Mephisto: Mod Question
 

I was just wondering if the changes to the original AI's in your latest mod is only to let them use the new ability names for ecm and sensors or if you changed anything else in the AI files as well.

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Well, I'm not Mephisto, but I do have his mod downloaded so I'll try and help you out. I hope he doesnt mind.

Basically, his mod 'streamlines' the AI's ship designing. It eliminates the extraneous 'crap' that the AI puts on all of its ships (Supplies, Self Destruct etc) and makes them into more efficient warships. They also have higher numbers of PD weapons. I've noticed that the Fighters with his mod are generally more lethal too.

It doesnt do anything odd though if thats what you are asking. No new components or ship types or whatnot. Its just a more efficient use of what is currently there.

Talenn

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Thanks. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

No, I don't mind. Thanks, Talenn for helping him out. Not much left to add. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Talenn:
Well, I'm not Mephisto, but I do have his mod downloaded so I'll try and help you out. I hope he doesnt mind.

Basically, his mod 'streamlines' the AI's ship designing. It eliminates the extraneous 'crap' that the AI puts on all of its ships (Supplies, Self Destruct etc) and makes them into more efficient warships. They also have higher numbers of PD weapons. I've noticed that the Fighters with his mod are generally more lethal too.

It doesnt do anything odd though if thats what you are asking. No new components or ship types or whatnot. Its just a more efficient use of what is currently there.

Talenn<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

No supplies anymore? Although CS and ECM are much more important for a good AI, in games with ancient galaxy this could become a problem. Will the AI in Mephisto's MOD at least be able to develop and use the Quantum Reactor?

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Sometimes when my EA encounters another race and a battle ensues, I will get a Range Check error. Any suggestions? Using the M mod with the EA stuff.

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

I encounter this error once in a while when there a many fighters and/or troops and their transports.
This is not an AI fault, it happens to me if I do not use the AI.
A soltuion is to not put all your force into action. This sometimes helps.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Atrocities:
Sometimes when my EA encounters another race and a battle ensues, I will get a Range Check error. Any suggestions? Using the M mod with the EA stuff.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

You took off all the supply storage from the AI? I don't think they use it enough myself. I know if I see an AI ship that their home world will be only a couple of systems from there because they don't explore very well. I think they should have an explorer design that has 3 or 4 supply storage units and really tries to find good colonizable planets and to find threats before they get to their systems. If they sent a few scouts out and knew where I was and actually attacked me in my home systems when they declared war it would be a completely different game.

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Tomgs:

Perhaps they should have an 'explorer' class of ship, but there is really no way to have the AI build it and then enforce that it actually is used for exploration. Also, getting it to build a specific ship for a specific part of the game (ie the early exploration phases) is problematic at best.

Overall, I think the AI is FAR better off without the extra storage. At least its warships are more solidly built and include more weapons and/or defenses a result of not having the extraneous 'stuff' on all of it's ships.

Talenn

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Well perhaps it is better off right now without supply storage if it won't use it anyway, but I never design a destroyer or above class of ship without at least 2 supply storage units. Also I see ships with one movement a lot because they are out of supplys even in the AI's home system. Is this situation going to get worse without any supply storage? I think a ship with a lot of weapons and 1 movement point is a dead ship if I see it.

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

If you think the AI's ships are to slow without extra supply storage up the amount that engines can carry. Should give them better range.

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Talenn, you toke the words right out of my mouth. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

I have thought a lot about making level II and level III engines hold more supplies. It would give a reason to upgrade to them and also a reason not to upgrade to the next faster engine so quickly. Kind of a trade off. It may help me more than the AI though because it fits into my style more than the programmed AI's style. I will play around with it and see if it will be useful or not.

