Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

With the vehicle bride now successfully laid (magenta circle), with the AT Ditch now crossable, the Syrians begin to exploit the breach:

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

Campaign Series: Middle East Betas 20170709 released. [released to the CS Dev Team only!]

...

New features in this release (since the Betas 20170630 release):

Implemented 6 new Lua EE functions, for adjusting unit morale values, also storing Lua values/variables:

inc_morale_shift (nation, increment)
luav (index)
max_luav_index ()
morale_shift (nation)
set_luav (index, value)
set_morale_shift (nation, value)

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

I am finally reviewing the bridge laying stuff, all aspects, including graphics.

In the course of this, I am generating tons of log entries at higher logging levels.

Finally, too, I went to the trouble of downloading, installing, and making use of RAMdisk software. This is speeding up the reads/writes of log files tremendously, not to mention saving wear and tear on my physical hard drives.

(BTW, I tried using AMD Radeon RAMDisk, but the most recent Windows 10 Creators Update broke it. So instead I am using ImDisk, which so far appears to be working well enough.)

Now, in all cases, by means of the -R command-line option, I am writing engine and editor log files to the ramdisk:

---

rober@Rob10rto /cygdrive/c/Games/Matrix Games/Middle East/middle_east
$ ./Middle\ East.exe -R

---

When the launcher calls the game engine, the -R option is passed along to the me.exe too. And so on.

Using the ramdisk is now SOP for me.

I have set this (ImDisk) up for a 8 GB ramdisk:

---

rober@Rob10rto /cygdrive/c/Games/Matrix Games/Middle East/middle_east
$ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
C:/cygwin64 918G 205G 713G 23% /
E: 3.7G 3.7G 0 100% /cygdrive/e
F: 2.0T 386G 1.7T 19% /cygdrive/f
G: 1.7T 461G 1.2T 28% /cygdrive/g
R: 8.0G 44M 8.0G 1% /cygdrive/r

---

Thus far, the largest log files I have generated are ~1/2 GB in size.

Not only is the writing of log files to the ramdisk much faster, analyzing those log files is now blazingly fast. Here is a command to count the number of trace calls for various functions:

---

rober@Rob10rto /cygdrive/r/Temp/logs
$ egrep TRACE frontend.log | awk -F\( '{print $2}' | awk '{print $NF}' | sed '1,$ s/,//g' | sort | uniq -c | sort -n
2 GetTimelines
2 NoShowFlag
2 SelectScenarioInit
2 SortFileIndexByComplex
2 SortFileIndexByName
2 VictoryFlag
2 XCSound::XCSound
4 DoSorting
4 GetDirDetails
4 GetDirectoryToDisplay
4 SetupScenarioList
6 SwitchMenu
8 ShowMovie
32 LoadScenarioPicture
34 OnLButtonDown
34 OnLButtonUp
60 WriteTextSelectScenario
80 OnPaint
138 OnTimer
636 CheckTextExtent
1092 GetDateValue
1092 LoadScenarioThumbnail
1092 SetHistoricalData
5198 Swap
13242 Trim
553020 StringIsLess

---

That is, feed the frontend.log -- in this case, ~7 MB in size -- to a series of 7 piped utilities (egrep, awk, sed, sort, uniq, ...; where one utility's output is input for the next utility in the sequence). When I execute such a command, I see results very quickly, in this case in the blink of an eye. Imagine: Processing over 7 million characters of log entries, passing through 7 different Unix (Cygwin) utilities, in the fraction of a second!

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

Campaign Series: Middle East Betas 20170714 released.

...

New features in this release (since the Betas 20170709 release):

Implemented the new Recon Reveal feature, where by expending APs recce units can instantly reveal enemy units within visibility range.

Added two new toolbar buttons in connection with the preceding: Recon Reveal, and Save APs for Recon. (Also removed the Undo toolbar button.)

Fixed a bug with targeting fast recon units... [with the bug fix, fast recon units are now much less vulnerable to enemy direct fire]

...

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho

quote:

Recon Instant Reveal

That is crazy exciting!

No kidding. This is a literal game(play) changer.

