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Yea, you are going in the right direction. So more or less the weights are kind of like a bias to doing something or picking one thing over another. In the case of "k" : "Float_PreferLowerMovementFactorWeight", Influence Factor Weight for preferring moving less. A positive value would make moving less more desirable. So this is set to a negative value to make the AI move more. You can set it, or any other variable high enough that it will do just that as its main concern for its action. In the case of this one, in beta I've had a lot of trouble with it conflicting with Bulwark, melee, staying in good defensive spots, moving for the sake of it and ending up with worse odds/angels to hit and all the other issues you could think of encountering.

It's likely -0.9 isn't high enough for lightly armed, but fast units. However, when testing this with the normal speed units (4/6 TT speeds like the HBK) setting it even a little higher than what modded global has makes reliable Bulwark and other tactical considerations much harder to clench. I still have a problem with it now moving Bulwarked units for no good reason. But then moving up the Bulwark Threshold also makes that too strong, and in the end everything just ends up at higher values with no real effect as they are all equally boosted higher.

I want to see if kicking it up to -2.0 fixes it in a general sense, even if the scouts start moving to odd places for the sake of moving farther. The other problem is it judges by distance and not by pips earned. Most units get capped at 4 or 5. Something like a LCT or JR7 doesn't need to move the max distance to gain that and if the variable instead was looking for pips earned, it might work better by default. It might not look for pips because that wasn't the original Evasion method. Back in Beta 1, distance moved for to-hit bonuses was far, far harder to rack up in a meaningful amount and sprinting, as a mode, gave 50% dodge chance regardless of distance moved. So it's likely that variable was from before the current evasion mechanics was even a thing.

I just got done with the Acceptable Heat and and moving to "Float_ExistingTargetDamageForOverheatAttack", on a hunch set the Acc.Heat to 2.0 and TgtDmg to 0.01 (basically no dmg) to start that testing. Initial impression is amazing. With this kind of set, 2.0 still makes the AI not want to breach the overheat line and get out of it in the next round. While the basically zero threshold for allowing overheating attacks lets the AI really open up the firepower once the first few hits have been landed on a unit. Right now this would be really exploitable as is, but I have a feeling something like AccHeat around 2.2-2.4 and TgtDmg to about 10-33% would be the settings that would let the AI really open up and not kill itself with self inflicted damage. The AI was still very conservative until some hits landed, and anyone with jumpy snipers could keep the AI stuck in conservative mode. So I will want the lower cap, but also lower the threshold for when the AI can start thinking about ignoring it. However, on my lunar map test bed with FS9, VND, GRF-1N and AWS-8Q, two of the four ended up killing themselves via overheating shots. While one of them was the lastman (and thus set to do desperate moves like that) they never shutdown except by my own FS9's flamers.

One huge problem I noticed the AI has, is that there is no check at all if overheat dmg will cause a location to be destroyed, even the CT. On the up side, 1.1 lets the AI take an unsteady unit and move it ASAP, jumping queue even if it would have been the very last unit to move normally. This is a major improvement and I hope we get better sanity checks like that in the future. HBS AI devs, if your reading this: My next one would be the check for overheating destroying parts as long as the unit isn't LastMan.
That is some great feedback! That is very awesome that the new experiment with heat values worked so well. I'm not used to taking stabs like that paying off at all.

I am also interested to see if the -2.0 helps the light mechs well. I also removed the scout roles from the SHD and QKD so it should only be the light mechs moving that much which is ideal for my Mod Pack. I have no idea what scale I can use for that. Maybe -2.0 is too low and it needs something like -100. Maybe -2.0 is a huge amount! I guess testing is the only way to find out. :)
 
That is some great feedback! That is very awesome that the new experiment with heat values worked so well. I'm not used to taking stabs like that paying off at all.

I am also interested to see if the -2.0 helps the light mechs well. I also removed the scout roles from the SHD and QKD so it should only be the light mechs moving that much which is ideal for my Mod Pack. I have no idea what scale I can use for that. Maybe -2.0 is too low and it needs something like -100. Maybe -2.0 is a huge amount! I guess testing is the only way to find out. :)
In general +/- 1.0 is a strong lean on stock. Above 1.0 to about 4.0 is a very strong push, 10.0 will force a unit to do it (only used once or twice total) and 20.0 is literally "Don't wander out of bounds" level power. Most variables will fall within 0.1-0.8. I'm off to bed for the night, but I'm enjoying this AccHeat 2.0 + TgtDmg 0.01 set. I just want a little less overheating out of it. HBK-4Ps play way more aggressively.
 
