Apologies if this has already been mentioned here, but I've noticed something odd with the AI of escort craft in 1.73.4
The escorts do appear to be escorting a craft, but don't respond when it comes under fire or when the escorted vessel decides to attack the player. The escorts don't seem to be attacking the player even when the escortee is destroyed but sometimes they will randomly attack the player at an indeterminate point after.
Sometimes they don't attack at all.
This isn't game breaking, the only consequence of this I can see is that it makes fights easier. Which I don't think was intended?
Escort AI's in 1.73.4
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Eric Walch
- Slightly Grand Rear Admiral
- Posts: 5536
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:48 pm
- Location: Netherlands
This problem is known and already solved in trunk. It is partly caused by the new group structure that changed things for escorts.
Main problem with escorts is that they should not react on attacks themselves but notify the mother about this and than the mother must send the escorts after the target.
Pirates use an other command line for releasing escorts than traders. (Pirates use the groupAttack while traders use the deployEscorts). And with 1.73 the groupAttack was not send to escorts when the mother was member of a pirate group. For a solitaire operating pirate escorts should still react.
When trader escorts don't react it is because a trader only sends a random amount of its escorts after the target. The rest flee with him and are not reacting on attack anymore. The ship is now only focussed on fleeing. This has always been this way.
Pirates will never attack escorts that flee with their mother because pirates are not programmed to attack escorts.
The only ship that attacks escorts is the player. And the player is strong so maybe it is the best thing to release all its escorts than. I already changed something in this direction in trunk for an attacking trader but probably do it also for a fleeing trader. I agree in this that it looks stupid that escorts don't react.
The only thing that is important is the trader surviving an attack. Escorts should preferably keep the player busy to achieve this.
Main problem with escorts is that they should not react on attacks themselves but notify the mother about this and than the mother must send the escorts after the target.
Pirates use an other command line for releasing escorts than traders. (Pirates use the groupAttack while traders use the deployEscorts). And with 1.73 the groupAttack was not send to escorts when the mother was member of a pirate group. For a solitaire operating pirate escorts should still react.
When trader escorts don't react it is because a trader only sends a random amount of its escorts after the target. The rest flee with him and are not reacting on attack anymore. The ship is now only focussed on fleeing. This has always been this way.
Pirates will never attack escorts that flee with their mother because pirates are not programmed to attack escorts.
The only ship that attacks escorts is the player. And the player is strong so maybe it is the best thing to release all its escorts than. I already changed something in this direction in trunk for an attacking trader but probably do it also for a fleeing trader. I agree in this that it looks stupid that escorts don't react.
The only thing that is important is the trader surviving an attack. Escorts should preferably keep the player busy to achieve this.
UPS-Courier & DeepSpacePirates & others at the box and some older versions
Hmm, I would think that if an escort is attacked, it should notify its mother, but also immediately respond to the attack. The mother could then deploy additional escorts (and/or itself) to also attack.
Doesn't make sense for an escort to just sit there taking hits until its mother decides how to react..
Doesn't make sense for an escort to just sit there taking hits until its mother decides how to react..
The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
Agree, it doesn't make sense for an escort not to defend itself. Passively getting shot to pieces does the mothership no good.
Of course it depends on the scenario in question, I can understand why an escort might not attack a player if it was already attacking another target (either defending against pirates or attacking a trader as a pirate escort). I have no idea what the rules are for escorts (or indeed any other ships) changing targets to the player under these circumstances. Regardless, if the escort is already engaged in some activity at the behest of the mothership, it makes sense if they don't attack the player.
But the rest of the time, as Erich said, it looks kind of dumb.
I took out a Frood in a Vector yesterday (first time I've attacked a non-offender, but hey there were no cops around and I was curious) and none of the escorts responded to my attack. I took out the Vector and then, to be on the safe side, all the escorts.
Of course it depends on the scenario in question, I can understand why an escort might not attack a player if it was already attacking another target (either defending against pirates or attacking a trader as a pirate escort). I have no idea what the rules are for escorts (or indeed any other ships) changing targets to the player under these circumstances. Regardless, if the escort is already engaged in some activity at the behest of the mothership, it makes sense if they don't attack the player.
But the rest of the time, as Erich said, it looks kind of dumb.
I took out a Frood in a Vector yesterday (first time I've attacked a non-offender, but hey there were no cops around and I was curious) and none of the escorts responded to my attack. I took out the Vector and then, to be on the safe side, all the escorts.
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Eric Walch
- Slightly Grand Rear Admiral
- Posts: 5536
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:48 pm
- Location: Netherlands
That not always so. I had already had Vectors that escaped me because I was to busy defending myself against its escorts.Sendraks wrote:I took out a Frood in a Vector yesterday (first time I've attacked a non-offender, but hey there were no cops around and I was curious) and none of the escorts responded to my attack. I took out the Vector and then, to be on the safe side, all the escorts.
Problem with AI reactions it that it is a very low intelligence that depends on reactions that are generally good. When the mother sends all its escorts away after an attacker, he might be defenceless on a next attack.
However, escorts should not behave on their own. Attack should be coordinated by mom. I agree there are flaws currently and escorts should react when attacked. Not on their own, but mom sending them after the attacker must be more reliable.
I already added in trunk that escorts, only when busy escorting, send:
Code: Select all
"ATTACKED" = ("messageMother: ATTACKED", "messageMother: ESCORT_ATTACKED");UPS-Courier & DeepSpacePirates & others at the box and some older versions
I'm absolutely shocked. Tss,tss,tss. Killing innocent tourists. He was 'curious', madre de dios.Sendraks wrote:I took out a Frood in a Vector yesterday (first time I've attacked a non-offender, but hey there were no cops around and I was curious)...
Psst. Hehe, was it ..errm.. valuable?
Unfortuantely this is a possible scenario. For the next version I'll play a bit with the new grouping mechanisms and hopefully it will work better. Currently there are a few possible reactions, unfortunately kamikaze is another unwanted one, hmmm.Sendraks wrote:...and none of the escorts responded to my attack. I took out the Vector and then, to be on the safe side, all the escorts.
Yupp. Has happened to me too, even with knowing about it. Slippery when wet, hehe. This album title gets a new meaning now, hehe.Eric Walch wrote:That not always so. I had already had Vectors that escaped me because I was to busy defending myself against its escorts.
No no no no. I released the Frood upon arrival at the station, he was fully returned to a life of liberty and luxury. Indeed in many respects, he probably got the station faster because of my actions. Yes, thats right. I was helping officer.Svengali wrote:I'm absolutely shocked. Tss,tss,tss. Killing innocent tourists. He was 'curious', madre de dios.
Psst. Hehe, was it ..errm.. valuable?
