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So, first of I know this has came up, found some stuff on it, not a lot.

I played Xenophobia with an old version some time ago, the Ai used crouching and cover there, and used to actually shoot at me. Unfortunately that setup bugged out for me.

I tried a new version with MXC, it's pretty good, I have been at it for a while, my only concern is that the ai seems to be way stupider now. I have no idea if this was a change in the core game, in xce, or a miracle on Xenophobias part.

I have recently tried reading up on the ai, and the possible settings for it, but no matter what I try, the principle remains the same, the only thing the ai is actually trying to do, is to stay out of my line of site, and rely on reaction shooting only, if I position my guys properly. (they only come out if I leave someone on the open for them to shoot at) Crouching is only used if they get suppressed.

I saw some attempts at fixing this, but could not replicate them myself. Some post kept referring to TacticalDragon as the one who mastered the ai, unfortunately he did not write much about it. (I tried Hellgate briefly, but it also kind of bugged out for me, might give it a second try later with a new install)

I'd appreciate any help on this. Would it be possible to change the ai for my current play-through, or there is actually no way to make it behave like it did in the good old days..

I played around with the MinimumAccuracy, Cover, and EnemyLoS settings among other things, but nothing conclusive came of it. I suppose for these to matter I might have to alter weapon, and character stats as well? Or just stop using crouch to balance the game out.. I really miss classic firefights with cover and buildings being shot to pieces.

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There is many things about AI behavior. AI tries to find the best solution after its movement finished. So if AI thinks that it can't kill you and be safe after that, it just escape and be passive.

They were many different attempts to create the best AI here at modding community. But what is the best? For example i really pissed because of running aliens rather then shoot me. AI should be a bit suicidal because if it plays like me the game became boring. As i know that AI calculates everything and try to survive and be sure at its steps rather then trying to kill me, i try to make the AI much aggresive.

One of the biggest problem is hardcoded even its look like soft "MinimumAccuracy". The hit percentage when the AI will fire. For example you got a %10 chance to hit a far alien and you don't have better option. You can just try your luck. But AI does not do that. If ai thinks it would not hit you, it goes to hide or calculate a path to reach you from shadows. But mostly AI can't find a good spot and awaits you at his corner..

I worked on AI months ago and it was a real pain. Mostly the melee aliens at my mod was not charging to me because even i tried to give them a "blind runner" idea, they just never think they will be safe after go to melee range..

I go harsh on numbers which makes them feel secure. I even don't know how the AI file works because there is at least 3-4 places overwriting each other.. so you make a global AI then you edit it with Race AI then even you can go for per alien AI.. so i try to make them fearless.

As result i created a rushing AI which finds your soldiers and help each other as soon as possible. They are hiding still but they always try to fire at least and they wait each other to regroup. If they regroup then they ambush you from every dark corner..They look like much more aggressive but not stupid same time. This gives you the tension this game needs.. You can check my mods AI file for numbers.

So with the AI numbers, you need good enemy stats too. Good acc and more TU will make them more active. AI should have enough TU to make manuever and good hit chance to attack. A 80 TU alien will be much better then a 50 TU one. You can buff alien weapon acc too.

This game's AI is one of the best i saw at my life, but modding it is a challenge, because nearly everything is in the calculation. AI thinks like you, mostly more then you. The AI purpose is to kill/harm you and at the end of turn being out of your LOS and safe place. Give ai some more stats and lower its safity stats. Don't worry, even you give crazy numbers, AI still knows how to save itself.

At my mod tests, at a base defence, i got 7 soldier waiting for the enemy.. some of the ranged aliens fired and run.. after 4 turn 4 melee alien attacked same time and they crushed my 7 man watch point with so bloody violent... i put my soldiers into the command room and waited them to go in and i could clean them with reactions and normal fires.. it was final defence line after about 8 xenonauts and a tank died.. At first turns, some aliens fired and run away as same old trick and i even killed some at that progress. There was only one entrance and 3 of my men were snipers.. how can they go in anyway... 4 melee 3 ranged alien rushed in at a single turn.. i could not watch what happened after that.. game lost..

Edited by drages
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Yes that's probably the only way then, to give them better stats and let them do their thing, I just really wish there was some way to force them to forget about this running away thing. Or at least some of them, snipers for instance.

I'am now actually wondering if they really did behave differently in the old version, but I think they did, before this sneaky-ai thing came in, in some post they said there was a version witch had this as an option in the settings.

I actually created an aiprop that was striped down to have a single sheet defining all ai behaviour, it's possible to play around with that, but I see no fundamental difference in behaviour, maybe I'll give it another try with altered stats for base units.

Would you happen to know what changes go through at combat load, and what requires a new game, or new combat initiation? (thinking here basic stats like Tu and accuracy)

At some point I did get Cesians to run at me shooting, so that's not impossible, unfortunately not really what I was looking for :D Still no crouching and cover..

Btw I'm really looking forward to the new X-Division, just want to wait till beta or so. :D

Which values do you use to make them feel more secure?

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<Pathing

Sight="-2"

Sound="-5"

Cover="-3"

Ambush="-20"

Trepidation="10"

ShotPotential="-18"

EnemyInfluence="-10"

AlliedInfluence="-1"

EnemyLOS="15"

ProbabilisticSearch="-5"

NearestEnemy="-3"

Goal="-30"/>

<PathingMechanics

CautiousDistance = "5"/>

This is my aggresive code. You can try this kind of thing. But i could not let them stay at UFO.. they go out even leaving command rooms. I would like to have a simple code to make them stay inside..

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Let me give this thread a bump:

1. Xenophobia AI = XNT 5.3 Firebat AI = XNT Hellgate 6.0 AI = X-Division 0.98 AI.

Here you can see how differently the AI behaves with the EXACT same AI file. Not a single behaviour number is different.

So for your initial request: Every AI is unique to the game its put on and replicating ANYTHING like it was is more difficult than coding an entire Xenonauts 2 alone.

First comes the game and then you try to put the AI file on the game in a way it fits best.

2. How to properly test mods and changes to the game you made

3. I think the Alpha 2 is the thing you are waiting for

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