[MOD] Miscellaneous IZ Combat Tweaks

[plynak]

Hello, could the drone update by any chance cause that I can not find some relic hunt items? Could those containers be destroyed by drones?

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

Sometimes they can get accidentally destroyed by in-zone splash damage from a player or NPC missile. Could that have occurred before you looked for it? Perhaps there could have been a mission or NPC swarm nearby?

[w.evans]

Hello, could the drone update by any chance cause that I can not find some relic hunt items? Could those containers be destroyed by drones?

Hi plynak, shouldn't, except possibly by splash damage like Sparky said.

Just to clarify, only station-launched drones was added, and these are very tightly targeted: each group of drones only goes after one target, then they go home to dock when they're done.

[plynak]

Thanks for the information. I had no idea they can be destroyed by a splash damage. Well. there goes my Mk.V shield

Anyway, I have one more question if I may. How exactly does the MOD work with a carrier MOD? I got my first Arawn, got a few fighters and I can recall and launch them, but it does not happen automaticaly.

[w.evans]

Thanks for the information. I had no idea they can be destroyed by a splash damage. Well. there goes my Mk.V shield

Anyway, I have one more question if I may. How exactly does the MOD work with a carrier MOD? I got my first Arawn, got a few fighters and I can recall and launch them, but it does not happen automaticaly.

Launching and recovering fighters is pure Marvin: you can have the carrier's defence officer "start fighters", and when you have the carrier jump or boost anywhere, the carrier stops and recovers all fighters before jumping/boosting, then automatically deploys them again. You could even organize fighters into squads, and they're all recovered, but squad organization is maintained when they're redeployed. Really useful when you want to make sure that your Drostans are escorted, or if you want some groups of fighters to keep together at all times.

This mod just enhances the escort movement of escorting fighters.

ps. not sure about splash damage. Never actually gone treasure hunting yet.

[BlackRain]

This is from MICT somewhere


[=ERROR=] LookupKeyName::LookupName(): The key name "priroity" is not recognized in lookup 'ScriptXML'. Originated from: ""


I forgot which one of your scripts but you just spelled priority wrong

[Saquavin]

I have had many times a very frustrating scenario while in combat with more than 1vs1 : a ship, in firing range, suddenly boosting/jumping 10km away. It will loose about 1 minute, time to go far away, then come back in fight. In this time, your others ships are getting wrecked because they are outnumbered by ennemy, whereas your fleet is bigger than ennemy fleet and this should not happens.

Moreover, boosting while manoeuvring (they never go in straight line while in combat) leads to ugly slow strafe movement.

I think this is caused by this :
If the target gets too close or too far, the captain jumps or boosts to what the captain thinks is a better position.

Please, remove the minimum range (ok for balor and succellus, but please, not for the others capitals)

[w.evans]

This is from MICT somewhere


[=ERROR=] LookupKeyName::LookupName(): The key name "priroity" is not recognized in lookup 'ScriptXML'. Originated from: ""


I forgot which one of your scripts but you just spelled priority wrong

Yup, sorry about that. Time to clean the keyboard, or time to stop pretending that I could type quickly, or well, or both. Fixed in a newer version, though. Can't remember which file it was in either, but I don't get that error message anymore.

Oh crap! Just checked, and it's in the copy of MICT.move.attack.capital that's out. I fixed it in my copy, then forgot to include it in the update. Will fix along with the improvements to station-based drones I'm testing now.

@Saquavin, thanks for the report. Will look into it. However, that minimum distance was put in there partly to prevent ships from trying to ram other ships as they tend to do sometimes in vanilla. Problem is that it would make the game extremely slow to update all orders in real-time so delays are put in, and I often use distance to compensate for those delays. That's why vanilla ships ram into each other. (They don't try to ram into each other, they just don't realize that they are until it's too late.) Timings are already pretty tight, so I'll see if I could allow closer minimum distances.

Also, are you sure your ship wasn't trying to retreat to recharge shields? Split captains, in particular, have very low shield thresholds, so they'll wait until the last minute to retreat, but they leap right in as soon as their shields are up, although they're still paper-thin.

