We are still experimenting with DocStone about the difficulty.

To explain a bit, here are the default settings (probably most dedicated servers have them apart from SASinvasion):

player_ai_compensation: 4-8 (depending on the map), this means when 1 player joins, then 4-8 new bots join the enemies.
player_ai_compensation_factor: 1.0 (is multiplied to the player_ai_compensation number.
player_ai_reduction: 0 (when a player joins, you own team will have 0 bot less on your own team)
default_AI_accuracy: 0.94

How SAS in running right now:

player_ai_compensation: default
player_ai_compensation_factor: 1.2
player_ai_reduction: 1
default_AI_accuracy: 0.95

I didn't really test it since it has been change to those settings but keep in mind that you will never be able to find the perfect balance as the more noobs are in, the harder it will get. I have the feeling that those settings are fine with a good mix of veterans and a few noobs. Correct me if I am wrong. We don't want a map to take 5h but also not being rushed in 20 mins. 1h for a map avg would be what we are aiming for.

I know I have been back and forth on this myself. I have come to learn I really appreciate the action and team effort of some good long battles. I have seen the great stuff the last day or two now that it is tough. A good chance to really need and use sandbags, mgs, mortars and other support. In the "Too Fast" rounds, you don't need anything, just steamroll.

Is there anyway to tie in a minute amount of RP gain for kills? Or an RB bonus for a long life? Something to help feed the personal bank just a bit? Nothing to out weight loots RP or Captures.

When the battles get bigger and longer with less capture zones taken and more RP spent to do so, people end up using their entire bank on one or two Zones on one map for an entire play period. Now, fun and still playing the game. But I think some may get frustrated.

Although I do strongly advocate the use of more sandbags as they are the most cost effective and have the longest lasting possible influence on the field and AI flow dynamics. Meaning: They are cheap, last for a long time, are functional, and the AI naturally use them when available for cover, so it directly effects their efforts to work an area. Plus: Who doesn't love building forts! (Maybe the Ai could say something once and while about "We need some damn sandbag cover here!" or something to help draw attention to the option of placing sandbags.

And: An RP reward for med-kit use on other players, lower for reviving AI. And a good sized reward too, to really encourage people to use vests more, which means using armory more, which help to familiarize themselves with it, which means becoming a more dynamic player which means better games and carrying med-kit more often and most importantly helping to influence the likelihood of strong co-op efforts.

XP for a rescue is good, but RP would help a lot. And allow for another way to supplement income while in battle.
Other than just running loot for yourself.
Ok done for my ramble.

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Totally agree with you, Jack. I just wondered why in the past days we were stuck on some maps for hours(this has happened very rarely before) and then we rushed the next map for 30-40 min with the same players.....
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To Opt_0
Actually most of the times the usage of sandbags mean that you intend to hold the position, not to go forward, also they are an indication that the situation is more or less difficult.

Admittedly sandbags are a good supplement, but they are not everything in the game.
Who knows, maybe in the future will be added a new survival mod including especially and only cover deploys.

Sry Opt_0, but I didn't understand how the reward of the one who healed me could encourage me to buy a vest?! Plus, whenever I see someone injured(no matter real player or AI) I do my best to help him in all possible ways and there is no prize to encourage me, because I always try(excluding those cases when I'm too busy to survive and/or I haven't saw him).

After all, Opt, mate, I wouldn't like to say anything bad, but it seems to me that you messed a few threads - suggestions; sandbags; discussion and others. If you allow me, I would remind you that this one is about the SAS difficulty.

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"Ad cogitandum et agendum homo natus es"

I work quickly, cheaply and qualitatively. You can choose only two of the three options.

Np man. It's me. I always talk about everything and nothing all at once. I try to keep it all on subject but for me in general everything is connected. So I get side tracked as I start to think. Plus the game difficulty has a lot of effect on over play of the map. Which in turn can effect the use or implementation of items and equipment. I think that's how I got on to the subjects. (Plus sometimes it's late and I'm tired when I write.)

After Rounds Last Night: And I know all the setting are being tweaked, but the last night or two (love the tough team-work) but the AI feels like it hit a threshold where it isn't just really tough but it actually feels kind of "aimbotty" which I hate to say. It's just the fact that there are so many perfect shots at times it does a feel a bit over the top. I know you said the current accuracy is 95%, default being 94% and SAS InV is usually 96%. So I don't know what the deal was. But it was a subject last night during long play.