Recon units are no longer just cheap units to throw at the enemy in the hope they will somehow survive the inevitable opfire. In their newly fully developed specialty role, they are much more useful, precious even. The game is about to become much more interesting.

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

I will be implementing two new Adaptive AI parameters:

---

// 80-89 visibility, spotting
atg_move_reveal_prob, // Probability moving ATG unit will lose concealment.
sneaker_move_reveal_prob, // Probability moving Sneaker unit will lose concealment.
atg_fire_reveal_prob, // Probability firing ATG unit will lose concealment.
sneaker_fire_reveal_prob, // Probability firing Sneaker unit will lose concealment.
spotter_prob, // Probability unit will perform spotter function.
air_spotter_prob, // Probability unit will perform air spotter function.
recon_reveal_prob, // Probability recon unit will successfully reveal enemy units.
recon_reveal_cost, // AP cost of instant recon reveal attempt.
sight_reserved_88,
sight_reserved_89,

---

with the defaults set to

---

const int AI_recon_reveal_prob = 100; [applied after any other considerations]
const int AI_recon_reveal_cost = 35; [AP expenditure per recon attempt]

---

Like any other Adaptive AI parameters, the scenario designer is invited to set these to different values, and to vary by side and by nation.

About the recon_reveal_prob, and the uncertainty of concealment and spotting in general: You will recall that, even in open, clear terrain but also in any terrain, there is a chance that units will remain concealed. This applies to the new Instant Recon also. Just because you expend the 35 APs is no guarantee that all enemy units within Visibility range and LOS will in fact be revealed. Even less certain if recon_reveal_prob is set to < 100. But note: If the first attempted recon fails, or if you suspect it didn't lift the veil from all nearby enemy units, you can attempt a second instant recon, if the unit has sufficient APs remaining. Indeed, we might envision a sequence of: move, recon, move, recon, move.

This instant recon feature opens up a whole new world of interesting game play choices.

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

Campaign Series: Middle East Betas 20170716 released.

...

New features in this release (since the Betas 20170714b release):

Implemented 8 new Lua EE functions, for a variety of purposes:

on_unit_reduce (x, y, trackid, pid, name, side, nation, oid, orgname, points, strength, HQ, Leader, loss)
losses (side)
loss_points (side)
objective_points ()
total_points ()
inc_luav (index, value)
debug (text)
strength (side)

...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Recon Units highlighted, see the cyan circle marking the Toolbar icon.

Save AP for Recon Reveal toggled On for the current unit, see the red circle marking the Toolbar icon, and the little icon on the unit card as well.

As always in these types of situations, it is good to check your movement radius when one of the "Save AP for..." actions is On. Lighter green circle for Toolbar icon, and hexes for radius, reveal vital information about this.

Finally, there's the Recon Reveal action icon circled in dark green. That's what you use, when (if) you get to a position to do something.

Clicking at the Recon Reveal, I learn there's more units there, at least(!) the SAM Radar and Battery. There might be more though, we can't rely we've spotted them all even now [right screenshot]

Now I can plan my next move(s) accordingly!




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Crossroads -- 7/18/2017 8:11:22 AM >

_____________________________

Visit us at: Campaign Series Legion
---
CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 <-- Jan 20th, 2022! --
CS: Middle East 1948-1985 2.0

(in reply to Crossroads)

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

From my latest automated AI test game:




Note the two AI-built bridges circled in magenta. Note the Syrian armored engineer platoon, highlighted in green, that has crossed over the bridge it built earlier.

The dialog box reports success in building a new, third bridge.

Gentlemen, we have a bridge-building AI!

quote:

ORIGINAL: berto

After [additionally] activating the vehicle bridge building AI code, from a subsequent automated AI test game:




To the left, note the magenta circled AI-built vehicle bridge. Note that the Syrian have crossed the AT ditch in force. Note also that the Syrian forces on the other side of the AT ditch have sprung to life...

... The important thing: We have a bridge laying/building AI. One step forward, but a very, very big one.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Yesterday's build was the first one with all front end dialogs (the one's used for selecting a scenario, a campaign, or one of the editors) were replaced with new, 800x600 sized dialogs. Another milestone set and met!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Here's the new Battle Generator dialog, all neatly in place now. Hopefully an improvement from the legacy one