[BlackRain]

Code: Select all

[=ERROR=] Error in AI script drone.requestorders on entity 0x4a15e: Evaluated value 'null' is not of type component
* Expression: this.ship.commander
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script drone.requestorders on entity 0x4a15e: Evaluated value 'null' is not of type component
* Expression: this.ship.commander
[General] ======================================

Code: Select all

[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================

Code: Select all

[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x4596: PMC Fighter Squadron Triath Raider has not been cleared for undocking!
* Expression: this.ship
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x4596: Property lookup failed: $olddockslot.component.external
* $olddockslot.component == component.{0x456eL} (name='props_surf_ar_docks_size_m_inv_2_macro', class=dockingbay, state=wreck)
* Expression: not $olddockslot.component.external
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x4596: <componentslot:0x456e,connection02> is not a dock slot
* Expression: $olddockslot
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x4596: Property lookup failed: $olddockslot.component.container.macro
* $olddockslot.component.container == null
* Expression: $olddockslot.component.container.macro.ismacro.{macro.units_size_xl_capital_destroyer_1_macro}
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x458c: PMC Fighter Squadron Triath Vanguard has not been cleared for undocking!
* Expression: this.ship
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x458c: Property lookup failed: $olddockslot.component.external
* $olddockslot.component == component.{0x456fL} (name='props_surf_ar_docks_size_m_inv_2_macro', class=dockingbay, state=wreck)
* Expression: not $olddockslot.component.external
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x458c: <componentslot:0x456f,connection02> is not a dock slot
* Expression: $olddockslot
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x458c: Property lookup failed: $olddockslot.component.container.macro
* $olddockslot.component.container == null
* Expression: $olddockslot.component.container.macro.ismacro.{macro.units_size_xl_capital_destroyer_1_macro}
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.generic on entity 0x15f8: Evaluated component 0x4e154 does not exist any more
* Expression: $targetzone
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================

Not sure if any of these have something to do with MICT? Some might

[w.evans]

Not sure if any of these have something to do with MICT? Some might

Doesn't look like it. I don't get these errors. Also, all of my variables are prefixed $MICT_ or $MOCT_ so if it involves a variable that doesn't have those prefixes, probably not mine. Makes it easier to troubleshoot.

Code: Select all

[=ERROR=] Error in AI script drone.requestorders on entity 0x4a15e: Evaluated value 'null' is not of type component
* Expression: this.ship.commander
[General] ======================================
[General] ======================================
[=ERROR=] Error in AI script drone.requestorders on entity 0x4a15e: Evaluated value 'null' is not of type component
* Expression: this.ship.commander
[General] ======================================

Dunno. Haven't touched drone.requestorders. Looks like a drone that doesn't have a parent ship.

Code: Select all

[=ERROR=] Error in AI script fight.attack.object.capital on entity 0xbea4: Evaluated component 0xf70a 'Drone Launch Pad' is not of class defensible
* Expression: $target
[General] ======================================

...

Probably Better Turrets. I do have stuff in fight.attack.object.capital, but just OOZ stuff.

Code: Select all

[=ERROR=] Error in AI script move.undock on entity 0x4596: PMC Fighter Squadron Triath Raider has not been cleared for undocking!
* Expression: this.ship
[General] ======================================

...

Nope. I changed docking, but not undocking.

Appreciate it, though. If there are more errors that look like they might be from my stuff, keep it coming.

[w.evans]

MCT v0.13

Lucky 13!

1.August 2015 - MICT_supp4 updated to v0.05

Stations now use all installed URV launchers! This allows faster and more reliable deployment of an even greater number of drones. Thanks to Marvin Martian for shedding light on how this might be done.
Timings tightened further.
If drones cannot catch up with their target, they will go home.
Garbage collection run once every drone launch cycle.
General optimization.

.......
MICT_supp2 updated to v0.21

Garbage collection when escorts transit/are transited OOZ.

.......
MiscellaneousIZCombatTweaks updated to v0.19

Garbage collection when ships in combat transit/are transited OOZ.
Typo was causing unnecessary debug spew. Thanks to BlackRain for pointing this out.

[Saquavin]

@Saquavin, thanks for the report. Will look into it. However, that minimum distance was put in there partly to prevent ships from trying to ram other ships as they tend to do sometimes in vanilla. Problem is that it would make the game extremely slow to update all orders in real-time so delays are put in, and I often use distance to compensate for those delays. That's why vanilla ships ram into each other. (They don't try to ram into each other, they just don't realize that they are until it's too late.) Timings are already pretty tight, so I'll see if I could allow closer minimum distances.

