V18.5 AI Hotfix 2 (test fix)

[Chris]

This is another attempt to fix up the AI in the game. It is not a full fix, but I think we've fixed the worst of the all-seeing aliens bug.

I've given it a brief check, but it's the weekend and I can't be bothered to run a full test (I'm working on the Xenopedia still). So if anyone fancies giving it a test, that'd be good. I'm hoping to release V18.51 tomorrow if all goes well.

Link is here:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26290309/AIHotfix2.rar

[Solver]

Any hints on what exactly this should change? Presumably the ability of aliens to fire at you from anywhere?

[Max_Caine]

Sorry Chris, but it's gone into Infinite Hidden Movement AI Loop Of Doom for me. I'll try it out some more, but I just had to quit out.

EDIT Yep, same save (new game), infinite loop. Here's the savegame if that helps.

Edited May 19, 2013 by Max_Caine

[Virosa]

Sorry Chris, but it's gone into Infinite Hidden Movement AI Loop Of Doom for me. I'll try it out some more, but I just had to quit out.

EDIT Yep, same save (new game), infinite loop. Here's the savegame if that helps.

Hey i can't load that save, the game just crash. Do you have mods and such? And could you describe what you mean by infinite loop?

[Max_Caine]

Nope, no mods, pure vanilla game. By Infinite Loop, I mean when the game goes into Hidden Movement, it stays there. This used to be problem with earlier builds when the AI would loop through its options continuously and never escape. I'll restart the game again and put up another savegame.

EDIT: Well, that's interesting. My ground combat savegames corrupt after a certain point, and I can no-longer reload the original savegame I had put up. I haven't been able to reproduce the bug I encountered yet, the only thing I have to report is that aliens still try to shoot through impenetrable walls.

Edited May 19, 2013 by Max_Caine

[Virosa]

I see. I had that before, i reported it and i was told to verify my file as it was "working fine for me", Matthew said.

Here is a healthy save, maybe you can see if you can load it, if you can't, then your install might be screwed up.

http://www.mediafire.com/?q0a84992lwr4bid

Anyhow here is my initial report:

-Alien not shooting at me at range over 9000: Check

-Alien shooting at me during their turn: Check

Edit:

I now did a few crashed UFO without problem, then i got a request to help on a undamaged UFO and game consistently hang on it on the second turn end.

Edit2:

I just noticed on day 14(lol); Research is now totally broken. When a research complete, nothing happen. No context menu appear and no new R&D is unlocked. No UFO analysis. No autopsy. Nothing.

I made a new game, fast forwarded to day 7 and same thing.

Edited May 19, 2013 by Virosa

[Sarcastro]

Edit2:

I just noticed on day 14(lol); Research is now totally broken. When a research complete, nothing happen. No context menu appear and no new R&D is unlocked. No UFO analysis. No autopsy. Nothing.

Got the same issue. Anytime a research topic completes it just disappears now. The initial Alien Invasion disappeared after a few days, I then ran a mission and got the new topics. Went to the research and the initial Alien invasion was back with the new topics. I researched 2 of these and they just disappear when completed.

But the alien AI in much better in the combat.

[Solver]

Yes, this build is broken. The AI works fine but there's something fishy with the research, I couldn't hire extra scientists, and the infinite AI loop seems to appear far more often. Seems essentially unplayable.

[Chris]

I'll give it a proper test tomorrow. It's more than possible that it's not compatible with the V18.5 assets any more, particularly with regards to the research.

[Virosa]

Yes, this build is broken. The AI works fine but there's something fishy with the research, I couldn't hire extra scientists, and the infinite AI loop seems to appear far more often. Seems essentially unplayable.

As long as the infinite AI loop won't translate to also being stuck in a endless loop where when they fix one game breaking bug, it get replaced by an other game breaking bug like it has been going since i joined this forum not long ago.

Edit: Even this forum is bugging! : http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/3321/fr4zwy4jgm2k2l7fg.jpg (look at the dates)

Edited May 20, 2013 by Virosa

[GR00V3R]

Hi all. New player; first post. Hi.

I've been playing Xenonauts to death since I discovered it yesterday. Great implementation -- surpasses the original, in my opinion (major ku dos) and shows great promise, current teething issues notwithstanding. I've been waiting 20 years for this game.

Significant differences between Hotfix 2 and the Desura build that I was playing yesterday. Much better escalation now; better variety of enemy craft earlier on and the resulting missions seem more varied.

I'll echo the above comment about Research, however; it's completely broken since the previous build, with projects disappearing (seemingly upon mission completion, but perhaps just disappearing instead of completing properly) without crediting you with their completion.

New AI is better, but of course needs further work.

Questions for the designers:

1. Will maps ultimately be pseudo-randomly generated by joining set-pieces (similarly to the way X-COM did it) or will the maps remain hand-crafted as now?

2. Do the aliens ever attack your base in the current build? Haven't seen this yet in my playtesting.

Can't wait for the next build, gents! Keep up the great work!

Cheers!