Quick feedback about latest better ai included in consolidated company commander, re: liberation panzyr mission:

- I haven't noticed the "wall hugging" behaviour that used to happen in this mission
- interestingly, the enemies used the first round to focus down and destroy 2 turrets (!) which never happened
- on the 2nd round, after the cue from their commander, they switched onto my mechs
- proper focus fire and flanking
- rarely going into melee even though I personally play melee-heavy

All in all, your work's awesome! :)
 
Quick feedback about latest better ai included in consolidated company commander, re: liberation panzyr mission:

- I haven't noticed the "wall hugging" behaviour that used to happen in this mission
- interestingly, the enemies used the first round to focus down and destroy 2 turrets (!) which never happened
- on the 2nd round, after the cue from their commander, they switched onto my mechs
- proper focus fire and flanking
- rarely going into melee even though I personally play melee-heavy

All in all, your work's awesome! :)

Thanks!

I did set the AI to not want to enter melee by default, but if pushed in to it by the player they should go for high evasive or bulwarked units first. I figured the player will always have the upper hand in the knife fight ranges. Using melee, jumping to the rear, chaining units to crack Bulwark and then follow up with the rest of the Lance in coordination is something the AI can't do well right now as it doesn't have any kind of Lance level coordination. I also played very melee heavy up until I shelved the SHD toward the very end of my first campaign and wanted to make sure the easy melee based tactics from early-mid game take some more thought to pull of successfully.
 
Are there any heat changes that you think would be good to go into a daily test build?
 
Are there any heat changes that you think would be good to go into a daily test build?
I just finished an experiment and was going to ask you to do just that!

Try "k" : "Float_AcceptableHeatLevel", = 1.9 and "k" : "Float_ExistingTargetDamageForOverheatAttack", = 0.0 if you please.

It hit me that Acc.Heat still makes the AI not approach or be over the line it is set to, but Tgt.Dmg lets it run up the meter. So, I thought to let it always run up the meter with a line set just below the overheat trigger. Initial testing has been great, except for one situation. Had a lunar map with the AWS+GRF on one side and the lastman AWS on the other. The AI AWS's just kept shutting down over and over at each other, one for last man and the other trying to seal the deal on the kill. However, most of the match the AWS would pop 3 and then Brace and repeat. Which is what I ended up doing after playing this setup over and over and finding each units best barrage tempo. It's possible each thought the other shutdown unit was of minimal threat and massive opportunity target and thus free to fire a shutdown level blast, which let the other guy wake up and see the exact same thing...

Anyway, give 1.9 + 0.0 a try and let me know how you feel about it. I wasn't expecting these values but it seems to work well for me and want to see if others have the same impressions.
 
Cool. Got them in. Should I leave the Last Man Standing the same as before and only change global?
 
Cool. Got them in. Should I leave the Last Man Standing the same as before and only change global?

Thanks, I changed my internal spreadsheet but missed it on git. Updated it now. I actually forgot to change that value for the scouts role in testing and my results have been with scouts at the older 0.7 level. But, lets just see how it plays and I can move theirs back up if needed. Most of the testing has been with units not tagged scout, as they don't generally generate tons of heat other than the FS9 and JR7. They just die too fast.
 
Okay, I've folded in your test build and have added my changes. Thanks for this! I'll give it some play tonight and see how it all works out.
 
Okay, I've folded in your test build and have added my changes. Thanks for this! I'll give it some play tonight and see how it all works out.

So one problem with setting the scout (or global) "move less" so high is now units like LCT/SDR dash way forward of the Lance and get isolated very easily. The test build moved it up from -0.9 to -1.5 and I will try something with one of the new 1.1 variables to bring it back in line. Sadly, in combat the LCT/SDR's still ended up moving really short distances and even ending within melee range to be slaughtered.
 