Again it's not about just being tough, it's that it feels like (right now) you know if they get a line of site you are dead. Not close calls, but one perfect shot in the face. I know its RWR, and I am used to this. Just the last night or two feels like they have a little too good of aim. Too automatic in it's perfection is all. But we did win some maps after lots of work.

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Actually Jack said what the SAS accuracy is, not me. I only said I feel that the player compensation is a bit higher.
And about your "aimbotty" feeling, sometimes they shoot at me more accurately than I can shoot them with VSS in my hands at the same long distance. Also, here's what I thought - why some maps take us hours and some others just a minutes. Don't know how this could be possible, but these are the facts.......

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"Ad cogitandum et agendum homo natus es"

I work quickly, cheaply and qualitatively. You can choose only two of the three options.

Actually I think you explained the feeling pretty well about the "aimbotty" statement. (For the record I don't really think of it that way, it's just the term used most often when it comes up.) There is a certain challenge and difficulty which is nice in the battles in regard to AI ability and efforts. But you, DIO, I think helped to describe what I was trying to say myself. It hits a certain Accuracy setting or something and the AI feels like it has this inhuman ability to hit you with no effort at great and unexpected distances. Not in like a calculated shot, but they may be shooting from the hip running the other way, and they hit you over their shoulder. Obviously not all the time, but so often it starts to feel too artificial. And I think that artificial feeling is what starts to make it not feel right while you are playing.

In relation to what you said about how you felt the "player compensation [was] a bit higher", I think you may be right. Or it may be the "player compensation factor", which just multiplies the player compensation.
I don't mind the uptick in Enemy AI to keep the battle bigger for more players, but at some points it felt like we had very little Friendly AI compared to the number of Enemy AI. It feels like ourselves and a few other vets tend to get most of the AI due to our ranks and little left for others. And parts of the field feel sparse or empty that don't seem like they should be.

After a certain number of players joining a game it feels like it's just players against huge numbers of enemy AI and this starts to push us away from feeling like part of a bigger battle (one of the primary traits of RWR I think) and moves us all more towards having to be the one man army and hero. We do work together, but it feels mostly like a group of players against tons of AI. I know we both, in our own ways, take on large numbers of AI alone. And sometimes I miss the feeling of just being part of a bigger battle, not Rambo.

Oh and to answer your last question about some slow maps and other faster maps on the same settings:
Think of the battle in RWR like water. Think of a large quantity of water forced through a hose and all the speed and turbulence inside in high concentration due to limited space. Now think of that same amount of water allowed to flow over a wide open shallow streambed with plenty of space to meander and drift. In both situations water tends to follow the same general rules for the physics and behaviors of water. Such as RWR is always RWR warfare, but the outcomes are very different based on the conditions those variables are placed in. (However understand this is a super simplified example, so I don't ramble even more on the subject of emergence.)
Also: It probably has something to do with the player flow too. As it is RWR, there is something to be said for the very foundations of Classical Warfare being present in it's gameplay. Such as Player Moral, Unit Cohesion, Clearly Defined Immediate Objectives, Available Information for new Players, Resources, Leadership, and general "Kickassmenship".

Okay I'm done, I play with you all the time! How is it I'm spending so much time here discussing the playing that I should be doing! How was that post? I tried to stay more on subject.

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"Ad cogitandum et agendum homo natus es"

I work quickly, cheaply and qualitatively. You can choose only two of the three options.

Just for the record - the SAS settings are changed again. Currently is a bit more difficult than the last days:
- enemies always know where I am, although I'm using silenced weapon
- almost always when I'm hit and I'm on the ground a grenade is thrown at me(count me dead). Same applies when I am behind some cover even on the rooftops
- it takes about 2-3 hours to win, no matter what the players are - veterans or newbies
An example: last night I played alone most of the time and I had to defend myself from the beginning and was defeated several times on various maps.

Well, if some experienced player joins and play for a while, probably he would approve such difficulty, it would be a challenge for him. But if you are in the server for many hours it's getting annoying and irritating(I personally run amok ). It seems to me that if the server has 12 h. auto restart period this means that we cant play over all maps for such time.
Understand me correctly - with such difficulty 10 maps are unplayable and useless.
Is this a "Invasion" or "Defense"..... are these some kind of experiments or what?!

Please consider the most optimal settings which will be used.

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"Ad cogitandum et agendum homo natus es"

I work quickly, cheaply and qualitatively. You can choose only two of the three options.

I can agree these after short playing today.

ow, this is weird, I doubt that Doc changed the settings. He usually only does when I tell him too.
Thus, the settings should be the same as 4 days ago at least.
I will jump into the server later on and check myself if it behaves weird.