Developer Diary, Part 36

[BlackSix]

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36

 

 

Greetings Friends!

 

I've been told that you liked my previous story about the history and the principles of the FM in our game and that you'd like to know more about other aspects of the product. Well, it's hard for me, the Project Manager, to tell interesting stories about our work because it's very “technical”. It's full of complex definitions and dry topics, but I will try. Since the previous story of mine was about the planes' FM then this time it makes sense to talk about AI of the pilot flying these planes.

 

For starters, let's clear out several important definitions. Generally, it is pretty hard to find differences between AI systems in modern flight-sims because all effective and appropriate methods are widely known and used by the developers. AI pilots like every other AI controlling a vehicle is known as a state machine. This means that the entirety of tasks entrusted to the AI is split into numerous basic regimes (states) in which the AI behavior can be described with its own quite simple algorithm containing a minimum of conventions. For a WWII pilot we're speaking of 20-30 variations of such states including: taxiing, take-off, taking the point, following the leader, finding and designating targets, engaging an aerial target, aerial combat, and so on.

There are particular conditions for every state that determine its activation or deactivation.

Each state contains an algorithm for all plane controls, systems and weapons in each possible situation. For instance, the "engaging a ground target" has 5 basic decision levels:

 

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ZAK: As you remember we promised a unique skin for Bf.109 F-4 to everyone who preordered IL2BOS before October 1st. And now we suggest you to make your choice and decide what it will look like. For details please visit the special thread called Unique skin for Bf.109F-4 - suggestions

 

Note that the Poll started to find out founders' opinion about the exclusiveness of the R7 mod for Bf.109F-4 is still open (open this topic)

 

And for the dessert - wallpapers with LaGG-3 wearing the winning the skin which won the previous poll (16:9 and 4:3)

 

 

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[adonys]

well, no word on when the early autumn participation starts.. 

[6./ZG26_Emil]

Very interesting thanks

[Mastermariner]

Your teaching the AI way to much! Now you must provide a  Ju 52 career for elders like me.

[Allons]

well, no word on when the early autumn participation starts.. 

 

C´mon Adonys, No. 36 was just a too crooked number for that kind of important announcement, 40 maybe or 50.. :biggrin:  (Thus said ZG26-Forumloiter)

[Shea]

well, no word on when the early autumn participation starts.. 

+1

[No601_Swallow]

Your teaching the AI way to much! Now you must provide a  Ju 52 career for elders like me.

 

Ditto!   Anyway, thank you so much for the insight. Fashinating!

[Matt]

Thanks for the update. If the AI actually behaves as smart as it sounds like, singleplayer might actually become an interesting experience. I'm definately looking forward to fighting the AI now.

[Bearcat]

Excellent update as always.. So looking forward to getting my hands on this..

[EAF_Paf]

Great update Han!

Also can't wait for early access here  :D

[SR-F_Winger]

I was also hoping for simething more dedicated to early access.. But well, its still almost 3 weeks until the end of october - right:)

[Finkeren]

Wow, this is something of an update! Seems very interesting, and I look forward to reading it in depth, which I don't have time for right now.

 

I'm glad to see, that you're being so up front about the AI. That's usually the aspect of the game where people "guess" the most based on their personal experiences, when discussing the topic.

[Ice]

Indeed a great update.

But is it me or are the links not working?

 

(edit) They work now.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Ice

[Shea]

I was also hoping for simething more dedicated to early access.. But well, its still almost 3 weeks until the end of october - right:)

Me also

Ah i did pre-order until the 7th of october

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 Nice to read about the "innards" of the game. Puts things in perspective regarding what devs face when making a new sim. Have a great weekend all!

[Nurminen]

S!

 

 Nice to read about the "innards" of the game. Puts things in perspective regarding what devs face when making a new sim. Have a great weekend all!

+ 1

[4S_Nero]

THX

[ST_ami7b5]

Very interesting reading.

[Sturm_]

Very interesting really. Now would some of the new AI features be ported to RoF? It would give new life to the Single Player in that Sim.

[Mac_Messer]

YES, technical stuff for me. I crazy technical guy and ace. Good update.

[Odgie]

I'm going to be shot a lot aren't I?

 

Bring it on

 

[J2_Trupobaw]

Good reading and very good to know about things AI will be capable of   . 

Will the new maneuvers be possible to retrofit for Rise of Flight AI? Not asking if there are realistic plans to do it  , just if they are compatibile enough to consider that.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Trupobaw

[Avimimus]

Another fantastic post and a stunning development effort!

