N2K2 AI Patches

Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-market updates/fixes for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. TP

Tom Pabst wrote: > > Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-market updates/fixes > for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. I wouldn't think so Tom, Nigel Pattinson hasn't released an updated rpy->lp converter for NR2002, so it may be down to lack of proper tools really, that is if they still use that for making AI, I haven't done any AI work since N3 myself, and even then it was on a very limited scale and all down to having the proper tools Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy "The Pits" http://www.theuspits.com/ "A man is only as old as the woman he feels" --Groucho Marx--

On Mon, 08 Jul 2002 14:20:05 GMT, "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote: >Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-market updates/fixes >for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. You could play around with the values in the track.ini files. You can't fix glaring problems, but you can change their behavior to suit your tastes a bit more. I haven't messed with these much in N2k2, but in N4 I simmed 100% races to try and get the cautions in the 5-10 range by increasing/decreasing the drafting distance and had some decent results. From what I can tell, increasing the distance that the AI cars follow each other at most tracks would be helpful, since Papy seems to have gotten a bit of Nascar Heat syndrome this year, with the AI bunching up and trying to go 3-wide at every track. I believe there is also a global AI file in the N2k2 root dir altho I haven't played with much aside from GPL. It should be possible, with a little experimentation, to make their braking distances and acceleration a bit more realistic. Jason

Thanks for the info, Goy. I was more looking to see if someone was doing definitive work on the AI. I have enough to do with track graphics. I start fooling with the AI and I'll never get anything completed....lol... A comment, however: The rpy-to-lp converter would be more of a tool to change their line. That seems okay...its their behavior that needs work, IMHO. It seems that unless you are going within a certain percentage of their speed....they just don't see you. Also, they make passing attempts (on the road courses) in very bad places....usually resulting in a wreck. I wonder if there's some kind of "global aggression factor"....that can be turned down? Oh well, guess I'll have to stick to racing dumber humans!.....lol... Just kidding. TP "Goy Larsen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > > > Tom Pabst wrote: > > > > Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-marketupdates/fixes

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> > for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. > > I wouldn't think so Tom, Nigel Pattinson hasn't released an updated > rpy->lp converter for NR2002, so it may be down to lack of proper tools > really, that is if they still use that for making AI, I haven't done any > AI work since N3 myself, and even then it was on a very limited scale > and all down to having the proper tools > > > Beers and cheers > (uncle) Goy > > "The Pits" http://www.theuspits.com/ > > "A man is only as old as the woman he feels" > --Groucho Marx--

Tom, try fiddling with the drafting distance in the track.ini files. It seems odd, but even at the non-drafting tracks that variable is used to determine how closely the AI follow each other. I'll poke around and see if I can find an aggression multiplier as I haven't fiddled with the N4/2k2 AI since last summer. I did have a nice set of N4 track.ini's at one time that were tested so that the AI would rarely if ever wreck on starts/restarts and dropped into single file quickly at most tracks, but unfortunately that died with my N4 install. =( The only problem with messing with drafting distance is that green flag passing can be rare at some tracks. That said, most passing in NASCAR occurs later in the race as pit/tire strategies play out, so it may be more realistic. The current 2-3 wide all the way around the track is definitely not what I see when I turn my TV on on sundays. Jason On Tue, 09 Jul 2002 05:42:56 GMT, "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>Thanks for the info, Goy. I was more looking to see if someone was doing >definitive work on the AI. I have enough to do with track graphics. I >start fooling with the AI and I'll never get anything completed....lol... > >A comment, however: The rpy-to-lp converter would be more of a tool to >change their line. That seems okay...its their behavior that needs work, >IMHO. It seems that unless you are going within a certain percentage of >their speed....they just don't see you. Also, they make passing attempts >(on the road courses) in very bad places....usually resulting in a wreck. I >wonder if there's some kind of "global aggression factor"....that can be >turned down? > >Oh well, guess I'll have to stick to racing dumber humans!.....lol... Just >kidding. > >TP > > > > >"Goy Larsen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> >> >> Tom Pabst wrote: >> > >> > Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-market >updates/fixes >> > for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. >> >> I wouldn't think so Tom, Nigel Pattinson hasn't released an updated >> rpy->lp converter for NR2002, so it may be down to lack of proper tools >> really, that is if they still use that for making AI, I haven't done any >> AI work since N3 myself, and even then it was on a very limited scale >> and all down to having the proper tools >> >> >> Beers and cheers >> (uncle) Goy >> >> "The Pits" http://www.theuspits.com/ >> >> "A man is only as old as the woman he feels" >> --Groucho Marx-- > >

Tom Pabst wrote:

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> > Thanks for the info, Goy. I was more looking to see if someone was doing > definitive work on the AI. I have enough to do with track graphics. I > start fooling with the AI and I'll never get anything completed....lol... > > A comment, however: The rpy-to-lp converter would be more of a tool to > change their line. That seems okay...its their behavior that needs work, > IMHO. It seems that unless you are going within a certain percentage of > their speed....they just don't see you. Also, they make passing attempts > (on the road courses) in very bad places....usually resulting in a wreck. I > wonder if there's some kind of "global aggression factor"....that can be > turned down? > > Oh well, guess I'll have to stick to racing dumber humans!.....lol... Just > kidding.

