AI Tweaks

[Kendo1978]

After much playing around with settings in different files (AIW, HDV, RCD) I still haven't got it quite to how I would like.

I think I spend more time tweaking AI values in this game in Notepad++ then I ever do racing

I think my biggest 2 issues are:

- From the start of a race they are damned slow out of the starting blocks despite them totally kicking my ass in Qualifying and I will find myself in the bottom half of the grid. Many times I qualify stone wall last but once the race starts I can get into the top 10 within a few laps. However, when the lights go Green I can usually make up a lot of places by the first corner and am very fast in the opening laps. The AI then usually starts beating my quick laps as the race goes on (Fuel/Tire wear?). So basically I find the AI too slow at the start of a race but they set a good pace once the race has got going.

- If the AI car is behind me and I'm struggling a train piles up behind me, quite handy if I'm first because I can still win the race, they seem scared to try and put a move on me. I've tried tweaking aggression but then I just get rear ended for my troubles at the next corner...

My main mod I play with here is RF3. I like open wheelers and it's about the right sort of pace and learning curve for me as I use a pad and not a wheel.

Determined to have one last crack at this before RF2 hits

 

[kmw]

Have you tried adding the qual ratio and race ratio lines to the AIW file?

AIW file:

WorstAdjust=(0.8500) // Used for 70% AI strength option
MidAdjust=(1.0200) // Used for 100% AI strength option (note that AIs now use full throttle above 95% AI strength option)
BestAdjust=(1.1900) // Used for 120% AI strength option
QualRatio=(1.0069) // Used to adjust AI speed in qual compared to base values higher number = faster lap time
RaceRatio=(1.0110) // Used to adjust AI speed in race compared to base values higher number = faster lap time

Using this you can increase the AI performance for the race, separately to the qualifying.
Then lower the AI aggression slightly (to stop them rear-ending your car) but raise their overall difficulty.
Also, try doubling the tyre wear rate, so once you get the AI about right at the start of the race, they should maintain the balance as the race goes on (they may speed up due to fuel use, but the tyre wear keeps their pace down).

Same as you, I've spent more time editing these things than racing. I keep promising myself I will get a season of cars and circuits sorted and then complete a whole season without tampering, but I keep on making more and more changes and never see the end of a season!

 

[palindnilap]

Have you tried adding the qual ratio and race ratio lines to the AIW file?

AIW file:

WorstAdjust=(0.8500) // Used for 70% AI strength option
MidAdjust=(1.0200) // Used for 100% AI strength option (note that AIs now use full throttle above 95% AI strength option)
BestAdjust=(1.1900) // Used for 120% AI strength option
QualRatio=(1.0069) // Used to adjust AI speed in qual compared to base values higher number = faster lap time
RaceRatio=(1.0110) // Used to adjust AI speed in race compared to base values higher number = faster lap time

Using this you can increase the AI performance for the race, separately to the qualifying.

But do RaceRatio and QualRatio really work ? I haven't seen them in the AIW file of any track, after BestAdjust I have got AIRange. When I have tried adding RaceRatio and QualRatio with extreme values I haven't seen any difference. From what I read on other forums I was under the impression that those parameters existed in GTR2 and not in rF1, but I could be wrong (I don't know GTR2 at all).

Then lower the AI aggression slightly (to stop them rear-ending your car) but raise their overall difficulty.

This is a double-edged sword since in that case they will still have a lot of trouble overtaking each other and will lose tons of time when lapping laggards. I think the solution lies rather in lowering the values AI Brake_Power Usage and AI Brake_Grip Usage in the .PLR file, which seems to make the AI more cautious when braking. I haven't understood the difference in the effect of those two parameters, though, neither have got it to work really well, because in my favorite mod the AI already brakes quite early before cornering and I wouldn't want them to brake even earlier.

Also, try doubling the tyre wear rate, so once you get the AI about right at the start of the race, they should maintain the balance as the race goes on (they may speed up due to fuel use, but the tyre wear keeps their pace down).

From my tests, unfortunately that doesn't work. When the AI's tires wear more, they pit earlier, but I was not able to observe any drop-down in their performance (I mean, they go faster and faster because of the diminishing fuel load, at the same rate no matter the tire wear). Maybe this is because they pit as soon as the tires have lost 10% of their grip, but I don't know whether that can be adjusted. This is a major problem I have for the moment.

Same as you, I've spent more time editing these things than racing. I keep promising myself I will get a season of cars and circuits sorted and then complete a whole season without tampering, but I keep on making more and more changes and never see the end of a season!

I know the feeling ! I guess it is a different type of fun...

 

[kmw]

If raceratio and qualratio are missing I insert them. But you're right, I cannot 100% say they work. I have tried them from 1 to 1.1 and I believed I saw a difference but I must admit I generally alter the best, mid and worst adjust and this ges my AI where I want them usually.
As for AI overtaking each other, again you are right, there doesn't seem to be a definitive solution but I do see an improvement when I also spread the AI performance by editing engine power (they are still caught up by the ackmarkers, but they do get past a bit quicker);
The tire wear - this is an interesting comment you make - are you sure they pit because of tire wear? I always thought they only pit for fuel. When I double the tyre wear, I see them gradually lose grip, and they slide around more until they pit for fuel, at which point they also take on new tyres, then the grip returns - maybe I am mistaken about this?

 

[terrible1fi]

biggest thing for me was

AI limiter = 0.00
AI mistakes = 0.25
AI realism = .4000

 

[palindnilap]

Thanks for the feedback kmw, I was prompted to do some more testing and I did find something new.

If raceratio and qualratio are missing I insert them. But you're right, I cannot 100% say they work. I have tried them from 1 to 1.1 and I believed I saw a difference but I must admit I generally alter the best, mid and worst adjust and this ges my AI where I want them usually.

But not here. Setting RaceRatio = 0.1 and QualRatio = 5 did no difference whatsoever.

As for AI overtaking each other, again you are right, there doesn't seem to be a definitive solution but I do see an improvement when I also spread the AI performance by editing engine power (they are still caught up by the ackmarkers, but they do get past a bit quicker);

OK, not something I would like to do to my well-tuned historical F1 1982 mod though !

The tire wear - this is an interesting comment you make - are you sure they pit because of tire wear? I always thought they only pit for fuel. When I double the tyre wear, I see them gradually lose grip, and they slide around more until they pit for fuel, at which point they also take on new tyres, then the grip returns - maybe I am mistaken about this?

I did a further test, and my mistake, the tire wear is not spectacular, but noticeable. I guess I had set it either too low, either too high when there were not enough laps to observe the effect. If I adjust it better I can have the AI run the whole race and have the tires degrade. It would still be interesting to control how much the AI tries with the degraded tires so that I could give them a good tire strategy and they won't pit 2 laps away from the finish, but I can live with that. Cool !
And yes, although it is a pity that apparently we cannot know for sure why the AI pitted, I am pretty sure that they pitted for tires because I can control the time when they go pitting by adjusting only the AI Wear parameter in the tire file.

 

[palindnilap]

@terrible1fi : AI limiter and AI mistakes are very big indeed. I have AI mistakes at 0.5 and the AI lap times are still relatively consistent.
I was not sure what the difference was between AI realism and the AI aggression slider, if any.