Bug found: in an assassinate mission, with the "heavy mech" being a PPC shreck, shreck never moved, even when approached by my mechs and shot at.
I've been trying to duplicate this on my own but no dice. I've seen some people report this on both CCC and stock and it might be a larger issue. Do you happen to have that mission saved? Or even just the name of the mission?
 
Bug found: in an assassinate mission, with the "heavy mech" being a PPC shreck, shreck never moved, even when approached by my mechs and shot at.

It didn't happen to be at a map edge did it? I have had a couple of missions where one of the enemies was caught on the edge of the map and couldn't move and seemingly as a result was unable to decide what to do and basically opted for doing nothing (this was standard AI). I have also seen the odd occassion where people have found enemies in mid map locations where the vehicle was stuck with the same issues.
 
Thanks for the awesome piece of work sir!
 
This is my VERY FIRST Battletech mod... and I don't usually run mods cos I dun want my campaign breaking. :)
 
This is my VERY FIRST Battletech mod... and I don't usually run mods cos I dun want my campaign breaking. :)
I'm honored, and I don't think it should break anything. There's the ever present "Escorts stopped moving" that it might trigger. But I'm still seeing people reporting that on stock.

I'd love to hear your first impressions and how it could be improved! The more people I have giving feedback the better the final result.
 
I'm honored, and I don't think it should break anything. There's the ever present "Escorts stopped moving" that it might trigger. But I'm still seeing people reporting that on stock.

I'd love to hear your first impressions and how it could be improved! The more people I have giving feedback the better the final result.

First impression using a controlled match posted : https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/eck-ai-mod.1108652/

hope it helps to make the mod better! :)
 
1.1.0 Release
Release 1.1.0 [mod edit: no unapproved links, please]

UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS
  • Delete Better AI folder from your ModTek /Mods folder
  • Unzip Better AI 1.1.0 in to /Mods
For BATTLETECH 1.1.1

Release Notes:
  • Overheat levels rebalanced - Lets more units fire up to heat capacity with enough restraint for sensible overheat/shutdown on vulnerable targets, overall more dmg/round
  • Sensor Lock vs. firing adjusted toward fire by 5 across the board, global to 60, scout to 30 (global stock = 35)
  • Bulwark up by 5 to 75 global
  • Defensive Mood - Increased fear of heat generating dots from -0.3 to -0.6, AI was sheltering in Rad.Crystals on Lunar, lowered sprint exclusion radius to 100m and increased melee damage weight from 2 to 2.5
  • Scout - Increased base reserve by 5 to 80, increased likelihood to move less from -0.9 to -1.5
  • Vehicle - Defensive mood tuned for vehicle specific considerations
  • Lastman - Added lowered conservative shot value for more "panicked" firing
1.1.1 w/Permanent Evasion Add-On [mod edit: no unapproved links, please]
  • Same as 1.1.0 but with pip settings to 1.0
  • 1.1.1 Removes dependency on Perm. Evasion
 
Last edited:
Release 1.1.0

For BATTLETECH 1.1.1

Release Notes:
  • Overheat levels rebalanced - Lets more units fire up to heat capacity with enough restraint for sensible overheat/shutdown on vulnerable targets, overall more dmg/round
  • Sensor Lock vs. firing adjusted toward fire by 5 across the board, global to 60, scout to 30 (global stock = 35)
  • Bulwark up by 5 to 75 global
  • Defensive Mood - Increased fear of heat generating dots from -0.3 to -0.6, AI was sheltering in Rad.Crystals on Lunar, lowered sprint exclusion radius to 100m and increased melee damage weight from 2 to 2.5
  • Scout - Increased base reserve by 5 to 80, increased likelihood to move less from -0.9 to -1.5
  • Vehicle - Defensive mood tuned for vehicle specific considerations
  • Lastman - Added lowered conservative shot value for more "panicked" firing
1.1.0 w/Permanent Evasion Add-On
  • Same as 1.1.0 but with pip settings to 1.0

Going with the non-permenant pips as it makes more logical sense and opens up more tactical considerations. Awesome work on this sir, still the one and only mod I use with BT!

So we just drop this new folder into the BT/Mod and delete the old one with no activation necessary right?