PANPC 2.0.9 Released: Updated Combat Targeting, Eyebots (Patreon)

PANPC 2.0.9 has been released and is now available to Citizen role users on the GreslinGames Discord.

The major update in this release is to the combat targeting routines of all the AIs, but this version also introduces a basic experimental Eyebot system as well as a set of bug fixes and compatibility for Damn Apocalypse 2.0's radiation module.

Changelog:

[NEW] Improved combat targeting - target switching significance (All)
[NEW] Eyebot (Scout AI) - experimental (off by default)
[CHANGED] Combat targeting now completely ignores dead targets
[CHANGED] Deathclaws and Synths now confidence-locked at Foolhardy
[COMPAT] Added Deathclaw custom template keyword, faction
[COMPAT] DamnApoc rad module now treated the same as PIRAD
[FIX] Better current weapon ID - dynamic slot index calculation
[FIX] Nonfunctional Generic Human profile switch removed from MCM
[FIX] Additional detect events now fire only when DE volume > 0 in MCM
[FIX] Minor issue with custom DC, Feral, Bot activations

The new targeting changes deal with an issue that happens often in any game AI system: "flocking", a phenomenon that happens with the AI agents all make roughly the same decisions at the same time or find themselves in self-reinforcing social feedback loops.  

This flocking issue showed up when multiple faction groups would be in combat simultaneously and a large new enemy enters the field. More often than not, everyone's combat targeter would pivot and focus together on the large target.

In PANPC 2.0.9, I introduced a granularity to the targeters. Rather than recognizing an enemy as a greater threat because they are "current target + 1 HP", each agent now avoids target switching unless the new target exceeds the current threat by a certain percentage - a targeting significance rating. Each AI group has a different base percentage, and so they won't all shift their targeting at the same time or for the same reasons.

Eyebots are also new. They're very basic in this release - no combat or maneuver AI, and while they use the standard PANPC AI script, in this case Eyebots stay in Low Power Mode. The only thing they currently do is, if the Eyebot happens to be hostile to the player and catches the player in their line of sight (LOS), it sends a signal for nearby allies to approach its position. My hope is to expand it in the future into a more scouting/defense AI system, but for right now they're just tattletales.  

This version also includes various fixes and suggested changes brought to my attention on the GG Discord.