I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

I'm having a problem with the AIC mod. My maintenance costs are so ridiculously high, I can't afford to do anything. I have a fleet of about 10 destroyers, and i have one of about 10 frigates, and I have about 6 starliners roaming along with about 6 bases with temporal base space yard I's. I can barely use my construction queues cuz anything I try to do puts me at a defecit!

To top it off, the cue cappa stroll in with an enormous fleet of 44 ships (luckily, they are allied with me against the cryslonite) to resupply at my planet, and I have NO IDEA how I am supposed to combat that kind of firepower! They have over 100 ships, and I can barely support 40. What am I doing wrong??

extra info: I have the third highest number of planets of all, the highest population, and the 5th most resources. I've teched up about 3 levels into the resource extraction facilities (i.e. mining colonies, etc.)

Is there something wrong with my copyof the mod? I'm at a stagnant point, and this is nearly unplayable and very frustrating http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

-Tim

[ April 26, 2004, 21:02: Message edited by: Yimboli ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

What did you set your maintenance rate as? I forget to improve it in my koth game and MB is beating me with a big stick.

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

IMHO, AIC has just gone too far regarding AI bonus (in almost every aspect). High AI bonus in stock game is ridiculous compared with it. Overdone...

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

What is this AIC mod?
Is it there a link?
How it difers from other mods?

Thanks.

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

It can be downloaded here . It is based on Proportions (whose hallmarks are a slower pace of development, a stronger emphasis on the homeworlds, and numerous other changes), and tweaks the AI by giving it bonuses in order to give the player a challenge.

[ April 27, 2004, 13:59: Message edited by: Alneyan ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">How thin is your population spread ? It may be more beneficial to have one good planet with 100M than ten mediocre with 10M each. Do you build adavnced facilities like cities on your best planets ? HW has two redundant slots - spaceport and resupply. Scrap them and build robotoid factory and central computer complex. You chose temporal trait. It makes resource management very tricky - temporal centers and cities produce less minerals. Try to trade or convert your radioactives. Finally, use fighters - no maintenace http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

no, the population spread isn't that bad. I can't afford to transport my people because the starliners cost 1k minerals maintenance, so the 6 i have is already stretching it. as for the cities on my best planets, they take so damn long to build that i only have a few on each one.

How do i lower the maintenance cost? (other than the racial traits) that would even it out a LOT.

-Tim

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

Use Engeneering Section on all your ships. IIRC ship construction 5 + advanced design gives a better module. Did you build Industrial complex III on home world and System complex in the system ? I hope you don't build cities from scratch. Always build colony settlement and then upgrade to city. That saves ~50% of the cost !

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

Hey - thanks for the advice. I built the industrial complex on my homeworld - that helped alot, but i'm still having serious issues.

I've always used the engineering thing, but my ships are still incredibly high maintenance. What does IIRC mean?! you said ship construction5 + adv. des. eng. gives me a better engineering module? I already have an engineering section 1 and I have level 6 ship constr. with level 3 adv. des. engineering... do i need to research something more?! the next level of adv. des. eng. takes 400k! lol

Thanks for the help!

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Build resource facilities on Planets that generate near 88% or better resource, and then trade for any other needed resources thru your Empires Trade Center (Food for Rads etc. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif it is also very beneficial to encourage Trade with another Player, AI or Human.

Also note that Communities do take several months to build and Cities may take a few years to expand with an adequate population base that will consume much in food and other resources when expantion is ongoing; Moreover, target Urban Developed Growth to planets that are NOT high in resource reserves as Cities do not require resource extraction to produce. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

With pre-racial start settings, you may set your maintenance characteristics for a modest benefit. Players may also consider Crystalline maintenance advantages as well.

If you are new to AIC plaese set AI bonus to LOW, the AI will be overwelming at higher settings.


JLS

[ May 01, 2004, 01:23: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

*sounds attention*
sweet! i was wondering if JLS was gonna reply!

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">what is Urban Developed Growth? I probably should have mentioned that i'm playing on infinite resources until i get the gist of the game.

Thanks!

-Tim

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Urban Developments
Building Settlements and upgrading to Communities, Cities, Metropolises etc.

It is best to start modest and with a plan, "the richest of lands must be for the harvest, not our accommodations".

EXAMPLE: A planet that is high on Organics (80% or better) then concentrate your Organic operation on that planet and any or all excess Food can be traded for Minerals or Rads etc. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
Eventually, your empire should be over producing with enough resources in two or three resource categories and this is when Trade may not be as important. When you find your Empire wasting more resources then trade or Imperial stores can accommodate, it may now be the time to consider scraping the excess resource extractions for additional Research and/or Intel facilities.
This is also the opportunity(ies) in the game to step up useage - with a plan for increased numbers of bigger and better ships and/or some increased and ambitious Cultural Construction expantion projects (That will yield across the board point bonus that may accumulate for a non-violent Economics victory - Certainly the increased likelihood of a well funded Military Victory - Depending on the path that particular game must take you http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ May 01, 2004, 18:20: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

I noticed that i can't use the "Upgrade Facilities" button in the contr. queues menu cuz it causes all colonial settlements in progress to change to cities, metropolises to megalopolises, etc. Is there any way around that OTHER than going to each individual planet and upgrading what you wanna upgrade?

Also, my towns and colonial settlements only upgrade to temporal city, and wont upgrade to metropolises. Is this a bug? or is there a reason behind this?

thanks alot, yall have cleared alot of stuff up so far!

-Tim

[ May 02, 2004, 03:32: Message edited by: Yimboli ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Sadly, no.

