What will the AI do on its own?

[PaulWRoberts]

I'm thinking of trying my hand at (simple) scenario design, and I'm wondering what we can count on the AI to handle by itself, if anything.

Just some basic questions:

How far will the AI go to preserve itself? If an AI-controlled Carrier Battle Group has a pair of fighters flying CAP overhead and detects a huge wave of enemy strike aircraft inbound, will it scramble more interceptors to defend itself?

I know that the AI will fire weapons (if allowed) at detected threats. What else will it do on its own? Will it change course to pursue (or evade) an enemy? Will a ship or base launch ASW helicopters to attack a detected sub? Will the AI spontaneously turn radars/sonar/jammers on or off in response to changed conditions?

In short, what is the AI capable of doing on its own, and what must definitely be scripted?

[mikmykWS]

ORIGINAL: Paul Roberts

I'm thinking of trying my hand at (simple) scenario design, and I'm wondering what we can count on the AI to handle by itself, if anything.

Just some basic questions:

How far will the AI go to preserve itself? If an AI-controlled Carrier Battle Group has a pair of fighters flying CAP overhead and detects a huge wave of enemy strike aircraft inbound, will it scramble more interceptors to defend itself?

I know that the AI will fire weapons (if allowed) at detected threats. What else will it do on its own? Will it change course to pursue (or evade) an enemy? Will a ship or base launch ASW helicopters to attack a detected sub? Will the AI spontaneously turn radars/sonar/jammers on or off in response to changed conditions?

In short, what is the AI capable of doing on its own, and what must definitely be scripted?

Honestly not a heck of a lot. As you mentioned it will fire weapons to defend itself and act on some ROE's but without some scripted AI direction through the mission editor and/or plot it will do nothing complex.

Higher level AI is something to think about in the future but programming this involves pretty complex case logic when you think about all the roles a platform/group/etc carry out.

[jomni]

You must specifically tell what the AL has to do. Assign specific planes to Cap cap Duty (AAW patrol) . Then assign planes to AAW strike (if there's such a thing).

The ships will chase the contact if they are assigned on ASuW patrol with the option of ignoring plotted course.

Helicopter will launch to attack subs if they are assigned to ASW strike.

As you can see it all depends on what you assign at the start of the battle as the designer. But this is static and not based on the developing situation.

[PaulWRoberts]

Thanks for the replies!

I imagine it's possible to handle many contingencies (such as incoming waves of fighters) with triggers and events. Is that right?

Also:

I've seen ships tagged (on the map) with "JAM" when they were under attack. Does that mean they have turned on their ECM without specific orders, or does it mean they are being jammed themselves?

[jomni]

Trigger and events are useful to some extent. You can activate / deactivate missions and teleport units.

But remember the biggest constraint of the AI side is that it is stuck to only one mission for the whole scenario.

This is until the devs implement mission switching events.