Hi everyone,

though being new to LfS I noticed a lot of people being unhappy with the current AI. As especially newbies want to train offline against other cars (so they don't bother the fast drivers online), a useful AI would be really helpful.

Now here's my suggestion: as there are *a lot* of replay files available, why not implement an option in S2 to assign a lap from your replay file, or maybe the whole file to an AI driver? He could use the driving line, the braking points etc... and still there could be some (random) deviations from that line, so that it doesn'T become too boring...
This way you could adjust the AI very easily, just be selecting a appropriate replay file... and I guess it would be way better than the current one...

Just a suggestion... what do you think about it?

sounds a bit like you want a ghost replay, and there is an unofficial add on for ghost replays, but i've never used it so i'm not sure if it functions exactly as you are describing.

that said, the more laps the AI cars run, the better they get at that track. i've read that some people will start up a practice session, load it full of AI cars, and leave the game running for a few hours. apparently, the AI cars will reach their full potential after ~60 laps on a give track.

no, I wasn't thinking about something like a Ghost car, rather I would suggest using a hotlap file as starting point for the AI. With time, they can improve on that, but still, from the beginning, they will drive a competitive time...

why not have it so your previous lap is ghosted in so you are racing against your previous lap

used to enjoy this in toca 2 on the test track and apart from trying to beat yourself it meant you were continually watching what lines you had taken

must admit i dont use hot laps so for all i know it already does this

I think you guys are missing his point. As I understand it, he thinks it would be cool to use a replay as a sort of "waypoint" for the AI to learn from. I agree!

Thanks Reed, finally someone understood me...

I wasn't aware of the problem "thisnameistaken" mentioned, but as most start/finish-lines are at the middle of a long straight, it shouldn't be too difficult to let the AI do a lap without a "jump"....?

But think how easy it would be to select the level of difficulty! Take your own replays as waypoints = get a tough race.... take the WRs and well, get an even tougher race

i think its a really good idea. surely it would get the AI upto a more acceptable level.

supposing you DL the Hotlap WR as starter for your AI! the AI should be immense and a real challenge. hopefully they wouldnt copy these laps exactly, but at least learn and try to immitate faster drivers.

as thisnameistaken suggests, there maybe problems, but i am pretty sure these can be overcome with some clever programming.

hopefully pitting will be included too if you could record and train the AI.

and, if you recorded a replay with as much laps as you are planning to race (or found one on the net) the problem concerning the start/finish-line would be non-existent.

still talking about way-points, though, the AI would still have to be able to overtake and change the line a little, according to the current situation

I second the motion

Quote :

assign a lap from your replay file, or maybe the whole file to an AI driver?

A big difference between that and the AI is that the AI can "sense" where you are at and try braking appropriately or turning appropriately as to not hit you(though the AI aren't too great at this yet like they were in S1). A replay AI would drive its line, you move into its line and its trouble cause it won't move out of the way.

NetDemon01,

I wasn't thinking of the AI to follow the replay file STRICTLY. It could use the braking points, acceleration points, the general driving line etc. from the replay.
Of course you would have to add some "real" AI behaviour (like sensing the human driver crossing its line, pit stops etc.), but that could be added on top of the almost-perfect waypoints.

I was just thinking, it would save the devs a lot of time they would have to spend on programming a "clever" AI that can find out the braking points itself... All that really matters is the outcome...

It sounds like that it'd take something from the passion for supporting the AI in learning if you could just set them a WR replay as sortof "template". I know you don't mean the AI should exactly drive like in the replay but it implicitly means that it STILL has to learn driving itself. So why bother with this anyway?

I enjoyed to affect the AI process in S1 with handing them setups and I've been told one guy who was often practising on BL1 with AIs got them faster than anyone else's AI over there

I'd guess it's fine how it works/worked and I think and I hope it is developed further in the direction the S1 AI was developed to. One step closer to artificial intelligence. And while others replaced all KNW files with the fastest AI they got, I kept them all sortof individual and did not replace any files