Issues with car patrols

2

269091

New Member
Error Report

--------------------------------------------------
YES; i did read the FAQ and the READMEs
on opendayz.net and on github,
and i searched this thread for my issue.

Version of SAR_AI: 1.5 (SAR_config version 1.5.2)
Version of Dayz: 1.7.6.1

Serverpackage
Type: Nitrado Bliss light
Version: no idea

Installed mods: None really, just DayZ and Dayz Epoch Chernarus like offered by Nitrado
Customisations:
1. Added fuel script (Scripts/ kh_actions.sqf, kh_vehicle_refuel.sqf)
2. Unlocked a few vehicles by editing Epoch dynamic_vehicle.sqf and adding them to MySQL Traders_data, nothing too fancy though

Enabled debug modes: SAR_HITKILL_DEBUG, SAR_DEBUG, KRON_UPS_DEBUG, KRON_UPS_WP_Debug, KRON_UPS_AI_Debug, SAR_DEBUGMONITOR,


Issues with AI car patrols
====================

a) I spent several hours just watching them and found that they quite often tend to get stuck on gravel roads. Is there a way to restrict them to paved roads or even main roads, as they seem to do better there?

b) After killing the last bandit several times the vehicles just despawned the same second.

c) A few times one or more vehicles got stuck in the air, some 10m over ground, once in combat mode the crew tries to exit and dies from falling.


Marker config:
Code: 
//
// Definition of area markers for static spawns
//
 
[....]
 
// Bandit Car patrol southcoast -----------------
_this = createMarker ["SAR_marker_bandsouth_veh", [6011.47, 2221.07]];
_this setMarkerShape "RECTANGLE";
_this setMarkeralpha 0;
_this setMarkerType "Flag";
_this setMarkerBrush "Solid";
_this setMarkerSize [7000, 2000];
_this setMarkerDir -78.0;
SAR_marker_bandsouth_veh = _this;
 
// Bandit Car patrol eastcoast -----------------
_this = createMarker ["SAR_marker_bandeast_veh", [13052.9, 7744.15]];
_this setMarkerShape "RECTANGLE";
_this setMarkeralpha 0;
_this setMarkerType "Flag";
_this setMarkerBrush "Solid";
_this setMarkerSize [2000, 8000];
_this setMarkerDir -358.0;
SAR_marker_bandeast_veh = _this;
 
// Bandit Car patrol inland -----------------
_this = createMarker ["SAR_marker_bandinland_veh", [6718.39, 7542.75]];
_this setMarkerShape "RECTANGLE";
_this setMarkeralpha 0;
_this setMarkerType "Flag";
_this setMarkerBrush "Solid";
_this setMarkerSize [7000, 7000];
_this setMarkerDir -64.0;
SAR_marker_bandinland_veh = _this;
 
diag_log format["SAR_AI: Static spawning area definition finished"];

Group config:

Code: 
// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diag_log format["SAR_AI: Static Spawning for vehicle patrols started"];

//
// define your static vehicle patrols here
//

// Bandit Car Patrol South Coast
[SAR_marker_bandsouth_veh,3,["UAZ_Unarmed_TK_EP1","Ural_TK_CIV_EP1"],[[1,1,1],[0,3,7]],true,600] call SAR_AI_land;

// Bandit Car Patrol East Coast
[SAR_marker_bandeast_veh,3,["car_hatchback","car_sedan"],[[1,1,1],[0,1,2]],true,600] call SAR_AI_land;

// Bandit Car Patrol Inland
[SAR_marker_bandinland_veh,3,["Ikarus_TK_CIV_EP1"],[[1,4,8]],true,600] call SAR_AI_land;


diag_log format["SAR_AI: Static Spawning for vehicle patrols finished"];

I also edited the AI skins by adding some Epoch skins, and as I am not sure if those might make problems, I enclosed those definitions as well:

Code: 
// ##### Changes of skins to include Epoch available skins, and to make groups distinctive from eachother #####
// military AI ##### Unchanged #####
SAR_leader_sold_list = ["Rocket_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the leader of a soldier group
SAR_sniper_sold_list = ["Sniper1_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the snipers of a soldier group
SAR_soldier_sold_list = ["Soldier1_DZ","Camo1_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the riflemen of a soldier group

// bandit AI ##### GUE skins added #####
SAR_leader_band_list = ["Ins_Soldier_GL_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the leader of a bandit group
SAR_sniper_band_list = ["GUE_Soldier_Sniper_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the snipers of a bandit group
SAR_soldier_band_list = ["Bandit1_DZ","BanditW1_DZ","BanditW2_DZ","Skin_SurvivorWcombat_DZ","GUE_Soldier_MG_DZ","GUE_Soldier_Crew_DZ","GUE_Soldier_CO_DZ","GUE_Soldier_2_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the riflemen of a bandit group

