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Spotting range has been reduced too much
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Description

Recent changes to the AI spotting range have meant that at maximum skill (sub skillof 1.0) the range of vision of units is limited to 400m in completely open ground. While with scopes and other assists this can be increased the unassisted range is much shorter than the players who can see unassisted easily to more than double that distance. and with rifle normal engagement ranges this produces two issues:

  1. The players always see the AI before thy are spotted and knowing the range can run around in the open like they are wearing invisibility cloaks. This might be OK with low skill settings but its not appropriate for veteran and custom high spotting skills, its not challenging.
  1. It seems to be affecting the engagement ranges and how AI shoot at longer ranges. We notice this most with static weapons (from mods) where the recent changes mean that we get only sporadic mostly suppressive fire at range, they don't engage properly and its as if they can't see the players but know they are being shot at. Its too easy to "disengage" and kite the AI at beyond their spotting range and these static weapons should (in real life) be effective out to 1KM or more. Before the change we required marksman to take out the weapons but now a basic rifleman can see and out range a static weapon. It impacts vehicles as well which are no longer the same threat they were.

I think the range for spotting should allow well beyond

Details

Severity
None
Resolution
Open
Reproducibility
N/A
Operating System
Windows 10 x64
Operating System Version
AU
Category
AI Spotting / Detection
Steps To Reproduce

In the editor place an enemy infantry with no scope on an airfield facing a placed player 450m away then launch as the player, the unit should have an init line setting is spotting skill to 1.0 and a custom skill profile or 1.0/1.0 will be necessary to max out the spotting range. I would recommend also setting aimingAccuracy for the subskill to 0.20 so multiple shots can be observed in the second test.

Test 1

When launched you will be able to run around without being spotted. If you then move closer the moment you cross the 400m boundary the AI will spot the player and start to engage, the spottingTime sub skill won't make much difference to the time.

Test 2

Fire shots from 450m away near the AI but not hitting it and notice the return fire is sporadic and much less likely to hit the player.

Additional Information

The changes seemed to be made in March 2016 intentionally as part of the AI updates.

Event Timeline

In 1.86 and 1.88 this range on a final spotting skill of 1.0 has now been reduced to 320m and just 210 at minimum skill. This is having a dramatic impact on the AIs ability to spot and engage at reasonable ranges and there are better ways to balance the AI inside of woodland if the spotting time and spotting range had a wider value range.