Fractal Softworks Forum

Starsector => General Discussion => Topic started by: TheHengeProphet on October 06, 2013, 03:10:08 PM

Title: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: TheHengeProphet on October 06, 2013, 03:10:08 PM
Is it just me, or has anybody else noticed the idiotic flight pathing of the AI?  Not trying to make this sound like a jab, but it is rather annoying when my allies keep backing into me fast enough to knock out their engines, or destroying eachother by flying in the way of eachother's beams...  They also seem to have no idea that asteroids are floating about and will fly right into them, shields down, with enough gusto to often knock out a weapon or two.

Anybody else witness this behaviour?
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: thebrucolac on October 06, 2013, 07:52:38 PM
Constantly. The really annoying thing that happens is that when I'm chasing down incapacitated ships, I can still lose hound frigates because they fly so close to their targets that they are destroyed by the blast when it is disabled.

Friendly ships seem to have very little respect for personal space.
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: PCCL on October 06, 2013, 09:02:30 PM
hmm... never had that happen before...
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Andy H.K. on October 06, 2013, 09:33:37 PM
The only gripe I have with the flight AI is that "why must you turn sideway and expose your flank when you reach your target? Don't you know how to strafe?"
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: TheHengeProphet on October 06, 2013, 09:46:50 PM
That could go along with the situation where the ship at hand is at zero flux, and the enemy ship is at full flux, so... the zero flux ship backs away to allow the enemy to vent and will not take advantage of the situation of the enemy venting for the next ten seconds...
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Cycerin on October 07, 2013, 04:57:21 AM
It's actually always puzzled me how the AI seems at times completely unaware of the existence of asteroids.
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Excalibur Bane on October 07, 2013, 05:39:36 AM
I've had a few Lashers make the unfortunate mistake of getting in my line of fire before and paying the ultimate price, but this is few and far between. They generally stay out of my way.
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Alex on October 07, 2013, 08:19:11 AM
It's actually always puzzled me how the AI seems at times completely unaware of the existence of asteroids.

For maneuvering, it ignores asteroids below a certain mass (relative to the ship's mass and armor state). The evasive actions it takes are relatively drastic, and this is necessary so that it can function at all inside a dense asteroid field. Hmm. It might make sense to only ignore these if there are a lot of asteroids about, or just consider the heaviest nearby asteroid, or some such. Added to list of things to take a look at.
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Vind on October 07, 2013, 08:48:04 AM
Just recently seen 2 friendly hounds collide with each other while flying around lone buffalo. Granted many missiles was around but colliding?
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: DatonKallandor on October 07, 2013, 11:24:51 AM
Any smart captain would rather collide than eat a missile. Especially when piloting a Hound - those deathtraps don't have shields as far as I know.
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Hotshot3434 on October 07, 2013, 03:02:18 PM
I always love it when I've got a ship loaded with tachyon lances and my hounds constantly run into the beam, instantly shredding their armor and disabling all their systems.
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Shield on October 08, 2013, 03:01:23 AM
I really only notice it if I launch 3 ore more ships, then they just become bumbling idiots, flying into my line of fire right as I am firing, flying into my ship when I have my shields up, but its when there are a bunch of ship on screen.
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: momerathe on October 09, 2013, 09:10:49 AM
I had just defeated a pirate carrier fleet with only two frigates - just. Both ships were heavily damaged. I had the other frigate on escort.

While sitting waiting for the last wing of pirate fighters to run away I turned my ship around, and my escort flew into me, killing both ships instantly..
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Unfolder on October 09, 2013, 11:17:15 AM
I don't play with any allied AI other than fighters, which actually has very good AI in most cases (flanking, taking you between fires, making you have to choose between shielding your engines from the hound or your front from the broadswords).

However the allied AI is rather frustrating in big ships. The Medusa in particular is shocking. I will fly one against any enemy fleet say of 2 talons, 1 pirannha, 1 broadsword, a buffalo, a hound, a lasher, a carrier and a heavy freighter-frigate and win (after ten minutes of kiting and phasing) whereas an AI medusa will charge this group and get gang-*** in about 10 seconds. Lol. I know the AI cannot match human intelligence but come on. 
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: xenoargh on October 09, 2013, 11:39:45 AM
Idea:  Have the AI behave like most players do, and if there's a nearby asteroid that they can't avoid and they aren't in combat yet, blow it away?
Title: Re: Idiotic flight pathing
Post by: Reapy on October 09, 2013, 12:32:32 PM
It's actually always puzzled me how the AI seems at times completely unaware of the existence of asteroids.

For maneuvering, it ignores asteroids below a certain mass (relative to the ship's mass and armor state). The evasive actions it takes are relatively drastic, and this is necessary so that it can function at all inside a dense asteroid field. Hmm. It might make sense to only ignore these if there are a lot of asteroids about, or just consider the heaviest nearby asteroid, or some such. Added to list of things to take a look at.

I don't know if varying AI ship captains are still going to happen, but this could open the way to some fun AI variation that would show up.  One type of captain could fly optimal and ignore asteroids if they aren't a threat, another could always choose to wildly dodge around them, while another might blast any asteroid that crosses its path.