Module `AI_Balancer`

AI -- AI Balancing will replace in multi player missions non-occupied human slots with AI groups, in order to provide an engaging simulation environment, even when there are hardly any players in the mission.

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AI_BALANCER Demo Missions source code

AI_BALANCER Demo Missions, only for beta testers

ALL Demo Missions pack of the last release

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Author: Sven Van de Velde (FlightControl)

Contributions:

Dutch_Baron: Working together with James has resulted in the creation of the AI_BALANCER class.

James has shared his ideas on balancing AI with air units, and together we made a first design which you can use now :-)

Global(s)

AI_BALANCER

AI_BALANCER class, extends Fsm#FSM_SET

The AIBALANCER class monitors and manages as many replacement AI groups as there are CLIENTS in a SETCLIENT collection, which are not occupied by human players.

Type `AI_BALANCER`

AI_BALANCER.Earliest
AI_BALANCER:InitSpawnInterval(Earliest, Latest)	Sets the earliest to the latest interval in seconds how long AI_BALANCER will wait to spawn a new AI.
AI_BALANCER.Latest
AI_BALANCER:New(SetClient, SpawnAI)	Creates a new AI_BALANCER object
AI_BALANCER.ReturnAirbaseSet
AI_BALANCER.ReturnThresholdRange
AI_BALANCER:ReturnToHomeAirbase(ReturnThresholdRange)	Returns the AI to the home Airbase#AIRBASE.
AI_BALANCER:ReturnToNearestAirbases(ReturnThresholdRange, ReturnAirbaseSet)	Returns the AI to the nearest friendly Airbase#AIRBASE.
AI_BALANCER.SetClient
AI_BALANCER.SpawnAI
AI_BALANCER.Test
AI_BALANCER.ToHomeAirbase
AI_BALANCER.ToNearestAirbase
AI_BALANCER:onenterDestroying(SetGroup, AIGroup, From, Event, To, ClientName)
AI_BALANCER:onenterMonitoring(SetGroup)
AI_BALANCER:onenterReturning(SetGroup, AIGroup, From, Event, To)
AI_BALANCER:onenterSpawning(SetGroup, ClientName, AIGroup, From, Event, To)

Global(s)

#AI_BALANCER AI_BALANCER

AI_BALANCER class, extends Fsm#FSM_SET

The AIBALANCER class monitors and manages as many replacement AI groups as there are CLIENTS in a SETCLIENT collection, which are not occupied by human players.

In other words, use AI_BALANCER to simulate human behaviour by spawning in replacement AI in multi player missions.

The parent class Fsm#FSM_SET manages the functionality to control the Finite State Machine (FSM). The mission designer can tailor the behaviour of the AI_BALANCER, by defining event and state transition methods. An explanation about state and event transition methods can be found in the FSM module documentation.

The mission designer can tailor the AI_BALANCER behaviour, by implementing a state or event handling method for the following:

AI_BALANCER.OnAfterSpawned( AISet, From, Event, To, AIGroup ): Define to add extra logic when an AI is spawned.

1. AI_BALANCER construction

Create a new AI_BALANCER object with the AI_BALANCER.New() method:

2. AI_BALANCER is a FSM

Process

2.1. AI_BALANCER States

Monitoring ( Set ): Monitoring the Set if all AI is spawned for the Clients.
Spawning ( Set, ClientName ): There is a new AI group spawned with ClientName as the name of reference.
Spawned ( Set, AIGroup ): A new AI has been spawned. You can handle this event to customize the AI behaviour with other AI FSMs or own processes.
Destroying ( Set, AIGroup ): The AI is being destroyed.
Returning ( Set, AIGroup ): The AI is returning to the airbase specified by the ReturnToAirbase methods. Handle this state to customize the return behaviour of the AI, if any.

2.2. AI_BALANCER Events

Monitor ( Set ): Every 10 seconds, the Monitor event is triggered to monitor the Set.
Spawn ( Set, ClientName ): Triggers when there is a new AI group to be spawned with ClientName as the name of reference.
Spawned ( Set, AIGroup ): Triggers when a new AI has been spawned. You can handle this event to customize the AI behaviour with other AI FSMs or own processes.
Destroy ( Set, AIGroup ): The AI is being destroyed.
Return ( Set, AIGroup ): The AI is returning to the airbase specified by the ReturnToAirbase methods.

3. AI_BALANCER spawn interval for replacement AI

Use the method AI_BALANCER.InitSpawnInterval() to set the earliest and latest interval in seconds that is waited until a new replacement AI is spawned.

4. AI_BALANCER returns AI to Airbases

By default, When a human player joins a slot that is AI_BALANCED, the AI group will be destroyed by default. However, there are 2 additional options that you can use to customize the destroy behaviour. When a human player joins a slot, you can configure to let the AI return to:

AI_BALANCER.ReturnToHomeAirbase: Returns the AI to the home Airbase#AIRBASE.
AI_BALANCER.ReturnToNearestAirbases: Returns the AI to the nearest friendly Airbase#AIRBASE.

Note that when AI returns to an airbase, the AIBALANCER will trigger the Return event and the AI will return, otherwise the AIBALANCER will trigger a Destroy event, and the AI will be destroyed.

Type `AI_Balancer`

Type `AI_BALANCER`

Field(s)

AI_BALANCER.Earliest

AI_BALANCER:InitSpawnInterval(Earliest, Latest)

Sets the earliest to the latest interval in seconds how long AI_BALANCER will wait to spawn a new AI.

Provide 2 identical seconds if the interval should be a fixed amount of seconds.

Parameters

#number Earliest : The earliest a new AI can be spawned in seconds.
#number Latest : The latest a new AI can be spawned in seconds.

Return value

self

AI_BALANCER.Latest

AI_BALANCER:New(SetClient, SpawnAI)

Creates a new AI_BALANCER object

Parameters

Core.Set#SET_CLIENT SetClient : A SET_CLIENT object that will contain the CLIENT objects to be monitored if they are alive or not (joined by a player).
Core.Spawn#SPAWN SpawnAI : The default Spawn object to spawn new AI Groups when needed.

Return value

#AI_BALANCER:

AI_BALANCER.ReturnAirbaseSet

AI_BALANCER.ReturnThresholdRange

AI_BALANCER:ReturnToHomeAirbase(ReturnThresholdRange)

Returns the AI to the home Airbase#AIRBASE.

Parameter

Dcs.DCSTypes#Distance ReturnThresholdRange : If there is an enemy Client#CLIENT within the ReturnThresholdRange given in meters, the AI will not return to the nearest Airbase#AIRBASE.

AI_BALANCER:ReturnToNearestAirbases(ReturnThresholdRange, ReturnAirbaseSet)

Returns the AI to the nearest friendly Airbase#AIRBASE.

Parameters

Dcs.DCSTypes#Distance ReturnThresholdRange : If there is an enemy Client#CLIENT within the ReturnThresholdRange given in meters, the AI will not return to the nearest Airbase#AIRBASE.
Core.Set#SET_AIRBASE ReturnAirbaseSet : The SET of Set#SET_AIRBASEs to evaluate where to return to.