Difficulty of the AI questions.

[topeira 10]

Hey.

i was wondering a few things about the AI.

the difficulty curves i can set in the "edit" button - what is the difference between a tough (1.0) AI and an easy (0.1) AI? is it their accuracy only or also how well the recognize threats, how fast they react and such? i know it's hard to tell but maybe someone knows...

also, when i set a difficulty level i can edit the AI's skill.

when i create a mission i can set the specific unit's skill as well.

so what's what?

if i set an enemy unit's skill in the editor to 1.0 but in the difficulty options i set the enemy AI to 0.5, what's the difficulty of the enemy unit i placed in the editor?

[ebud 18]

bump... I'd like this explained as well.

[jakerod 254]

I would like to know as well. My initial thoughts are that it averages it between the two but I am not sure.

[fabrizio_t 58]

Hey.

i was wondering a few things about the AI.

the difficulty curves i can set in the "edit" button - what is the difference between a tough (1.0) AI and an easy (0.1) AI? is it their accuracy only or also how well the recognize threats, how fast they react and such? i know it's hard to tell but maybe someone knows...

also, when i set a difficulty level i can edit the AI's skill.

when i create a mission i can set the specific unit's skill as well.

so what's what?

if i set an enemy unit's skill in the editor to 1.0 but in the difficulty options i set the enemy AI to 0.5, what's the difficulty of the enemy unit i placed in the editor?

To my knowledge, i may be wrong:

The "general" skill value you set in editor controls control several AI parameters:

aimingAccuracy

aimingShake

aimingSpeed

endurance

spotDistance

spotTime

courage

reloadSpeed

commanding

So changing the "general" skill for a unit, you are de facto changing all these parameters. The way these parameters change in relation with the "general" skill value is specified into the "CfgAiSkill" class contained into the "config.bin" of "bin.pbo". You can override any single skill parameter value at runtime by calling a "setskill" function with it as a argument from within editor or mission script (Eg. this setskill["AimingAccuracy", 0.5];).

The skill value set into your armaProfile (same as difficulty options) act as a "master" multiplier for the skill you set for any units in editor or script.

Edited June 20, 2009 by fabrizio_T

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Have anyone tried these in detail yet and seen how it affects the AI?

[topeira 10]

fabrizio, thanks.

BUT i didnt get the difference between the skill of the specific AIs in the editor and how these change when i use "custom" AI skill in the "edit" function of the difficulty settings.

1) if i set a unit in the editor to be skilled at 0.8 but in my difficulty settings i set it to "normal" -> edit -> custom enemy AI skill - 0.5. than what happens to the editor AI which was initaially 0.8? has it changed? was it lowered?

2) if i set the diff setting to low (say 0.2) does that mean that all the AIs in the campaign will be set to 0.2?

im not sure i understand these changes...

3) also what is the difference between amingshake and aimingaccuracy?

4) how does the AI behavior change when changing their RANK? if an AI is a private does he function differently than how he would if he was a colonel or is it just a matter of command priorities when one of them dies?

Edited June 22, 2009 by topeira

[fabrizio_t 58]

fabrizio, thanks.

BUT i didnt get the difference between the skill of the specific AIs in the editor and how these change when i use "custom" AI skill in the "edit" function of the difficulty settings.

1) if i set a unit in the editor to be skilled at 0.8 but in my difficulty settings i set it to "normal" -> edit -> custom enemy AI skill - 0.5. than what happens to the editor AI which was initaially 0.8? has it changed? was it lowered?

2) if i set the diff setting to low (say 0.2) does that mean that all the AIs in the campaign will be set to 0.2?

im not sure i understand these changes...

3) also what is the difference between amingshake and aimingaccuracy?

4) how does the AI behavior change when changing their RANK? if an AI is a private does he function differently than how he would if he was a colonel or is it just a matter of command priorities when one of them dies?

To my knowledge, i may be wrong:

1) Editor skill setting and skill setting in difficulty options are different parameters:

Changing unit skill in editor you tweak skill on a UNIT basis (you affect 1 unit at a time).

Changing SKILL in difficulty settings you override and tweak skills on a GLOBAL basis (you affect all units as a whole).

Real skill = EDITOR skill x DIFFICULTY SETTINGS skill.

In your example the "real" SKILL would be 0.5 x 0.8 = 0.4

2) Yes, but only provided the units skill in campaign was 1 - not quite so, but i think you get the picture ;).

3) "aimingAccuracy" defines the precision of the shots taken by AI, The bigger the better.

"amingShake" defines how steady is aiming. Some people think that lowering "amingShake" will affect the overall accuracy of AI.

I don't think so, the effect of lowering "amingShake" is the AI will take LESS shots, since the setting basically increases the time needed to take aim.

4) I don't think rank is affecting units skill.

Edited June 22, 2009 by fabrizio_T

[topeira 10]

so fabrizio, u r saying that if in the dificulty of the game i set the AI to 1.0 than it will be exactly what i set in the editor whlie setting it to 0.5 will make it 50% of what i set in the editor, right?

cuz that was my assumption too.

and that's for the explanations. it helped :)

3) which bring the obvious question what is the difference , than, betwean aimingShake and AimingSpeed

5) i wish the AI could use cover more often. it seems like they are more prone to lean behind cover or hide behind trees when they are advancing and not engaging :\

they also barely using the slow movement (moving when the gun is raised) and side stepping (movig when the gun is raised). a pitty since this is what human players mostly do.

[topeira 10]

another lil bump here.

[KeyCat 131]

Have anyone had time to set up a "controlled test" using the setSkill array command yet?

Interested to hear your findings...

/KC