Pathfinding and interception of vessels

from Sins Forums

Hi there.

I think, the AI-pathfinding needs an improvement, for interplanetary flights as well as intercepting other ships inside gravity wells (e.g. scouts).

First one: When moving a ship, or fleet, from a planets orbit to another planet with a third gravity well on its way, connected in a triangular form, it's not always using the optimal route.

In case I wrote crap and you don't understand, what I mean, here are two screenshots:
This one shows the route, when you are a little bit off the middle to the wrong side:
Current Route

And here you can see the path, when already being on the right side:
Optimal path

As you can see, my little colonyship has to take a longer trip through the suns gravity well, when not already on the right side. In the other case, it just has to turn itself a few degrees around and take the next jump to its destination. The way through the suns gravity well will definitely take much longer than the slight longer way from the planet to the "right side jump point" than to the "wrong side jump point".

The second issue is the interception path: When an enemy ship jumps to an owned gravity well, your bombers and fighters are about to intercept the vessel. But when they are in range of sight, they notice, that the vessel has moved and they need to chase it. Next not another screenshot, but a work of myself with the help of gimp :D

Interception

So I'm thinking of a more intelligent interception of hostile vessels, a better movement prediction.

2,330 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

The phase jump move orders really do need some fixing. the second thing however, I'm not sure if it can be improved any further.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

My issue has been around since day one... my ships always choose the shortest planet jump path, even disregarding Pirate bases or faction homeworlds. What's worse, they pick these paths even if another same amount of jumps path is available, if the path to it is even a tiny bit shorter. I shouldn't have to shift-click to baby sit their movements. =P

 

But I agree with your first issue entirely, it's a small thing, but then again, it's time wasted that could mean the difference between a planet being saved or lost.

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Silfarion, reply 2
My issue has been around since day one... my ships always choose the shortest planet jump path, even disregarding Pirate bases or faction homeworlds. What's worse, they pick these paths even if another same amount of jumps path is available, if the path to it is even a tiny bit shorter. I shouldn't have to shift-click to baby sit their movements. =P

 

But I agree with your first issue entirely, it's a small thing, but then again, it's time wasted that could mean the difference between a planet being saved or lost.
End of Silfarion's quote

Being able to flag certain grav wells as "AVOID" for pathfinding purposes would probably help out with this, though I'm not sure if it can be done in the engine.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Silfarion, reply 2
My issue has been around since day one... my ships always choose the shortest planet jump path, even disregarding Pirate bases or faction homeworlds. What's worse, they pick these paths even if another same amount of jumps path is available, if the path to it is even a tiny bit shorter. (...)
End of Silfarion's quote

Quoting Mr., reply 3
Being able to flag certain grav wells as "AVOID" for pathfinding purposes would probably help out with this, though I'm not sure if it can be done in the engine.
End of Mr.'s quote

@Silfarion: I agree, I also had moments where I was thinking "y u no jump AROUND Pirate base?!".

@Mr. Haze: Well, I'm not a programmer, but I think, this just would be a variable among others, so it could be implemented quite easy. Perhaps they could even weight threats (higher is badder), like Pirates are threat level 10, enemy planets threat level 7, unknown 4 and visited (e.g. visited by scouts, so you know what neutral ships are there) between 0 (cleared) to 7 (several kodiaks, star base, titan (e.g. the artifact Planet), etc) and every extra jump to get around these are level 0,5 or 1, so they rather jump through a hostile gravity well than through the pirate base, if there is no way through owned or neutral gravity wells or it would take just too long.

Perhaps in combination with an extra button in the tactics management menu for each ship/for a fleet, where you can choose, if the ship/fleet will always jump the safest route, the shortest one or something in between. Plus a key combination to temporarily select the shortest route, like Ctrl.+Mousclick.