AI traffic needs better “common sense” behavior + more tools for modders

[trainguy_modding]

@Lionv8 I increased g traffic to 2 instead of 1 it kinda helped, SCS still needs to redo the traffic system regardless. Now AI is more stupid on g_traffic 2 than g_traffic 1, which is strange.

[Lionv8]

@trainguy_modding I mean, IRL you get sometimes some stupid drivers so from this point of view it would add some immersion, although sometimes I get mad how the traffic drives in game. Most annoying thing to me is when ai change lane and after 2 seconds they are changing lane back to previous one. While im already adjusted my lane to their move which then results in crash. Another thing but this one its in game since I started playing is when traffic enters highway they don't give way and slam into you. Like they couldn't wait on their lane and have a massive need to change lane since their lane is ending.

[plykkegaard]

Highway merging In US: Traffic already on the freeway has the right-of-way. The merging vehicle must yield.
Quite the opposite in some European countries where both parties must make sure a safe merge will occur

SCS might have gottern this a bit wrong
Make a bug report?

[trainguy_modding]

@trainguy_modding I mean, IRL you get sometimes some stupid drivers so from this point of view it would add some immersion, although sometimes I get mad how the traffic drives in game. Most annoying thing to me is when ai change lane and after 2 seconds they are changing lane back to previous one. While im already adjusted my lane to their move which then results in crash. Another thing but this one its in game since I started playing is when traffic enters highway they don't give way and slam into you. Like they couldn't wait on their lane and have a massive need to change lane since their lane is ending.

"when ai change lane and after 2 seconds they are changing lane back to previous one" I agree.

[trainguy_modding]

Makes me sad how empty the roads feel.

[Runoff_975]

The only valid parameter for bug reports is g_traffic 1, that's it, because anything else besides that won't be valid for a bug report. The AI can't sort themselves out at anything else.

Another issue would be "spawn balancing" for vehicle types, but that's another topic for another day.

[robty96]

A few things I experienced lately in ATS:

1.) The issue when coming out of depots, fuel stations, rest places, depots, etc. which are located on country roads with higher speeds (no inner city roads with lower speeds) that the AI seem to doesn't react to you waiting with the correct direction indicator flashing on to get into the road at all UNLESS you're actually on the road, marking some kind of obstacle in the AI system so they finally react to and slow down or stop. However, this is risky because - as you said - at high speeds it might be that AI crashes into you.

2.) AI wanting to get onto the motorway on the on-ramp and do not react to the player being on the right side on the motorway at all, just crashing into them. Usually the logic thing to do is to change to left lane once you see traffic coming onto the motorway via the in-ramp. However, often there are some traffic jam conditions which doesn't allow you to go to the left lane, and they just crash into me, if I don't slow down and let them onto the lane. In real life, the traffic which comes onto the motorway from the in-ramp needs to wait as long as there is free space to get onto the motorway and in case stop at the end. However, AI doesn't seem to do that when the player is on the right lane on the motorway and just drive onto it without caring that the player already is there.

3.) The player wants to get onto the motorway via the on-ramp but AI is not switching lane to the left to give space although left lane is free. Although I have to say that AI does that sometimes indeed, it still happens a lot where they don't.

One extreme example of AI misbehavior I just had during my last journey was this. I wanted to go onto the motorway via the on-ramp, indicator correctly placed, AI vehicle was on the left lane when I starting to turn onto the right lane of the motorway, BUT as soon as I turned they switched from the left to right lane behind me, and I could just prevent the crash by going onto the auxiliary lane and stopping. In real life, noone would change from left to right lane, when they see it's going to be occupied soon and basically causing a crash intentionally by doing so.

So, yes AI traffic has to improve.

[plykkegaard]

1. AI has right of way
2. Vehicles on the highway has the right of way a bit different than Europe where in most countries merging is mandatory
3. Isn't it a contradiction? If on the ramp you should give way to traffic on the highway

[robty96]

1.) It's kind of a problem when the player can't see any in-coming traffic, then turns into the street but the AI being too fast and don't recognize you coming from an exit and they just run into you. A real person on the road would see, "Okay, there's a car wanting to come out or already being part of the street and I slow down or even stop to avoid a crash even though I have the right of way." - The AI has not that kind of thinking or perspective to look ahead, and just continues to drive on speed just like there were no potential risk. Yes, they have right of way and it's okay that they don't let you pass immediately, but they only slow down or stop once the system detects there is an obstacle directly on the street. If not, all AI traffic just continues at speed.
2.) I don't know how the traffic rules in America are for that in particular, but in europe you can't drive on a motorway without caring of the traffic which is already on the motorway (especially the right lane) - the traffic on the motorway has right of way - but I can't think that the ones on the motorway need to give pass to the ones merging in in America either.
3.) Although the traffic on the motorway has right of way, they can (or even should AFAIR) change the lane from right to left to give space for the traffic coming from the ramp to avoid situations leading to a crash. That's at least what I learnt in driving school by my teacher, but not sure if there is an official rule about it. Now AI traffic does that sometimes in game, but most of the times it doesn't. I guess it actually could be that the reaction from AI traffic to AI traffic is actually better than the reaction AI traffic to player, so that when you have a AI car or truck in front of you on the ramp, it's possible that the AI traffic on the motorway changes lane from right to left to give space IF there is space for them on the left lane.

In the example I cited, AI traffic did exactly the opposite. They changed lane from left to right immediately behind me, once I wanted to merge in from the ramp, which makes no sense since this AI vehicle was basically asking for a crash into me.

[plykkegaard]

Denmark has a special case called "sammanfletning" (zip-merging)
The method is used where merging traffic and main lane traffic share equal responsibility to merge in turn.

I all other countries fast moving traffic in the highway has priority
Changing lanes is a nice option but not mandatory

Of course no vehicle are allowed to change lane into you path as each lane has priority over kange changing traffic