AI Problems

[akzim]

I created an activity on the Marias Pass 5 route. I created several AI trains, but when I run the activity, I have not run into any of the AI trains I created. Did I do something wrong??

[seagoon]

I created an activity on the Marias Pass 5 route. I created several AI trains, but when I run the activity, I have not run into any of the AI trains I created. Did I do something wrong??

Most likely.

Did you give each AI unit a start time?
Did you test the activity in the AE by going to the start time for your train and then seeing if the other AI units started and ran?

[markus1996]

When you are in game (you just need to start the game, and not even set the train into motion) press F5 once, and then press Shift+F5 a few times, until you can see the "DISPATCHER INFORMATION" HUD. With that displayed, take a screenshot and attach it here, please.

Additionally, please tell us from where all of those AI trains start and where the player train starts.

Cheers, Markus

[akzim]

Dispatcher information only shows my train, and no other trains? In MSTS AE I had one train start west of Glacier Park, the other one near Java. My train is at Shelby Main 2. The sim time I put in AE was 00:00:00, also the AI start times were 00:00:00.

In MSTS AE, everything ran fine, all the AI trains are there and moving.

[baldwin]

If you have logging enabled, have a look at the open rails log which will be on your desktop by default. That may have a clue as to why the AI are not starting. You can also zip it and attach to a post here.

[R. Steele]

Could be a conflict in the starting times, everything at 00:00:00. Leave the player at 00:00:00 and stagger the AI start times by a few seconds or so.

[akzim]

I changed the player time to 00:10:00 and left the AI time the same, and the AI trains are showing up now. OR must not like player and AI services starting at the same time?

[R. Steele]

Happy it helped. It really is a case by case basis. I have quite a few activities that have the player and some of the AI traffic starting at the same time and no problems. OR has excellent AI logic and they run quite well.

To figure out what was happening someone would have to look at your log and also the activity to find what the specific problem was.
Some people are running upwards of 10 to 20 AI trains on some routes and report no problems. Have fun.

[akzim]

Should I manually change the path where my train takes the siding and the AI has the main track in MSTS AE, or does OR take charge of that? When I don't do that, it seems I have to sit somewhere for 30 minutes, where the AI train could of taken a siding track, and I could I can continue on?

[R. Steele]

The easiest way would be to use the AE to put in "passing paths" in the players path. If you wish you can also put in passing paths in the traffic paths. Then check the Locations-linked passing paths processing option on the Options>Experimental tab. That way OR will take care of the AI traffic. Depending upon speed, timing, start times you could wait on a siding or the traffic may be waiting for you. If you want the main to yourself you should plan out the traffic paths through the sidings.

The above is only the simplest way of doing it, read the manual (I think starting on page 124) and you'll see that you can create some very complex activities with AI traffic in OR.

I am still learning my way through this also, but OR makes it very interesting, lots of possibilities.

[markus1996]

There have been some cases in th past where it was found, that AI train starting within 10 seconds of the player start time could have problems. I thought, this has since been resolved (hasn´t been mentioned in a long time), but obviously the issue still exists (it you´re using a current version of ORTS, anyway).

So, pls tell us what version of ORTS you are using (displayed in the first line of the HUD, or the title bar of the main menu)

Cheers, Markus

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

Yeah - I have activities starting with multiple AI trains spawning at the same time - no issue noted...

Regards,
Scott

[markus1996]

@ Scott: At the same time as the player train, too?

Cheers, Markus

[scottb613]

Hi Markus,

Yeah - one I just recently made has the player and (2) AI spawning right at the absolute start of the activity... I've never noticed an issue... I'm not saying there couldn't be a problem - just stating it worked fine for me...

Regards,
Scott

[sidp]

I changed the player time to 00:10:00 and left the AI time the same, and the AI trains are showing up now. OR must not like player and AI services starting at the same time?

Yes, I have also had OR sometimes process the start-up operations within a minute of the player train start-up time differently than MSTS. Moving the AI times outside of the minute before the Player start-up time seemed to fix it.