Everyone's a marksman! (Tv1,06a)

[FAD]

Ok, so I've started my ninth game of Tv106a in full vanilla fashion, playing as a n00b to recapture that "first-time-playing-the-game" feeling. I do this mainly to find and expose game balance and imbalances.
Results? 9 out of 9 games = "Destroyed by..." messages as each game ended. Note that I don't resurect during these testings.
What I have discovered is that the majority of encounters, the enemy ships are marksmen who rarily miss their target--the playership.
George, I love what you've done by putting more aggression into the enemies, especially when approaching a heavily defended enemy base, where they'll now swarm you and hit you with everything they've got. This makes the game more realistic-please don't ever change this.
But with all the new and/or upgraded equipment, especially the armors, now many of the enemy ships are a bit harder to destroy when using the freighter and its omni-laser, while being plummetted to pieces by the marksman swarms.

What I'd like to propose, if it's at all possible, is to give each and every AI ship variable "fireAccuracy= ?" ratings.

Some examples (again, if possible):

Code: Select all

		<AISettings
			fireRateAdj=		"30"
			fireAccuracy=		"10-90"
			perception=			"4"
			/>
 

Code: Select all

		<AISettings
			fireRateAdj=		"30"
			fireAccuracy=		"Random90"
			perception=			"4"
			/> 

Where in example A, the AI ship would spawn with a fireAccuracy (FA) rating that would set anywhere from 10 to 90.
Example B the FA would set anywhere from 0 to 90, respectively, via a "Random" & max 90 tag.

So when a system is generated and sets, for example, a Charon pirate cache and four Corsairs to guard, we'll get something like; ShipA FA="30", ShipB FA="10", ShipC FA="70", ShipD FA="80".

This would add even more realism to the game, as we would get a varying range of experienced AI pilots.
Is it doable? Worth the effort?
Thoughts or alternatives?

[Lmoy]

Stuff isn't exactly hard to shoot at in Transcendence
I think it's reasonable the way it is (considering most people would have computer assisted targeting on their ships anway).
Although it may be useful for some mods.

[Ttech]

Stuff isn't exactly hard to shoot at in Transcendence
I think it's reasonable the way it is (considering most people would have computer assisted targeting on their ships anway).
Although it may be useful for some mods.

Compare it to the marksmanship of the player and you end up with some very interesting results. I haven't noticed it as a major problem but enemies do end up hitting you a lot more then you hit them, at least in the way you attack. Though I can't say I've noticed it killing me.

[shanejfilomena]

oh, i see you want to randomize the accuracy of the hostile.
but that would in-fact become a CPU issue more then a game balance. It would require the game to select an accuracy based on creation of the ship and constantly adjust the item due to the rate adjustments........
this is alot of computing power your proposing.

[Drako Slyith]

Wait a minute, isn't there already a fireAccuracy data field?
http://wiki.neurohack.com/transcendence/wiki/ai
Here's some ingame code from the salvagers:

Code: Select all

		<AISettings
			fireRateAdj=		"30"
			fireAccuracy=		"95"
			perception=			"4"
			/>

If you want make it random, couldn't you do
FireAccuracy="=(random x y)"
(I think that's how the tlisp in data fields works, but it might not)

[alterecco]

Yes, ="=(random x x)" is how tlisp in data fields works... However, it only works in some fields (and i doubt fireAccuracy is one of them)

[FAD]

Stuff isn't exactly hard to shoot at in Transcendence
I think it's reasonable the way it is (considering most people would have computer assisted targeting on their ships anway).
Although it may be useful for some mods.

I'm not sure you understood the concept--it's not about how hard it is to shoot at things nor about having targetting software. Bear in mind that most of these AI ships I spoke of were standard straight shooters, not omnified at all....and they rarely missed! Take the Centauri Heavy Raider for example. Duel Claw or heavy claw (duel) against the freighter. It will unleash a devastating barrage of mass directly into the line of the freighter and once hit, shields down and armor damage. The freighter is too slow to dodge even those slow weapons and a second or third direct hit, game over.
That's really not the case in point to compare duel weapons with FA, but when we have hordes of corsair Is and several viking Is early game, all having single shooters with each shot hitting the playership 90% of the time, you're sure to sink and very quickly. Having a randomized FA would reduce that percentage marginally and would also appear more realistic.

oh, i see you want to randomize the accuracy of the hostile.
but that would in-fact become a CPU issue more then a game balance. It would require the game to select an accuracy based on creation of the ship and constantly adjust the item due to the rate adjustments........
this is alot of computing power your proposing.

It would be no different than what we already have now, with randomized equipment on AI ships. The difference only being a single, randomized FA per each ship the game spawns. This randomized FA per each ship would be a stationary setting just as our current AI's stats are when they're created...same as when a randomized piece of equipement is set at game start.
To my understanding, these calculations are processed prior to initial game play, or when entering a new system for the first time. I don't see where it would pull excessive CPU useage.

[shanejfilomena]

I experimented and while I thought it funny to see such bad aim in the game : a 20 is still good enough to peg you at close range with a Plasma ArchCannon . So there was no real major difference in aim if they get close enough to peg you.

[RPC]

I think that your proposal is a nice solution to an oft overlooked fact in transcendence: impossibly accurate AI. (well, that may be taking it a bit too far, but you know what I mean). Make a ticket and bring it up when the next IRC day comes and George may take a look at it.

[FAD]

I think that your proposal is a nice solution to an oft overlooked fact in transcendence: impossibly accurate AI. (well, that may be taking it a bit too far, but you know what I mean). Make a ticket and bring it up when the next IRC day comes and George may take a look at it.

I'll have to see if I can get into IRC, as I had problems with it before--being on dial-up really bytes.

[erik dela cruz]

Stuff isn't exactly hard to shoot at in Transcendence
I think it's reasonable the way it is (considering most people would have computer assisted targeting on their ships anway).
Although it may be useful for some mods.

I second that!

[Ttech]

I think that your proposal is a nice solution to an oft overlooked fact in transcendence: impossibly accurate AI. (well, that may be taking it a bit too far, but you know what I mean). Make a ticket and bring it up when the next IRC day comes and George may take a look at it.

I'll have to see if I can get into IRC, as I had problems with it before--being on dial-up really bytes.

irc is pretty low bandwidth, hopefully you can stop on by sometime!

[FAD]

irc is pretty low bandwidth, hopefully you can stop on by sometime!

Yep, I managed to go there, got some strange name instead of my own. No one was chatting but there was a long list of names there. Not sure if I did it right or not.

[RPC]

FAD: That's right. All you have to do is use
/nick NewNick
to change your nick.
And try to check the usermap to see who's in your timezone as well.
As for people, try pinging Ttech, sdw195, R_P_C (me ) and Azar_Wolf (or anybody with "_wolf") by typing their name into IRC. Hope to see you soon!