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

okay i still have more questions http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

when i create an empire, it wont let me lower my environmental resistance below 99%. there are limits in other categories as well. why?

also, i'm still wondering why my towns and colonial settlements only upgrade as high as temporal city, and wont upgrade to metropolises

thx again! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

-Timbo

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

ER is limited because it has no use in the game, since it merely alters Happiness and Reproduction at once. Five points in ER increases Happiness and Reproduction by one point, and vice versa when reducing this characteristic.

In the vanilla game, its only use is to provide with "free" points by lowering Environmental Resistance to 51%, while increasing Reproduction to 108% (or 109%) to offset the penalty to Reproduction. (Raising Happiness itself has virtually no effect)

All the other characteristics are limited to other values when decreasing, but you will likely not want to go to lower them too much. What are the characteristics that you would like to lower more than what you can do with the AIC mod?

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Tim, the Urban Settlements expansion options have been set with ways to compensate for Global "Upgrade Facilities" as not to expand accidentally on a Communities upgrade all the way to a Colonial Culture Center { that would result in an improbable endeavor if that planet contains a small population base }. This is also applied as a slight work around for an old se4 Human Player upgrade cheat.

- - -

I/we have requested for seV, when the Global "Upgrade Facilities" button is used that a (Are you sure y/n) conformation is acknowledged.

The global Empire Upgrade Facilities button is not disastrous when used playing AIC. However, Players should continue to upgrade Settlements thru to Cities and Metropls thru to Colonial Culture Center, etc. at the Planet Level http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ May 02, 2004, 16:37: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Delibarate. It would be too easy to build metropolises otherwise.

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I suggest you dont build Cities early, start with only a few settlements at most. New Systems will really benefit from the space port and other advantages of AIC settlements and all the Urban Comunities do not need a resource rich planet to be profitable in AIC http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

You need Organic planets early to support your empires growth and that speed of growth is determined by the amount of star liners you have. (This is why JLS tacked on the Organices to the starloner POP LS Module) to demenonstrat the need for organics. This is also true wneh building or expanding Settlements, Cities and Metroploitan Mega cities you need FOOD for you populations and large Cities need LARGE POPULATIONS TO EXPAND if they are to upgrade in a speedy way and the planetary urban gowth will depend on your FOOD reserves or you will have to put the planets on hold until your economy catchs up if noot careful http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

I also am temporal and what Oleg sayes is true they can be a vacume for rads and now you need Organics to Grow, it will be a tough economic balance for you early, but you will do fine.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif If you are not slautered by the mersoluse AIC AI first that is http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

(AIC AI at med AI or higher bonus waits for no human http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif )

[ May 02, 2004, 22:11: Message edited by: Grand Lord Vito ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

thanks! more questions to come when I beat this moo3 game i have going.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

-tim

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Actually GLV. When Playing AIC with the Starliner option ON…
Name := SO* (Found in Racial Traits menu, please DISABLE if Starliner ON is desired)

Your Empires Growth and success depends on the total amount of STAR LINERS you have migrating your population from the Home World or other High Pop Colonies - to the fledgling Colonies and/or Worlds with Urban expansion projects you want commenced. ( Set Fleet orders and repeat recommended)

Moreover, your total STAR LINER numbers depend on your Empires Organics operations. With the above AIC option, “The growth of your empire does depend on your total available food reserves”

- - - - -

With Starliner Option OFF
(Defalted; otherwise, please re-enabled if desired)
Name := SO*
With *HP* above, this is a Standard Starting Option: Resulting in a more robust game that requires LESS Micro Management and logistics. Your game will be less dependent on Star Liners with this option.

This allows for a Civilizations advance towards organized Immigration doctrines. With this, Players are now able to build Debarkation Depots that can be tied together with your Empires Supply Hubs. Easily constructed, this will increase all Population migrations automatically and indiscriminately to all Colonized Planets in that System the Depot was constructed. The need and effort for Star Liners as Population transports are vastly diminished with this option enabled.

[ May 04, 2004, 14:07: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I still think this option is way too powerfull. You can easily outpace AI so I never play withthis automatic replicant centers. It removes any need for planet condition improvement, optimal expansion strategy planning, etc.

Better option would be faster and cheaper straliners tech for this option plus "gestation vats" with high value for population growth. You will get faster development but still retain Proportionesque feature of the mod.
Just my .2c

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I still think this option is way too powerfull. You can easily outpace AI so I never play withthis automatic replicant centers. It removes any need for planet condition improvement, optimal expansion strategy planning, etc.

Better option would be faster and cheaper straliners tech for this option plus "gestation vats" with high value for population growth. You will get faster development but still retain Proportionesque feature of the mod.
Just my .2c </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Your point is valid, Oleg. With the Starliners ON (OS* option disabled) for your AIC game play option, you will continue to have a desperate need for increased Starliner numbers continuously. Retaining the feel that the Star Liners PVK and myself co-developed for Proportion Mod many years ago, provide.

Your reduced SL Organics suggestion has been play tested months ago. Reducing the Organic Costs for Star Liner LS with AIC, in many Players opinion does diminish the Economics and logistic feel for the need of agricultural support and its advancement to sustain massive Imperial population growths and expantion.

= = =


<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This would be with regard to(OS* option enabled)

Again you have a point as it may apply to the relative POP numbers EARLY in the game when comparing Population Totals against the AI. However, there are many more variables that are in play with Starliners OFF that is not to the Human Players best interests when competing against the AIC AI overall or as well http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ May 04, 2004, 16:54: Message edited by: JLS ]

Re: I got the AIC Blues... ::singing::
 

I like the compromise for Star Liners JLS posted in the AIC thread


AI Campaign

[ May 05, 2004, 19:26: Message edited by: QBrigid ]