 

I found a potential gap in the routines though

 

One of the findings when a WWII ace was observed playing Il-2 was that he preferred very gentle turns in the combat area (prior to an attack). The idea was to maintain maximum energy until it was needed. Gentle energy maximising turns were used prior to the emergency/combat turn.

 

This could also be of great use in RoF. The only way to be competitive in the Pfalz D.XII is to alternate between steep combat turns and periods of horizontal acceleration. It is one of the fasted accelerating biplanes in the game, but also one of the fastest to bleed speed. Hence the AI always dies.

 

It would also be nice to hear if progress has been made on ground collision detection. This can be a bit of a problem for the AI during low altitude flights in RoF.

[mazex]

That's one of the best updates I've read. I have always thought about what a nightmare programming the AI for a flight sim must be - and this is a good confirmation of that! Sounds like a great implementation!

[kestrel79]

Wow that is some complex AI. It should be called SKYNET.

[caryatid23]

Hello!  I, too, am very interested if some of the AI improvements here will make it back to ROF.  I am a new player there, and I find the AI behavior to fit your description of its decision state well. By that I mean, the AI decisions that happen at `choose to engage or not` distance are excellent and varied. Yet, I find the AI behavior to be *very* predictable once engaged. Your description of the BOS AI was much more focused on nearly engaged to fully engaged maneuvers. I think that is where ROF is lacking and so would very much like to echo those posts above me and hope that some of these behaviors make it into ROF -- with history still taken into account, of course.

 

Thank you so much for this detailed update -- sounds like the AI in BOS is going to be groundbreaking.

[Gunsmith86]

Very good update thanks!!!

 

And i also hope that some parts of the new BoS AI make it into RoF too.

[Kaenzdhi]

Thanks for doing this high level AI, I am sure the single player campaigns will be breathtaking.

Aaarrgh... the wait is more and more harder

[SYN_Vander]

Great update, looking forward to the new AI!

 

I wonder, will there also be a random element involved in decision making? Let's say AI pilot A prefers turns, while AI pilot B prefers spiral climb turn....but not all of the time.

 

The thing I hate most in RoF is that some planes seem to have only 1 response: spiral turn downwards and this makes every dogfight very predictable.

The most important characteristic of good AI is not that it's very smart, but very unpredictable!

[senseispcc]

Thankq, not only for this relly interresting article but also for the regularity of your news (every fryday without any exceptions, bravo!) the contents and forgive us for our lack of patience but this game seems more and more a GREAT game. Once again thanks.

[Marcomies]

Sounds pretty good but can the AI use tactics (like combat spread and defensive split) with other AI planes or with player? Can I order my AI wingman to do Thatch Weave with me for example?

 

Also, can the AI keep it's energy and actively fight for altitude advantage (which virtually requires some teamwork)?

[TheBlackPenguin]

Nice update, great details on the AI. Looking forward to seeing them in action, it should be possible to distinguish between a novice pilot and an ace just by the way they fly. I think we were all hoping for more information on when the early access will begin, but I don't think this needs to be linked to any dev diary and can be announced any time.

[StG2_Manfred]

That's one of the best updates I've read. I have always thought about what a nightmare programming the AI for a flight sim must be - and this is a good confirmation of that! Sounds like a great implementation!

+1 Same for me, very interesting! Thanks Han, for this professional presentation!

[Ohotnik]

I really hope the pre-order will go on until 15th! That's payday and with the two latest developer diaries you have convinced me to buy it if not too late! I swore not to buy a sim before it's released but with the couple of small goodies that will come along, I think I really want to! It looks very promising and honestly, the live streams weren't all that convincing and I didn't even watch the latest but your attention to detail in your diary entries are another deal!

Thanks!

[Tone71]

S!

 

 Nice to read about the "innards" of the game. Puts things in perspective regarding what devs face when making a new sim. Have a great weekend all!

+1. Great update, very interesting read.

[Livai]

A Great update and a very interesting read, too

 

                      However 

                          why

                           no

                    Igromir 2013

                       Videos

 

[Taxman]

Thanks for the update, very good read.  Looking forward to testing this sim

[Klaue]

S! THX for the update.

[CSL_Ondras]

This is torture for me. More than year ago, I have stopped with flying (il2 1946) after decade and sold my PC just to restart my life.... Now I am, and I feel like, the smoker, who quit 14 days ago, standing in front of the crossroads newsstand.

 

O.

[LordNeuro*Srb*]

Yes i hope so to see same improvments from bos Ai going to rof and i agree with SYN_Vander the best thing fighting the human pilots is unforeseen , unusual  and unpredictobal actions or reactions. So making more varaity for ai could be a way to go for theat.