Mark (GR00V3R)

[Sathra]

1. Kind of. It'll be pseudo-random in that there'll always be say, a barn, in a particular spot in that map, but which barn will be random from several possible choices of barn (or something).

2. Yep they attack your bases. Rare though.

[Ol' Stinky]

Hi all. New player; first post. Hi.

...

Questions for the designers:

1. Will maps ultimately be pseudo-randomly generated by joining set-pieces (similarly to the way X-COM did it) or will the maps remain hand-crafted as now?

2. Do the aliens ever attack your base in the current build? Haven't seen this yet in my playtesting.

Can't wait for the next build, gents! Keep up the great work!

Cheers!

Mark (GR00V3R)

Welcome aboard!

I'm not a dev, but I have been playing around with the map and submap editor. So I can't give you the official word, but I can give you my take on it.

1) The current answer is "pseudo-randomly, but also hand-crafted". This will leave you scratching your head, so let me explain. Mappers can place submaps in the levels as things stand; you might have noticed some of the existing ones already, such as some of the houses in the middle-east maps. If the authour wants, he can tell the game to choose a design of submap randomly from a selection. Again, some of the houses in the middle-east maps have different interiors from game to game.

What does this mean? Well, most of my maps are fairly static in layout, since they're the result of me learning how to make maps/submaps and putting them online for everyone to enjoy/suffer. So those are hand-crafted, really. But one of my plans is to make a farm map with submaps that may or may not have anything on them, which might simulate OG X-COM farm maps to some extent, should you get that map.

2) I don't think they do, but there are ground battle-assets for the xeno base, so it's only a matter of time...

[Waladil]

Yes, the aliens do attack your base. I've been on the receiving end of it a few times. You can intercept and shoot down the ship coming to attack you, so it's quite possible to never actually have to fight a base defense. The battle is based on your bases design, so the tactical map is a representation of your geoscape base layout, which is cool. (I suppose its a bunch of submaps that people are discussing above.) Also, all troops and vehicles available will be present to defend the base, perhaps up to some cap I'm not aware of.

So I've had like 10 defending soldiers and two tanks holding off a small army of Sebilians.

...With all that said they were quite broken when I played them and some enemy spawn points were disconnected from the base: You could shoot or throw grenades across the empty space but not walk. Really made the battle easier, preventing like a third of their forces from attacking.

[GR00V3R]

1. Kind of. It'll be pseudo-random in that there'll always be say, a barn, in a particular spot in that map, but which barn will be random from several possible choices of barn (or something).

The current answer is "pseudo-randomly' date=' but also hand-crafted".[/quote']

I get it. Thanks, guys.

That's actually a very cool approach, especially once the community really comes online. More ku dos to Xenonaut's designers.

Yes, the aliens do attack your base. ... The battle is based on your bases design, so the tactical map is a representation of your geoscape base layout, which is cool.

This is exactly what I was hoping for -- this aspect of original X-COM was, in my opinion, the game at it's very best. Outstanding news that Xenonauts includes this feature. Seriously...you've made my day.

Now off to see if there's a base-attack percentage chance option in the config file that I can set way up!

[Waladil]

WELL, if you really wanted to experience base battles...

***Warning: This is highly untested. Following these instructions will mean you will almost certainly lose. It also has a strong chance of crashing stuff, so back up all files.***

Step 1: Open the AM_BaseAttack.xml file in assets and find the line with the word "Ticker" in it. The next line down should have the number 600. Set that to 0.

Step 2: A couple lines later on, a line should be labeled "Chance." Set the value in the line after it from 15 to 100.

Step 3: Same as above but change the value after "OncePerWave" from true to false.

Step 4: Play the game. Should be attacked soon and die.

I may have missed a step, because this should make it so that the base attacks can be generated at any time but there might not be any enemy ships that could launch a base attack. Give it a shot if you want, I'm too busy right now to sink a couple hours testing.

[GR00V3R]

Thanks, Waladil. It didn't work, unfortunately (I started a new game and ran through 'til mid-January 1980, but no one came to my party). I was playing on Basic, though. Maybe it only happens on Veteran?

At any rate, appreciate your help.

[Waladil]

Difficulty modes are actually all the same right now, so you can play on Insane and feel like a badass

The reason it didn't work probably is that there weren't any ships that can do base attacks... I couldn't figure out how to make certain ships appear sooner, like Carriers. So the game would generate a base attack but couldn't find a ship to actually do the attack.

[Max_Caine]

As far as I remember, (I'm away fom my home computer atm) the baseattack.xml (in fact, every ufo mission .xml) file also lists when each new type of UFO will be present to do the type of mission. You have to set the ticker number of the particular ufo you want to appear to zero as well if you want that to appear right from the start. There should be two lists. The first lists the main UFO type, and when on the ticker it will appear, the second lists the escort UFO type.

Bear in mind there are hidden triggers for certain mission types. For example, the airsuperiority mission type will not commence until a ufo has been shot down.

[Sathra]

They also need to find your base to attack it. The few times I've gotten base attacks they came a couple waves after a huge spawn of alien ships in the region, and some of which flew very close to my base (I think).