Tanuki Core v5 – Proactive Defense Edition
Core Philosophy: Instead of just moving units around like chess pieces (v4), v5 makes them feel human. Stress, fatigue, awareness, and personality now drive decisions.
Key Systems
Threat Intelligence
Detects radar locks and missile launches.
Judges threats by radar type (SAM vs fighter vs AAA).
Tracks bearing drift to spot persistent locks.
Predictive radar scans when suspicion is high.
Proactive Defense
Countermeasures (chaff/flares) fired before the missile arrives if threat levels are high.
ECM handled dynamically: OFF, passive (lock only), or active (jam all).
Personality-based evasive maneuvers (beam, corkscrew, jink, etc.).
Humanization Layer
Personalities: Aggressive, Cautious, Calculating – influence comms style, attack bias, retreat thresholds.
Stress model: builds with damage, fuel issues, or threat; reduces with calm. High stress → tunnel vision, mistakes, frantic radio calls.
Awareness levels: Deep → Normal → Degrade
Built with the support of Digital Combat Squirrel https://www.youtube.com/@SquirrelDCS
The jump from v4.2 ("Vanguard") to v5.3 ("Proactive Defense Edition") is a huge leap—almost a rewrite. Here’s the main landscape of updates and differences:
1. Overall Architecture
v4.2 was a single-file all-in-one AI engine, balancing ground, air, artillery, JTAC, SEAD, etc. It used zones, influence maps, morale, and role tags to drive unit behavior.
v5.3 has been restructured into a core module (Air + Ground) with a heavy emphasis on air combat realism. It introduces proactive defense, predictive scanning, and humanization systems that weren’t in v4.2.
2. Focus Shift
v4.2: Tactical AI sandbox — influence maps, patrol planning, zone objectives, artillery scooting, JTAC laser tasks, SEAD routines, morale & retreat mechanics, package assembly (escort/strike pairing).
v5.3: Psychological and sensor-level realism — stress modeling, situational awareness states, human-like decision cycles, personality-driven communication, proactive countermeasure use, radar/missile threat modeling.
3. Humanization Layer (New in 5.3)
Not present in v4.2.
Personalities (Aggressive, Cautious, Calculating) affect attack bias, retreat threshold, comms style, and defensive maneuvers.
Stress model: grows with threat, damage, and fuel; lowers with time. High stress triggers vocal outbursts and tunnel vision.
Awareness levels (Deep → Tunnel) modulate detection range, accuracy, and reaction speed.
4. Communication System
v4.2: Popup messages (configurable audience, duration).
v5.3: Fully fleshed radio protocols (direct, formal, precise), personality-driven phrasing, random comms dropouts/static, volume-based message chance, errors injected under stress.
5. Threat Handling
v4.2: Engagement logic based on zones, objectives, and enemy proximity/LOS.
v5.3: Dedicated threat detection system:
Radar lock analysis (bearing drift, SAM/AAA/Fighter classification).
Missile trajectory and bearing consistency analysis.
Early-warning logic with proactive countermeasures (flares, ECM, evasive maneuvers).
Predictive radar scans scheduled when threats suspected.
6. Decision-Making
v4.2: Deterministic role-based planners (planGround, planAir, SEAD, CAS, CAP, STRIKE, ARTY, JTAC).
v5.3: Human decision cycle:
Perceived threat vs. personality bias.
Skill vs. stress influences hesitation.
Actions: ENGAGE, EVADE, RTB, or PATROL, with realistic delay before execution.
7. ECM & Countermeasures
v4.2: Very basic engagement settings, no proactive CM logic.
v5.3: ECM state machine (OFF → PASSIVE → ACTIVE), countermeasure burst profiles scaling with threat level, auto-activation before missile impact.
8. Adaptive Updates
v4.2: Tick system (every 2s), morale recovery/loss, retreat threshold.
v5.3: Adaptive tick with stress/awareness updates, predictive scans, and dynamic comms/events.
9. Logging & Debug
v4.2: Minimal logging ([Tanuki] prefix).
v5.3: Structured logging system with safe calls, debug toggle, and in-game popup logging.
10. Scope
v4.2 was broader (covered ground AI, artillery, JTAC, logistics, SEAD).
v5.3 narrowed scope but deepened realism for air combat: human-like flaws, comms chatter, proactive defenses, and stress.
In short:
v4.2 = sandbox AI battlefield manager.
v5.3 = human-behavior air combat simulator with predictive defense systems.
Both are included
