Author Topic: Strange AI behaviour when attacking gas refinery/cargo platforms (possible bug?)  (Read 984 times)

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Offline T-Man

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Strange AI behaviour when attacking gas refinery/cargo platforms (possible bug?)
I've just run into what appears to be an AI bug and wanted to pass on some info in case it was revealing anything serious.  I'm running the latest BP2 on the latest of your for-BP EXE builds.

I was laying the groundwork for a mission idea involving attacking some enemy gas refineries with two Izra'il's (the player and an AI), when I noticed the AI wingman would move up to the refinery firing when appropriate, but then veer off and begin a jerky circle around the target (as if constantly trying to turn in to attack but then deciding not to and going back into a circle), firing occasionally but well off target.

I did a little more testing and found this is the case for several UEF and GTA fighters attacking the refinery (including a GTF Ares using normal FS AI, so it doesn't seem to be a Fury AI issue or an issue with BP fighters). The fighters did this behaviour also with the cargo platform and the 'Gauss cannon' turret version of the cargo platform, but were fine and attacked normally when told to attack a Ancamna or one of the skyscraper models (which I used to check 'structure' models). I did notice at one point where a cargo platform was brought down that many of the fighters seemed to suddenly snap out of it and fire on target at the refinery (but all such ships stayed on the spot firing as opposed to moving around).

I also noticed ordering a cruiser (I used a Sanctus Mk.II) to attack the refinery or platforms it would register as attacking the target but not move from it's position, only firing weapons that were in range already. As with the fighters, it would act normally if told to attack the Ancamna or skyscraper.


I doubt this effects any of your current or upcoming missions (except maybe 'Eyes in the Storm', but I don't recall any odd behaviour in that mission when I played), but thought I'd let you guys know just in case it means anything major (I don't know anything about AI so I can't give a guess really; it seems to be the target causing the problem though as opposed to the attacking ships). I imagine it will replicate with ease if you put an AI fighter and a ges refinery in a basic mission, but I'll attach a copy of the test file I was using below for if it doesn't.

Cheers



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Offline Trivial Psychic

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Re: Strange AI behaviour when attacking gas refinery/cargo platforms (possible bug?)
My immediate thought is related to attack paths, point distances, and path order.  Perhaps the attack path orders are screwed up, and what should be the start point is actually the end point, and perhaps the range for one of the points is too large.  You can verify this in PCS.
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