Also, are you sure your ship wasn't trying to retreat to recharge shields? Split captains, in particular, have very low shield thresholds, so they'll wait until the last minute to retreat, but they leap right in as soon as their shields are up, although they're still paper-thin.

Actually ennemy ships often ram my fixed ships (construction vessel attached to a station, or ships I ordered to "hold position" but not the others).
For boost/jump, it's not a retreat because I observed this behaviour when they have near fully shield, and you can clearly see they go forward, turn over, and come back (no stopping), and their shield only recharge something like 10%.
If you don't want/can't remove the minimum distance, please shut off boost/jump. They must try to keep distance only with normal movement.

Also, I think the minimum distance to boost/jump to approach target is too low. As I said, I have often seen a ship jumping to a target farther than he was before the jump.

[w.evans]

Actually ennemy ships often ram my fixed ships (construction vessel attached to a station, or ships I ordered to "hold position" but not the others).
For boost/jump, it's not a retreat because I observed this behaviour when they have near fully shield, and you can clearly see they go forward, turn over, and come back (no stopping), and their shield only recharge something like 10%.
If you don't want/can't remove the minimum distance, please shut off boost/jump. They must try to keep distance only with normal movement.

Also, I think the minimum distance to boost/jump to approach target is too low. As I said, I have often seen a ship jumping to a target farther than he was before the jump.

Could you send me a save where this happens? I don't doubt that you're seeing what you're seeing, just want to see precisely when and why it's happening. There's rather extensive logging information that I could activate to do that.

[w.evans]

Does anyone else think that stations ought to be able to equip more drones?

Find it a bit silly that the biggest drone capacity that I've found on a station can accommodate 320 drones with 4 URV Launchers, and that that's just slightly more than an Arawn can. I mean, sure, the Arawn is this huge, bad ass carrier, but still, stations!

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

Hehe, not sure as testing beta at the mo but it occurred to me that if NPC stations are using drones, it could be tricky for a couple of plot missions where hostile stations are scanned. Thinking mostly about Albion stations but maybe Xenon too.

[w.evans]

Hehe, not sure as testing beta at the mo but it occurred to me that if NPC stations are using drones, it could be tricky for a couple of plot missions where hostile stations are scanned. Thinking mostly about Albion stations but maybe Xenon too.

Hm, didn't think about that. Would be worth testing with a new plot start. I'll take a look. I don't remember doing that mission under fire from station guns, though, although that was a while back.

Testing now, and a station with ~600 combat drones is kinda OP, if fun.

600 drones are expensive! Just noticed that the cheapest Interceptor Mk1s cost +26%. Most are selling for +38%. Time to build a factory or three.

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

Do NPC stations put up buy orders for all those little fellas? If so, stealth boost to plot station!

I'll be happy to test the plot with the mod this evening as I have some periodic vanilla saves to start from. Feel free to too of course but I'll be happy to report back.

[w.evans]

Do NPC stations put up buy orders for all those little fellas? If so, stealth boost to plot station!

I'll be happy to test the plot with the mod this evening as I have some periodic vanilla saves to start from. Feel free to too of course but I'll be happy to report back.

Not sure. Didn't notice if any of the buyers are non-shipyards, but someone's buying them up.

[w.evans]

1.Aug.2015 - MICT_supp4 updated to v0.06

When stations launch relatively few drones against low-priority targets, drones ripple launch from each available URV Launcher.*

* Marvin Martian very generously shared some code recently that allows very efficient drone docking on ships with multiple drone launcher pads. Adapted Marvin's docking code to this launching code that launches relatively small groups of drones from each operational URV Launcher sequentially. Many thanks to Marvin for sharing his code.

.......
MICT_supp5 is up

Doubles the amount of drones that can be equipped on a station.

Not sure how good an idea this one is, but sharing it just in case anyone else wants it.

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

I've subscribed to MCTs via steam, which I think has MICT_supp4 at v0.05 for now. From description of v6 above, it sounds like using MCT to test station drones with the plot should be fine. Beginning testing!