- Joined
- Dec 16, 2013
- Messages
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I've been playing around for a bit with trying to build AI craft that can destroy fighter class vessels such as the Isanth. So far my testing has not gone well... I'm using the default settings for the server settings aside from a larger build area and larger sector size with weapons set to not scale with sector size.
My testing environment:
- Spawn 2 craft 5km apart (to start outside of weapons range)
- Opposing factions are non pirate to avoid them trying to kill neutrals.
- Sector is set to noexit/noentry
- Battle is setup where both factions start as ally I spawn both sides, then set them to enemy. This tries to make things as even as possible (nothing should be loading)
- Ships are spawned using the /spawn_entity_pos command
- Ships are spawned along the x axis so that they both need to turn the same amount to face eath other (make things fair).
My general testing has seen the following behavior from the AI:
- AI craft seem to engage at around 2.5km away.
- Once entering the 2.5km range AI strafes to the side
- AI craft fire their weapons as soon as they see an enemy, making use of slow recharge weapons less useful.
- AI cannot aim beam weapons against a target that is strafing (it always leads the target)
- Cannon type weapons rarely hit targets at the range of 2.5km, unless the ai accuracy is set much higher than what's the default in the server config.
- Missiles seem unable to hit craft below a certain size (they generally miss/gt dodged by the ai)
This combination makes it very difficult to destroy fighter craft with the default server settings with what I have tried:
- Engaging Isanths with standard beam weaponry(Beam/cannon or Beam/none) works great until the AI begins to strafe.
- Engaging Isanths with arc beams gets the craft killed as it enters a range where the crafts can hit each other, but since the AI fired the arc beam well outside of range (at a seemingly random point in space), the craft is at a significant disadvantage as it's needs to wait for it's weapon to recharge while it's taking point blank hits from the enemy craft's weapons.
- Engaging with rapidfire cannons (cannon/cannon) does work though it's takean inordinate amount of time the shots mostly miss.
- Attempting a combination of an arc beam, and rapidfire beam seems to not even try. It looks menacingly at the enemy fighters but doesn't try to fire (not certain why this doesn't work).
So at present, I see the only way to destroy Isanths or other fighter like craft using the AI is to use one of the following strategies:
- Destroy the craft at range with beams before they enter their 2.5km strafing zone. (overwhelming force)
- Destroy the craft with rapidfire cannons. Either with overwhelming force (this needs to be pretty overwhelming too to at any reasonable amount of time) or use rapidfire cannons and wait a very long time.
- Ignore the enemy fighers and use shield regen to make my ships immune to their weapons.
None of these options seem like good ones... I've seen other threads complain about the being unable to destroy Isanths, and I've seen various advice on the matter, but from what I can tell none of it works well. I haven't seen any OMG the sky is falling posts about this, so I must conclude that either no one is playing StarMade at this time, or I'm missing something (I hope it's the ladder). What am I doing wrong here?
My testing environment:
- Spawn 2 craft 5km apart (to start outside of weapons range)
- Opposing factions are non pirate to avoid them trying to kill neutrals.
- Sector is set to noexit/noentry
- Battle is setup where both factions start as ally I spawn both sides, then set them to enemy. This tries to make things as even as possible (nothing should be loading)
- Ships are spawned using the /spawn_entity_pos command
- Ships are spawned along the x axis so that they both need to turn the same amount to face eath other (make things fair).
My general testing has seen the following behavior from the AI:
- AI craft seem to engage at around 2.5km away.
- Once entering the 2.5km range AI strafes to the side
- AI craft fire their weapons as soon as they see an enemy, making use of slow recharge weapons less useful.
- AI cannot aim beam weapons against a target that is strafing (it always leads the target)
- Cannon type weapons rarely hit targets at the range of 2.5km, unless the ai accuracy is set much higher than what's the default in the server config.
- Missiles seem unable to hit craft below a certain size (they generally miss/gt dodged by the ai)
This combination makes it very difficult to destroy fighter craft with the default server settings with what I have tried:
- Engaging Isanths with standard beam weaponry(Beam/cannon or Beam/none) works great until the AI begins to strafe.
- Engaging Isanths with arc beams gets the craft killed as it enters a range where the crafts can hit each other, but since the AI fired the arc beam well outside of range (at a seemingly random point in space), the craft is at a significant disadvantage as it's needs to wait for it's weapon to recharge while it's taking point blank hits from the enemy craft's weapons.
- Engaging with rapidfire cannons (cannon/cannon) does work though it's takean inordinate amount of time the shots mostly miss.
- Attempting a combination of an arc beam, and rapidfire beam seems to not even try. It looks menacingly at the enemy fighters but doesn't try to fire (not certain why this doesn't work).
So at present, I see the only way to destroy Isanths or other fighter like craft using the AI is to use one of the following strategies:
- Destroy the craft at range with beams before they enter their 2.5km strafing zone. (overwhelming force)
- Destroy the craft with rapidfire cannons. Either with overwhelming force (this needs to be pretty overwhelming too to at any reasonable amount of time) or use rapidfire cannons and wait a very long time.
- Ignore the enemy fighers and use shield regen to make my ships immune to their weapons.
None of these options seem like good ones... I've seen other threads complain about the being unable to destroy Isanths, and I've seen various advice on the matter, but from what I can tell none of it works well. I haven't seen any OMG the sky is falling posts about this, so I must conclude that either no one is playing StarMade at this time, or I'm missing something (I hope it's the ladder). What am I doing wrong here?
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