Re: what do you think of the racial techs?
 

Uh, I'll abstain from figuring any other images. The first one was bad enough.

There isn't really a way to make a trait AI only, though in a MP game the gamemaster could kick anyone who took it. I had an idea for one- instead of the neutrals being single-system parinoid pushovers, how about *old* races that just don't bother going galavanting around any more? Of course, they didn't Last that long by accident..

Phoenix-D

Re: what do you think of the racial techs?
 

I really like Crystall tech. 8-9 crystall armour on ship makes it immune to seekers ! Nasty surprise for organic ships loaded with seeking parasites. Nobody so far mentioned Energy Transmition Lens. 60 shield points do not look much since ships routinely have hundreds if not thousands shield points. However, ETS works on fighters as well. The only problem that it adds 60 not to each individual fighter but to the whole stack. Stack of 20 will get just 3 points per fighter. So usually I make special "decoy" fighters launched in group of 1 and actual attack fighters in big Groups. Each decoy fighter usually have 2 shields and with help of ETS soak up 4 PDC-5 shots ! While killer group can approach without loses and wrek havoc. It is not easy to make it work in strategic combat but the effect is devastating.

Oleg.

Re: what do you think of the racial techs?
 

I always hated that. When you meet a race you know what they have. That should be 'turnoffable'.

Now I know that some say the word turnoffable is used far too much these days http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif but as soon as I meet someone I check out there race and I can instantly figure out there strenghts and weeknesses and develop a strag. to counter them.

I would like it if you could only see their history and that's it and if you wanted more info you would have to become allies or use your spies to learn info.

And it would be nice if the spies gave false info from time to time.

Re: what do you think of the racial techs?
 

I might be wrong or just don't remeber correctly, but in SJ's P&N, I thought, and I might be mistaken, that the AI could not take the pirate race in the game. IF this is true, then, and I'm not a modder/programer, why couldn't this be done in reverse?

I also agree that seeing the traits of races needs to be looked at. I like the idea that the information would not always be correct but could be inflated both stronger or weaker then what the race actually is, To see their true strength you would have to have a partnership or at least a Military Alliance.

However, in a current Hot Seat game I'm playing, I have met one of my human opponets, have trade and research alliance with him, but when I clik on his stats, all I get is a blank screen. All the other screens are filled in. This has happened before in SP I've had, It Last for quite a long time and then the stats just show up all of a sudden. Version 1.49 and 1.35.

just some ideas mac

Re: what do you think of the racial techs?
 

I am talking about when you go to the Race screen and you right click on them and you can see what atmosphere, planet type, culture, advance tech. etc....

Too much info on that screen.

Re: what do you think of the racial techs?
 

P&N AIs could not take the pirate or nomad traits because they were not designed to take the trait.
They were not designed to pick the trait because the SE4 AI does not understand how to make money without a planet.

It is possible to make an AI that chooses pirate, but it will act even more like a neutral than a normal neutral (confined to one planet,not one starsystem)

Re: what do you think of the racial techs?
 

oops, I made a mistake in my older post. No amount of crystalline armour can fully protect against missiles. The reason is that missiles stack just like fighters do: when stack of 5 CSM-5 hits ship, it is treated as a single 5*120=600 hit, not as 5 separate hits of 120. Thus, even though 8 crystal armor III gives complete protection from any hit less than 150, stack of missiles can punch through. Sorry for my previous erroneous post.

Oleg.