AI pathfinding needs improvement

[Wolverines527]

This is just a thing i noticed when using carrier recall the first thing the ai does is plot streight to the pickup point and i mean this literally that includes raming the ship rather flying around it purhaps we can come up with solutions here

 

[sayerulz]

Yes, we know that.

 

[jayman38]

One solution: add random redirected destinations in interim space. If a ray straight to the target cannot reach the target due to an interfering object (a ship or door in the way), then randomly pick a direction perpendicular to the midpoint of the ray, going about 25% of the distance between the agent and the target. If that is blocked, repeat from the midpoint of the random ray. This way, an AI agent (fleet ship) will continue trying to find a path that may or may not get to the target. This could be used on all sorts of things, such as NPC astronauts in space stations.

What other algorithms might work, other than simply having a large, complicated phantom-rail system?

 

[ohartenstein23]

Schine has stated they're looking into methods to calculate a convex hull shape for reactor design, I think this could be used to improve pathfinding for carrier recall. That is, a straight ray could be drawn from the ship to the pickup point, and if it intersects this convex hull calculated for the ship, the path is re-routed around the perimeter of the shape until it either reaches the pickup point or an unobstructed path close enough to the pickup point to stop pathing around the perimeter.

 

[sayerulz]

Honestly though, how many games where the AI is ever asked to pathfind around any sort of obstacles where the AI doesn't get stuck on random crap all the time?

 

[StormWing0]

hmm maybe have ships looking for docking area orbit until the docking point is both active and in sight from its current position? Could do this for AI fleets near stations so they can dock and not try to ram through the things. >.>