1.04b testing - background displaced and invalid mission

[Aloid]

Greetings. Thank you for letting us beat on the beta. I'm enjoying the progress being made in the game. Had my ships automatically attacking bad guys whom they would have ignored previously!

I uploaded file 20100421-104B-testing.doc

Two things...

...the spiral galaxy background was jumping around under a couple different circumstances. Was not permanent. See docoument for examples.

...An "invalid mission target type" error popped up when attempting to give a frigate a patrol mission to an explored system. There were no bases or other ships of any kind in that system. I was able to continue and give a "move to" mission in stead. Details in the uploaded document.

Aloid

[Okim]

I wonder why people even try to patrol something that has nothing to patrol?

[Sliverine]

that is not the issue here tho...patrolling a system, no matter how empty should not result in a null mission target.

[VarekRaith]

ORIGINAL: Sliverine

that is not the issue here tho...patrolling a system, no matter how empty should not result in a null mission target.

Bingo! I've encountered this error, as well.

[taltamir]

ORIGINAL: Okim

I wonder why people even try to patrol something that has nothing to patrol?

Sure it has things to patrol, it has all those ENEMIES that need KILLING. Rather then target them one by one I set them to patrol... When I triggered it... i had discovered a world annihilator. It was covered in bugs and other empires were sending in ships... so i order ships to patrol said system... and boom... crash.

[Sliverine]

I'm just speculating here but i believe when Elliot programmed the patrol function, he set the AI to randomly pick a friendly structure and warp to it, then stay at object and auto attack anything that comes close and after a certain amount of time (which might be influenced by the strategic importance of the object i.e. they patrol mines more and starbases less etc...and maybe distance is also a factor?) they then warp to the next available target to rinse and repeat. Depending on the coding and how many previously patrolled in-system structures are 'remembered', you might actually see the AI skip certain structures that are too far out for instance, something which i hope does not happen.

This error is most probably due to the fact that when you set a ship to patrol an empty system (i.e. one with no friendly structures), the AI is unable to randomly pick a friendly structural target to warp to and begin patrolling (due to there not being a structure to being with) and hence, you get the error that there is no patrol target. A possible fix would be to add an action for the AI to perform in the event of an empty system in its action tree like maybe, warp to the sun and actively engage any hostiles or 'escort' any neutrals that appear into the system etc...

[Okim]

That`s exactly what i was talking about. I just thought that patrol mechanics is obvious to all DW players. Automated ships never patrol anything that is not a base or a colony.

However i do recall a 'waiting at target' mission that my escorts frequently were assigned to. All of the times there was an indie colony that was awaiting coloniser ship. Perhaps this should be a good solution for this issue - wait in the system (park near the star or indie colony or abandoned ship/base or world annihilator) if there is nothing to patrol.

[Joram]

I would think patrols should be able to patrol a star system regardless if there is a player colony or base.

[Stardog]

Patched to new 104B2

Hello,

Patrol crash here too!

Sliverine could be right? So I was thinking also maybe there should be Recon System & Station in System ?

Recon = You know what that is . Scout out the system for monsters or pirates & enemy units.Do not attack or engage other units.

Station in System = Ship/s &/or Fleet / Task Forece would orbit at a marked/said distance from systems center. ( Like the middle of the system ) When on station they would be free to attack any threats they run in to. Units on station would need to be resupplied & Units would stay on station until relieved or given new orders.

Its just a thought?? Later Dudes! WM

[Aloid]

ORIGINAL: Okim

I wonder why people even try to patrol something that has nothing to patrol?

The system had a planet that I wanted to colonize. I was merely selecting an option on the menu for one of my ships to patrol the sector so I'd know if another faction was thinking the same thing.

Sliverine is correct... if an option is available it should not bomb out. The option should be either hidden/grayed out or merely select the star to be patrolled.

It was on 1.04B2

[Sliverine]

yea maybe you can add in another if statement to the decision tree that allows for 'waiting at -star-' when ships are are assigned to empty systems?

[taltamir]

ORIGINAL: Sliverine

I'm just speculating here but i believe when Elliot programmed the patrol function, he set the AI to randomly pick a friendly structure and warp to it, then stay at object and auto attack anything that comes close and after a certain amount of time (which might be influenced by the strategic importance of the object i.e. they patrol mines more and starbases less etc...and maybe distance is also a factor?) they then warp to the next available target to rinse and repeat. Depending on the coding and how many previously patrolled in-system structures are 'remembered', you might actually see the AI skip certain structures that are too far out for instance, something which i hope does not happen.

This error is most probably due to the fact that when you set a ship to patrol an empty system (i.e. one with no friendly structures), the AI is unable to randomly pick a friendly structural target to warp to and begin patrolling (due to there not being a structure to being with) and hence, you get the error that there is no patrol target. A possible fix would be to add an action for the AI to perform in the event of an empty system in its action tree like maybe, warp to the sun and actively engage any hostiles or 'escort' any neutrals that appear into the system etc...

pretty much, yea exactly this.