Oh well, like I said Tom, I haven't done much AI work so I dont really have a clue :-) Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy "The Pits" http://www.theuspits.com/ "A man is only as old as the woman he feels" --Groucho Marx--

jason moyer wrote:

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> Tom, try fiddling with the drafting distance in the track.ini files. > > It seems odd, but even at the non-drafting tracks that variable is > used to determine how closely the AI follow each other. I'll poke > around and see if I can find an aggression multiplier as I haven't > fiddled with the N4/2k2 AI since last summer. > > I did have a nice set of N4 track.ini's at one time that were tested > so that the AI would rarely if ever wreck on starts/restarts and > dropped into single file quickly at most tracks, but unfortunately > that died with my N4 install. =( > > The only problem with messing with drafting distance is that green > flag passing can be rare at some tracks. That said, most passing in > NASCAR occurs later in the race as pit/tire strategies play out, so it > may be more realistic. > > The current 2-3 wide all the way around the track is definitely not > what I see when I turn my TV on on sundays. > > Jason >

I tried increasing the drafting distance at Zenjoltis (a fantasy track of course) to prevent all the silly sideswiping that goes on there. When I changed it from 1.2 (default) to 1.6, they stopped all the swarming, but they also >stopped< trying to pass at >all<, and it was follow-the- leader for the entire race. As a sidenote, there seems to be a 'turbulence barrier' about two seconds behind a pack of drafting cars, and it is VERY difficult to break through this barrier and catch the pack ahead if all the cars involved are closely matched (i.e. the ones in front have to screw up). So in the above situation, you had all these draft trains separated by two seconds, going around and around... In real life the various air currents and turbulences are much 'dirtier' than they are in the game... John DiFool

Have you tried the Nashville AI? As I recall, someone tweaked the track.ini files for each track. But, Ummm.... I think they were for arcade mode, so they're probably not what you're looking for. I never tried them myself. "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:pchW8.438436$352.62094@sccrnsc02... > Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-marketupdates/fixes > for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. > > TP > >

Actually, their lines play a major role in some of the AI problems. The game is ultra sensitive to the lp lines. Any minor imperfections cause the AI cars to slow dramatically. I'm guessing this is why the grip is higher for the AI even when set to 100% (and most tracks have them at over 100.) It seems they tried to minimize the slowdowns with extra grip and higher aggression when attacking the corners (ai_line_modifier in the track.ini.) These combine to create AI that enter corners too fast, slow too much at the transitions (which are the most difficult parts to make smooth lp lines) and are too fast once they get set in the corner. As for the overall aggression, as someone else has already mentioned, increasing the draft distance can keep them from making too many passing attempts. The problem I've had is never really being able to find a good balance between passing and accidents. There is usually either no passing at all where the leaders end up single file behind the back markers or a total wreck fest. Most of the things that really need improving are in the code though. Like you said, they will usually make passing attempts at the worst times, and when they have a clear passing situation, they just ride the brakes behind a significantly slower car. Or when they do make an attempt, they pull out of line so violently that they scrub off all their speed so they can't make the pass. But I'm just happy that they fixed the problems the first patch created ;). Dave Boyle "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:XHuW8.457255$cQ3.37353@sccrnsc01...

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> Thanks for the info, Goy. I was more looking to see if someone was doing > definitive work on the AI. I have enough to do with track graphics. I > start fooling with the AI and I'll never get anything completed....lol... > > A comment, however: The rpy-to-lp converter would be more of a tool to > change their line. That seems okay...its their behavior that needs work, > IMHO. It seems that unless you are going within a certain percentage of > their speed....they just don't see you. Also, they make passing attempts > (on the road courses) in very bad places....usually resulting in a wreck.

I > wonder if there's some kind of "global aggression factor"....that can be > turned down? > > Oh well, guess I'll have to stick to racing dumber humans!.....lol...Just

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> kidding. > > TP > > > > > "Goy Larsen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > > > > > Tom Pabst wrote: > > > > > > Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-market > updates/fixes > > > for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. > > > > I wouldn't think so Tom, Nigel Pattinson hasn't released an updated > > rpy->lp converter for NR2002, so it may be down to lack of proper tools > > really, that is if they still use that for making AI, I haven't done any > > AI work since N3 myself, and even then it was on a very limited scale > > and all down to having the proper tools > > > > > > Beers and cheers > > (uncle) Goy > > > > "The Pits" http://www.theuspits.com/ > > > > "A man is only as old as the woman he feels" > > --Groucho Marx-- > >

db wrote: > > But I'm just happy that they fixed the problems the first patch created ;). Really ? ......I never would have noticed :-) Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy http://www.theuspits.com "A man is only as old as the woman he feels........" --Groucho Marx--

Thanks for all the good info, guys......apparently many of you fool around with the AI more than I do. As I originally said, I'm looking for a "canned fix" for the AI in N2K2.....something done by someone who has been playing with Papy AI since the N2/N3 days....preferably (like Nim Cross). I know that I could "tweak" various ini settings myself.....but as stated, I don't have time to get into that and continue to do track graphics......and all the other work I have with PR activities. I would love to become an AI specialist. Someone want to take over re-doing all the stupid signage and so forth in the N2K2 tracks? Then I'd have time to become an N2K2 AI specialist. .....lol.... TP "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:pchW8.438436$352.62094@sccrnsc02... > Is anyone working on definitive (track by track) after-marketupdates/fixes > for the AI in N2K2? I tried Nim's AI site......nothing. > > TP > >