// survivor AI ##### some diversity in skins added #####
SAR_leader_surv_list = ["GUE_Commander_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the leaders of a survivor group
SAR_sniper_surv_list = ["Soldier_Bodyguard_AA12_PMC_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the snipers of a survivor group
SAR_soldier_surv_list = ["Survivor2_DZ","Survivor3_DZ","SurvivorW2_DZ","SurvivorWurban_DZ","Soldier_Crew_PMC","Soldier_TL_PMC_DZ"]; // the potential classes of the riflemen of a survivor group

Description:
Group 22: UAZ and Ural, Ural did hover in the air, not UAZ, when I approached in SUV armed with MG. Shot a few bandits on foot first, then watched Ural crew stepping out, most died from falling, a few had to be killed, then shot once at the Ural to make it fall down, what it did (they always fall down at the first shot hitting them). Then approached scenery closer, when I shot the last bandit, who was sitting in the UAZ, both vehicles disappeared instantly.

Group 24: Ikarus. Ikarus was on ground, but did obviously hover before, as I encountered a pile of dead bodies from falling some 200m from its actual position. Approached vehicle which was stuck in a few trees by the side of the road, killed 2 bandits on foot first, then a few still sitting inside, including driver. It took a while until the colored balls went black. Then I tried to enter the Ikarus, but before I could click "enter Ikarus as driver" it disappeared.

In both cases vehicles seemed to vanish instantly once the server processed annihilation of respective group. I can, and did, reproduce this several times (on two different servers).

Added files for download:
1. arma2oaserver.RPT

Sorry for not cleaning rpt up, but there seem to be quite a few errors besides the issue described above, so I thought you might want to see the whole logfile....
A search for "group 22" or "group 24" respective will do the trick without too much hassle for you looking at the issue, I hope....

2. SAR_config.sqf
3. SAR_cfg_grps_chernarus.sqf
4. Personal Changelog with all changes listed made to different files, apart from SARGE AI files.

I hope the information provided is appropriate and sufficient, and I would greatly appreciate a reply.
Many thanks in advance.
 
Hi mate,

first of all, thx a ton for a really usable and well setup error report. If all would be like this my time would be way more efficient .-)

To your questions:

a) AI pathfinding in Arma 2 is .... debatable. Infantry does usually pretty well. Vehicles are another story. Getting stuck on gravel / in sharp bends / in cities is pretty common for AI, sadly nothing i can do about. What i saw though is that as soon as i use more than 1 vehicle, the problems seem to get bigger.

b) It is intended that if you kill the last person of the group, the vehicle vanishes. The reason is: These groups can be set to respawn, and i respawn them including the vehicle - so the old ones must get deleted, otherwise vehicles will clutter the map.

c) thx for that, known bug, is fixed in my latest versions. I'll do an upgrade to the github this week.

Thx again for the very good error report,

cheers, Sarge
 
Hi Sarge,

Many thanks for your incredibly quick reply... 8 minutes.. LOL... a lot of paid support should use that as a role model :)

a) So we will have to live with that... lets assume those bandits are drunk most of the time :D

b) That's a shame really.... I am not a scripter, even a pair of those {} does give me the creeps, so maybe it's just silly. But couldn't it be done like that:
1. Last bandit dies.
2. AI notes vehicle position
2. Timer starts to count down, 5 minutes for example
3. Timer runs out, Ai checks for a parameter:
That could be:
Vehicle is moving OR
Vehicle is standing still, but has been moved out of a certain (small) radius to saved position (= parked/ taken by player) OR
Vehicle is "connected" a certain player
4. If either one condition is positive vehicle stays on map, otherwise it gets despawned. Also assuming that player is no longer around.

Edit: Second condition could even be left out, as player might assume it has been stolen... at least it would not despawn in plain visibility.
Another condition could be if a player is in proximity, so despawn would just be delayed...
Somewhat similar to Zombie or loot spawn system.

I am aware that this might take server resources, but I guess that would only be a real issue with MANY patrols, which is unlikely. To be on the safe side they could be limited to a certain number (or even just server admins told not to use more than X vehicle patrols in SAR_cfg_grps file).

But as mentioned above, maybe that's just not possible, or too much effort to implement.... or has a very low priority on your list...

c) Nice to hear :)

Thanks again for the quick reply
Cheers Hal
 
:)

The thing about the vanishing vehicles is ... I don't want players to "farm" these patrols. I'll think about a config option to keep them on the map.

cheers, Sarge
 
Did u update the files to fix the floating patrols yet Sarge? I've been having the same issue on Epoch.
 
hmmm lemme check if i uploaded this fix ...

nope i didnt. i adjusted it now on Github, its actually just changing the height they spawn in at.

Sarge
 
So Sarge,
First thing is first, thank you for this amazing addon! I was wondering, and i have read tons of forums, is there anyway to keep the helios from despawning? We want our ai to be bandit ai, but we want players to feel like they have accomplished something for killing them. Like shoot down an ai helio, good now repair it and go sell it lol.

Any help you could offer would be very appreciated.

Thanks guys im posting here incase any of you have a solution
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top