix for the standing MG bots (this is caused by a Python script which disables the "only fire when prone" for AT guns and LMGs in SP mode)

Offline djinn

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #7 on: 08-06-2010, 12:06:50 »
Wait - howitzers now work? *gettin ready to click heels*
A few suggestions:
Howitzers should fire only HE irrespective of target.

You might want to make armor cars like the 222 or marmon Herrington use the same code as the flakpanzer ie firing @ infantry, armor and aircrafts without prejudice

I think tanks, HE-equipped AT and especially the 88 could fire at infantry at a slightry increased range.

Also, bots in vanilla and fh2.0 could flee if they saw a live grenade close by. They don't now. Bots around a tank actually used to flee from sticky bombs, friend and foe's - if they saw it.

It might use the same logic, but could infantry be made to somehow recognize artillary splash and dash if it came close? Not flee, but proceed in a dash to make them less of a target. This way, if arty can finally see infantry as higher priority, they won't all be slaughtered

I also noted that tanks fire smoke irrespective of target, even for armored cars :-/

Could they use it only against heavier tanks or bigger guns.
And i suggest aircrafts NOT fire @ tanks. They barely notice infantry on cobra

Do tanks use special AP against heavier tanks? I still see the valentine and matilda pwning on sidi rezegh until i show up...
Finally, could all stationary weapons, as well as deployables like the .30cal get as high priority as mortar? I got 128 bots on El Alamein and saw little or no change in the number of guns on kidney ridge occupied
Sorry for my lack of courtesy, Drawde. without LAN, Im limited to texting-typing with fon so i'm trying to be as brief as possible

Offline Drawde

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #8 on: 08-06-2010, 20:06:15 »
I haven't tested howitzers enough to see if they work better or not, but the new SP-only objects have identical raised perspective to the ones in the 2.25 minimod - they're just new objects/entities that only appear in SP and co-op maps.
I have, however, already coded howitzers to fire HE only, in the hope this might make them more effective. One reason they don't work properly may be that bots treat them as direct-fire weapons (as their primary shell type is AP, direct fire); disabling the AP shells might fix this.

The problem, though, may be less to do with any hard-coded difference between howitzers and mortars, than the fact that howitzers are usually placed a long way from the front line (and often behind visual obstructions like treelines and buildings) so rarely get the chance to see enemy targets, even with the raised view perspective.
Nebelwerfers seem to be usually placed closer to areas where combat takes place, so get more of a chance to fire at things. They're the only non-mortar artillery I've regularly seen firing at anything, though the 25pdr on Supercharge will occasionally fire AP at German vehicles that get too near the British main base.

I'm planning to try setting 20mm-equipped armoured cars to IsAntiAircraft=1 (currently it's set to 2, for opportunity shots only), if it doesn't distract them from ground targets too much I'll keep this change in.

HE shells (for all weapons) have the same maximum range as AP - 500m - and I've noticed tanks are much more effective with HE since my last update (with the new armour classification system) though they're still not perfect.

No idea about the fleeing/evasion code, I might look at this later though, I suspect it's in the AI behaviour file, possibly increasing the "take cover" priority will help. I think it's also affected by the "explosion radius" setting for weapons - I deliberately disabled this for AT charges, as their throw range is less than their blast radius so bots never used them - I thought kamikaze bots would be preferable to ones that never used explosives at all  ;D

Haven't seen tanks fire smoke rounds yet, infantry will still (sometimes) throw smoke grenades at vehicles and guns, but won't drop them randomly anymore (this was caused by the same C4 code that caused the satchel TKing)

Tanks should, theoretically, use special AP rounds against heavy armour, but don't always do, maybe there isn't enough difference between the AP and special AP target priorities.

The AI's reluctance to use the guns on Kidney Ridge may be partly because a lot of them are miles from the CP's spawn point; even the Pak38s are rarely occupied. The mortar and flak gun inside the base itself almost invariably get used.

Offline cannonfodder

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #9 on: 09-06-2010, 12:06:58 »
Sorry it's off-topic, but I thought this might be of interest: http://www.battlefieldsingleplayer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=15109

Offline djinn

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #10 on: 10-06-2010, 20:06:54 »
Ya, tanks priority fire in some cases (check out villers) is smoke. They literally fire volleys of it at armor and emplaced guns

Offline djinn

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #11 on: 12-06-2010, 01:06:06 »
I also think fighter planes should not strafe tanks. Drop bombs ifthey have em, mgs on infantry unless they have only cannons, and cannons for light armor

I would suggest HE use if infantry is concealed, and bombs for the stuka in that same instance.

Currenty planes keep pointlessly strafing tanks and ignoring infantry.

Offline Devilman

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #12 on: 12-06-2010, 01:06:49 »
I also think fighter planes should not strafe tanks. Drop bombs ifthey have em, mgs on infantry unless they have only cannons, and cannons for light armor

I would suggest HE use if infantry is concealed, and bombs for the stuka in that same instance.

Currenty planes keep pointlessly strafing tanks and ignoring infantry.

Everything a bot in a vehicle,shoots at,is controlled by their vehicles,weapon AI template
which is very easy to adjust

Quote
rem *** Weaponory ***

rem * Guns *
weaponTemplate.create SpitfireMKV_WingMGAI
weaponTemplate.indirect 0
weaponTemplate.minRange 500.0
weaponTemplate.maxRange 700.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength Infantry    0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength LightArmour 8.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength HeavyArmour 0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength NavalArmour 0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength Helicopter  0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength Airplane    6.0
weaponTemplate.allowedDeviation 15.0

rem * Guns *
weaponTemplate.create SpitfireMKV_NoseMGAI
weaponTemplate.indirect 0
weaponTemplate.minRange 50.0
weaponTemplate.maxRange 500.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength Infantry    0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength LightArmour 5.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength HeavyArmour 0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength NavalArmour 0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength Helicopter  0.0
weaponTemplate.setStrength Airplane    9.0
weaponTemplate.allowedDeviation 15.0

Offline djinn

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #13 on: 14-06-2010, 15:06:21 »
A few new issues:
Clearly an issue with ratios where increasing bot count above 32 dumps the remainder on allies. You can rebalance it by moving the ratio in the axis favor to rebalance, but its not ideal. Using a functional FH toolbox, you can go as far as 96 bots with the ratio slider @ 98% to get a 50:50 ratio, but higher and it will be impossible to fix the bias. 128 bots, and you can't even be in a squad along with 32 other bots.

Bots in halftrucks or APcs will never fire on open spots on enemy APCs eg. 2 hanomags or a hanomag and bren carrier.
Bots don't fire at hanomags any longer or at tank top mgs

Many vehicles with the mg34 used by bots have continued mg firing sound in between bursts i.e when the gun is not firing
 
German binocs dont spot in SP/COOP, no matter the kit its with. You can fire a spot at a target, but no remote cam is created. Allied binocs work though.

Offline djinn

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Re: 2.26 compatible (beta version) AI minimod
« Reply #14 on: 18-06-2010, 09:06:28 »
Does anyone else have an inexplicable CTD in purple heart lane approaching the 88?
Olympus also ctds but that might be map-based.