Need assistance Getting a multi-cannon Bi-Axis Turret to work properly

[Aiyoki]

-I have the turret base attached to a vertical turret axis on the side of the ship facing towards the front of the ship.

-I have the 4 separate turret cannons each attached to individual horizontal turret axis facing the front of the turret base.

The issue I'm having is that the cannons work (moving individually as intended and will shoot down enemies that get into their field of fire) but the turret base does not rotate as it should to give the cannons the full 360 degree angle of fire, it just sits there.

I have Docking enhancers on both the ship and the turret base (the system doesn't complain about not enough enhancers) so that doesn't appear to be the issue...

Both rotations work just fine when piloting each part myself. Is it just the AI that seems to be confused somehow?

The turret in question:

Cannon extended outward

 

[Sgtwisky]

As far as I know, you cannot have multiple Bobby AI's controlling the same base. It ether doesn't move (bobbys trying to go in opposite directions cause zero movement) OR it moves in a very random and glitchy manner.

The bobby's do not "Target" together. They each pick a target that is possible to hit, and attempt to move to that target. If their movement contradicts each other the base will stay in one spot. Then they will only shoot what they are able too. Which as you have noted is what is right in front of them.

That's how it works to my knowledge at least.

 

[StarWars1981]

Add an additional axis: you're going to need to have an intermediate Bobby AI axis that does not necessarily do anything beyond command the base beneath it.
Or you're going to need to make it a 4-barrel monstrosity firing at just one target ... sorry.

 

[StormWing0]

Currently either all the barrels have to be the same entity or docked in such a way they don't fight over who controls the base of the turret. It'd be nice if the devs got around to fixing that issue so the different AI would cooperate. XD

 

[Keptick]

Currently either all the barrels have to be the same entity or docked in such a way they don't fight over who controls the base of the turret. It'd be nice if the devs got around to fixing that issue so the different AI would cooperate. XD

There isn't much of a point to having all the barrels controlled separately. Since they all share the same base they'll only be able to fire at the same target anyways, unless two or more targets happen to be perfectly aligned vertically with the turret (which never happens). IRL I think that the barrels on ship turrets could elevate independently to compensate for shell drop, but that's not a problem in space.

 

[Aiyoki]

Alright that is unfortunate that the Cannon barrel AI fights with itself like that, but it makes sense now why I'm having an issue.

On a work break right now but later I will test out the turret with just one cannon attached to see if that solves the problem of a base that doesn't rotate.

One additional question though: do the base and the weapon of the turret both need AI modules or does it work with just the weapon portion?

 

[Sgtwisky]

AI on weapons. The base will move with the guns. I'm not sure if adding AI to the base would cause issues, but even if it didn't its a waste of resources to add a block that doesn't serve a purpose.

 

[Lukwan]

One Bobby AI in the barrel is all that is needed. I have also had success with an extra entity between the base and barrel for flexibility.

 

[Aiyoki]

Alright so...

I set one AI in a single barrel attached to the base but this did not solve the problem...

I did notice that while piloting the cannon manually I was only able to rotate on the one axis... so basically, for some reason I'm not able to rotate the base while controlling the cannon...

I'm not sure how to fix this issue.

 

[Calhoun]

You're sure you aren't IN the base? Or the base is colliding with something?

 

[Aiyoki]

I'm sure. The base moves in a full 360 degree circle when I'm in it but for some reason when I'm in the cannon that is attached to the base I cannot make it rotate on the base's axis.

 

[Sgtwisky]

Is the "Front" and "Top" of the base, the same as it is for the cannon? if the cores are not facing the same direction then it can screw things up. I remember someone had a core on their guns that had a separate up/down from the base and it failed.

basically if you rotated one of the cores, so that it is not oriented the same way as the other, it wont work.

 

[Aiyoki]

That could actually be the issue...

So pretty much the top and front of the base core needs to align with the top and front of the cannon core. Which is actually a bit tricky to accomplish if you don't place the docking rails and turret axis blocks at just the correct facing. @_@

 

[StormWing0]

For multi-barrel turrets my common method is to have one base, one primary barrel, than dock the secondary barrels to the primary unless I'm doing something crazy.

 

[Aiyoki]

The turret works correctly now. it works with multiple AI in the cannons but gets confused so the turret basically wigs out trying to acquire multiple targets so what I think I'll do is just change it so the four cannons are a single entity attached to the base. This should solve the glitchy movement.

Thanks for the assist! It was greatly helpful.

ps. this is my first ever attempt at making a turret in starmade!

 

[Sgtwisky]

Glad its working now. Now you have hit almost every issue I've seen people run into so your good to go from here on out LOL.

 

[Aiyoki]

It's working splendidly! :D

Combined the 4 cannons into a single entity and adjusted the base a bit for consistency and the results are perfect!

Updated my ship's development page with the new turret info Kadean Royal Fleet (Original Ship Designs)

 

[AtraUnam]

For multi-barrel turrets my common method is to have one base, one primary barrel, than dock the secondary barrels to the primary unless I'm doing something crazy.

I think that stopped working recently, regular rail docked barrels got their field of fire greatly reduced compared to turrets so now they don't fire most of the time.

 

[Lord_Greyscale]

Huh, I'd been using basic-rail docked turrets for a while now, was wondering why they'd been having so much trouble.

(they do seem to work better on "selected target" than they do on anything else, probably because the thing I want them shooting is directly in front of them. and so they don't "target" something behind them)