AI GV's

[Nathan60]

Whats so hard about camping them around a spawnpoint?  It will be just like the real thing!

[Tank-Ace]

In aces high, a system like that is flawed (for GV's at least). There shouldn't be 100% odds of detection, especially if we want to do tanks patrolling town, and not just stationary guns.

[Nathan60]

In aces high, a system like that is flawed (for GV's at least). There shouldn't be 100% odds of detection, especially if we want to do tanks patrolling town, and not just stationary guns.

Also you need to model for gunner accuracy. Also I detect enemy gv's within earshot 100% of the time when I turrn my engine off.

[Tilt]

The above raises the obvious challenges...... Regardless (IMO) however tackling many of those challenges are very possible with not a lot more tech than that required for ac AI. I to see some other challenges daunting and would. Wonder how they may be solved......

Certainly trees hills buildings etc. (even other vehicles) can be avoided by a simple addition that makes a faux perimeter to the model and steers the GV to avoid collision. If this perimeter disc were at an appropriate height it would also cause the vehicle to steer clear of unassailable gradients.

AI Gv' would still have to follow (as close as terrain and obstacles allow) mission set way points and so core routing does not require any level of intelligence on behalf of the model.

Even in the 90's you could set AI ac in AW to various levels of alertness, accuracy and morale and this could be randomised at various levels across any group of mission generated vehicles such that AI did not always detect enemy, shoot enemy or even advance boldly or run away in  a constant and repetitive manner.

Equally now AI mission parameters can be set regarding secondary targets (engaging targets of opportunity etc.) to give the AI missions an opportunity to engage other gv'ers as they are encountered.

Even now icons are revealed to us when enemy vehicles are in line of sight (in a field gun and once upon a time in a vehicle) so the AI can be similarly coaded to see or not see enemy and this can also be influenced by the "-alertness" setting.

We hear other gv'ers now and this is really generated by simple data which relates to if the other gv is engine on and it's relative location. We may assume that the AI would be able to identify the engine note of freindly or foe. And so would use the same core data to determine the position of enemy with an accuracy set by the alertness setting.

The big challenge to me is how to use local cover to stalk and ambush a foe. I don't see a solution to this that can be accomplished opportunistically from within the the AI COAD. I can see how upon hearing an enemy gv that is not in line of sight the AI either attacks all guns blazing (high morale setting) or switches engine off and waits for the foe to appear (medium morale setting and firing with respect to alertness and accuracy setting) or just plain runs away (lowest morale setting).

So IMO the above works sufficiently to create an AI driven battlefield it may miss some intelligent use of cover but would produce a conflict over which real players can interact without certainty of the AI reaction vis the randomised (or degree of randomised) alertness, accuracy and morale settings.

The problem for HTC IMHO is not the insurmountable technical challenge but (as in all wishes) the commitment of resources against the perceived return in player fun.

[Tank-Ace]

Also you need to model for gunner accuracy. Also I detect enemy gv's within earshot 100% of the time when I turrn my engine off.

Like I said, if we want to do tanks patrolling the town (engines on), they shouldn't have 100% detection, even if the tank is sitting in the open, so long as its something like 3000+ yds out.

They will also need to have to dial in the range, only really acquiring the exact range after 5-6 shots. Their accuracy should also decrease with range, but not in a linear manner.


Detection should not be purely Los based, with a randomization of who gets detected based on the "alertness" of the unit in question. When you tell a player that an RNG just decided that the AI drones would detect his panther because his AA mount was poking up above a hill 1500yds from town, and put a couple of rounds in his flank, but not detect the Tiger II trundleing along out in the open an extra 200 yds back, that's when you start getting the whines.


Basically, what is proposed makes them of rather limited value for an AI + player vs. player battle. To be of any real use in a defensive action, they need to have the intelligence to pull back and relocate, they need to have the intelligence to set up ambushes, and use hull-down tactics. If we want them to be REALLY usefull, we'll need them to know when to counter-attack.


To be of use in an offensive action, they need to know when to push a flank through movement, when to force a flank guard to retreat through presence, when to hang back and snipe, and even when to charge.


I would rather HTC either do the job right, and give us drones we could use for more than patrolling and early detection (because they would need to be in a Panther to pose a threat to a Panzer IV), or not waste their time.

[titanic3]

Woah....too complex...just slap the same AI that is in the field ack onto some tanks, and slave their movements to the streets of a town. I was just thinking that they'll add a slightly extra challenge to base takers, or give friendlies some extra time to defend. 

[icepac]

Nice....I like that idea.

[jimson]

It seems to me that AI GV's would make a massive difference to arenas like AvA.

Any AI might make a massive difference to AvA. I'm hoping that the new AI mission system will allow us to pre-load several missions and counter missions to run throughout the day.

We could create escorted bombing missions with an opposing intercept mission. As the majority of real players would take up the fighter slots, you will always have the risk of running into real fighter pilot enemies.

If a GV AI system could be implemented the same way, players could fight alongside and against a mix of AI and real players.

I know the GV aspect would be much more difficult, but it would be great if it could someday be implemented.