MXvA AI tweaking?

[suesman]

I'm tryin', without much luck I might add, to make them more competitive & I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. All I can seem to accomplish is makin' 'em worse. They jump off the track in every turn. I've tried the thing like in Armadillo by adding more nodes closer to the turns, but that doesn't seem to help at all. So I guess what I'm askin' is............has anyone had any luck with this?

[MX45]

RTFM


Here's a list of adjustments you can do per node to help tune the AI.

Speed: Amount in miles per hour that the AI will attempt to achieve. (Default is set at -1, which is full speed.)

Reset and Special

No Reset Zone: When applied to a node the player and the AI will be advanced to the next valid node.

Pullback: When applied to a node, this option informs the AI to "pullback".

Elevated: Apply to set the elevation of a node.

Disable ALOD: When applied to a node this disables automatic level of difficulty for that segment.

No Track Offset: When applied to a node, the AI will adhere directly to the center line of the track.

Clutch: When applied to a node the AI will use the clutch where specified.

Preload: When applied to a node the AI will preload where specified. (The AI will preload 10% every mile per hour underneath the target speed).

[MX45]

And for an explaination for some of the more obscure functions:

No Reset Zone keeps the AI or the player from being reset at that node. Say you crash before the finish on Maple Hill. You don't want to be reset under the bridge.

Elevated is good to reset on top of objects. Good to avoid getting stuck in an over/under.

ALOD is to set the AI to go full throttle despite your position. In other words, if you're behind the AI, they won't wait up. But if you race at 100% diffucutly or more, the ALOD is off anyway.

No Track Offset tells the AI to stick right on the center line. By default they can move 5 feet left or right of the line.

[suesman]

Thanks man. I hope to make this work on my next release.

[CDavie_3D]

Okay, I know what the manual says, and I kind of know what all the node options mean, but I'm still having trouble.

My biggest problem is with the AI flying off the turns. I can help this problem in most turns by setting a low speed on the first node of the turn. However, this doesn't work with some turns, specifically ones with jumps leading right into them.

Next is with jumps/rythmn sections. I am working on a supercross track right now but the AI are terrible. If you notice, in the stock tracks, the AI "know" what lines to take through a rythmn section. They know they need to double here, triple here, triple again then turn, for example. Does anybody know any good techniques for teaching the AI what lines to take? Do I need to set a node with a certain speed at each jump, or what?

I would like to have at least as close of a race on my tracks as I do with the AI on stock tracks and with the MVA editors seemingly greatly customizeable AI tweaks it seems possible. The question is, how do we take these options that are given to us and make them really work on our tracks? Has anybody made any real progress with the MVA AI stuff yet?

[RKipker]

I've had the very same problems....

No Offset = AI's do not stick to center path

I have a serious problem w/them turning 90 degrees at the start.... for some odd reason, they run right off into the trees.  I've tried to control them with -1 = full throttle, 0=coast, and 1 = brake... still not a lot of luck... actually gets frustrating since you can not ride along with the AI in the game or can you test the AI in the editor.

I think they might run better with the standard spine...!

RK

[DirtTwister]

I'm trying to get the AI to run well on my Centrum Arenacross 2002 track.

At the start they turn right and jump over the landing of the big jump.  They then can't make the 1st turn and either jump over the lip of the turn or go really wide.

I do like how you can select the entire spline and make a change to all nodes at once.

Bruce

[RKipker]

I didn't fing that... how do you slect the entire spline?

But I wonder if setting the nodes for the AI are really affective.  Seems that they do Preload well... and brake well...!

[Fixer]

You can select the wholle spline by selecting a point then press- ctrl + A

Or you can zoom out and select a rectangle around all of the spline.

[MX45]

tuning the AI is a headache, no way around that. It just takes doing small adjustments at a time, and testing after each tune.

To slow them down better so they make a corner, slowly ramp them down, 5 or more nodes before the turn at no more than 5 mph decreases. Activating Clutch while slowing them down seems to help to (sure does for the real player). Also keep them going an even speed throughout the truns, and if your nodes are spread out, add more. I like up to 20 in a turn, and no more than 10 feet apart in straights. It just seems to keep the AI in check more.

[RKipker]

Thanks Bob.... I'll use that!

Also, thankts MX45... good tips!  Though I'm using a ton of nodes... and the clutch too!  Let me ask you is there any other settings besides -1, 0, 1 cause that's all I'm using.  I noticed the numbers defaulting to 0 when I tried anything beside -1 i.e -2 or 2.  what's the best way to slow them down 5mph  as you mentioned.

Correcting the AI from turning out of the gate.... anyone have a suggestion for that?

Thanks guy's...
RK 

[MX45]

Speed: Amount in miles per hour that the AI will attempt to achieve. (Default is set at -1, which is full speed.)

You are not limited to -1,0,and 1. You can put in any speed in mile per hour.
While test riding, pay attention to the speed you can take turns and certain sections. Try to mimic your lines and speed with the AI settings. You'll find you probably need to lower the speed of the AI fomr your speed a few mph.

[ElDiablo (Paul)]

WHAT? Did I read right Mike? We are told in the Manual that 1=brake, 0=coast and -1=full speed, right? How then would a number HIGHER than 1 be equal to their actual speed? I'm confused! 

[CDavie_3D]

Diablo, -1 tells them to just go wide open, as fast as they can. 1 tells them to go 1 mph, which, most likely will make them brake. As a matter of fact, 2 would probably make them brake as well, from what I understand. You can type in any mph at the node and the AI are supposed to try and match that speed.

[MX45]

The manual says

Speed: Amount in miles per hour that the AI will attempt to achieve. (Default is set at -1, which is full speed.)

[RKipker]

Well... every time I set to any number otehr than -1, 0, 1 they reset to -1 when saved and then reopened.

How do we explain that???

[The_Trevinator]

Any small crawly thing with an exoskeleton.     bug

[VRT_JPRLisbon_]

Well... every time I set to any number otehr than -1, 0, 1 they reset to -1 when saved and then reopened.

How do we explain that???

to me works good ,  make atention because the editor have a track path and a AI path, that error hapen to you in the AI path? is working for me.
i have used 20 in some curves and that help, they slow down the speed,
i have mxa set to meters, so the 20 i use in the editor maybe is km\h , not milles, not sure.

[MX45]

JPRLisbon just mentioned something that completely blew past me. Are you sure you are working off the AI spline? The track spline is only to set the boudries for human players. The AI ride off the center line in the AI spline.

[RKipker]

Yes.. working on the AI spline!