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Line of Battle

potnky

potnky

Landlubber
Storm Modder
I was wondering if it is possible in this mod to alter your allied and enemy ships AI to keep in the lines drawn that they start in, in a battle, and to keep in formation? At the moment they all break off and slow down to go their own ways. I am using the Build Mod 14 Alpha 6 Update 2, and have a 'squadron' of three 74 gun sail of the line and my own vessel is a 100 gun first rate. I understand it would be kind of tricky to make them follow you around in perfect order, but at least limit the AI to prevent so much independace of maneouvres?
 
I'm not exactly sure how it is done. I don't know if the game was hardcoded to automatically spawn the ships that way or if someone coded them to start that way. If it is the latter, then perhaps we could somehow put an infinate lock on that formation, so that they do not stray from it. I think part of it is that the AI assigns each ship a target to destroy, so they all break off towards their respective targets for close action. If we found that and removed the individual target assignments, replacing it with a simple "shoot at the enemy across from you", then perhaps they would stay in a line astern.
 
The problem is that the way AI fleet behaves during battle is hardcoded. Even worse, the algorithm is quite primitive: "float helplessly around and try to shoot to some enemy ships which by chance will get into the range; from time to time board mainchar, but only when he gets close enough". In case of forts it's even worse: "broadside a hostile fort when passing through regardless of a ship's type and then sail away" - that's why sometimes gunboat is trying to attack a fort.

I doubt we could signifiacantly change these "tactics".

pirate_kk
 
Alas. And by the mean time the Russians are laughing at us and saying their Ai ship system is the best. No wonder, when you're the only ones to have worked on it.

In Seadogs there were a section in the in-game editor for sea tactics. I never tried it out, and I don't know if it is operationnal or was screwed up before the final release like some of the other editor sections.
 
Hm, though I suppose if we were able to make the enemy sails permanently damaged, or in whatever case stop them from working, they'd stay in one place, no?
 
that's quite normal when you don't have anything to move with, yes. and i doubt bringing out the dinghy's oars would help a lot.
 
For you allies, you can use the 'heave-to-drift' or whatever command, and they won't move anymore. It might be possible to set that to some enemies, but I don't think it will make particular dynamic battles...
 
I think the closest we can come to a line is ordering your allies with the Defend command, then clicking on your own ship. They will follow it around.
 
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