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

No, no supplies anymore. But the AI is fairly good at replenishing it's ship (except for colonizers...).
And yes, they will use quantum reactors. If they care to research that is. At least the Earth Alliance is researching and using it...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eagleton:
No supplies anymore? Although CS and ECM are much more important for a good AI, in games with ancient galaxy this could become a problem. Will the AI in Mephisto's MOD at least be able to develop and use the Quantum Reactor?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

I use the Earth Alliance AI by Mephisto but with the original Malfador files (changed all the files to make AI have CS and ECM). Now I have a range check error like Atrocities, except that the EA this time is done by the computer.

source of trouble, or maybe there is an update of the EA-AI which fixes it?

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

I don't quite get what you have done. Either you use the EA_AI_scripts or you don't.
What do you mean by "the EA this time is done by computer"? If the EA isn't played by the CPU, it won't use any AI files (if you don't use ministers).
I would very much like to help you and I would like to improve my MOD/take out any bugs. Can you post somewhat more specific what you have done with what files? http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eagleton:
I use the Earth Alliance AI by Mephisto but with the original Malfador files (changed all the files to make AI have CS and ECM). Now I have a range check error like Atrocities, except that the EA this time is done by the computer.

source of trouble, or maybe there is an update of the EA-AI which fixes it?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Of course.
I meant that I used the EA as a computer player, au contraire to Atrocities who did not use the AI but had a range check error with your mod (means when he himself was the EA).
I did not use your mod but the EA script you wrote.
When I got into combat with another race and some EA ships were in the same sector by coincidence, the range check error did occur (strategic combat, there was one carrier and one or two attack ships of the EA).

I looked into your EA-AI and now changed the minimum number of fighters, because you had set them really high. As my victory conditions were fulfilled soon after the range check error, I don't know if that helped.

Best wishes,
Volker

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

I figured out the problem I had. Sorry for not posting it sooner guys. The problem I had with Range Check errors was that I updated to the mod during the middle of a game. Once I realized my blunder, I erased all save games and started from scratch. To date, no RCE's from the EA. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif (BIG SMILE)

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Eagleton, the world is so small. I could drive to you in 20 minutes. Funny.

Anyway, the Range Check Errors seem to be connected to a high number of units (or even ships but I never ever had hundreds of ships...). As the EA uses fighters in large numbers, it maybe prone to some RCEs. Altering the files after you already encountered the RCE doesn't help as the AI already has the fighters. Besides it only happens to me in strategic combat. A "solution" is to jump into the EA and fight this one fight without fighters or at least a smaller number of them.
Does this error occur to you in tactical or only in strategic combat? (I saw that it happened to Eagleton in strategic combat)
To me it only happens in strategic combat, too. I sometime have the felling that a unit is hit and destroyed in combat and then again hit causing a RCE as the unit is already deleted.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eagleton:
Of course.
I meant that I used the EA as a computer player, au contraire to Atrocities who did not use the AI but had a range check error with your mod (means when he himself was the EA).
I did not use your mod but the EA script you wrote.
When I got into combat with another race and some EA ships were in the same sector by coincidence, the range check error did occur (strategic combat, there was one carrier and one or two attack ships of the EA).

I looked into your EA-AI and now changed the minimum number of fighters, because you had set them really high. As my victory conditions were fulfilled soon after the range check error, I don't know if that helped.

Best wishes,
Volker<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Hi again, Mephisto aus Deutschland.

I only had this error once, in my only fight with the EA involved. They game was over pretty soon after that.

There is a maximum number of units (in space) allowed in a game that I normally set to 700. I think some of your minimum fighter numbers that an empire must have are above that (up to 900?). In combat, the EA must launch their fighters, so they're in space - but it does not explain why it's only in strategic combat.
Just an idea.

I would appreciate it if you would let the AI's build resupply on their ships again - in games with ancient galaxy, they sometimes will be restricted to their homesystem without it. All other changes you made are great in my opinion. Have you contacted Malfador about it?

Re: Mephisto: Mod Question
 

Well, the fighter numbers are higher but the AI only uses a fraction of the whole in space. But never the less this could be the reason (and the reason for the &gt;200 Sat REC).

Resupply is somewhat triggy. You cannot make a design that only uses resupply in the early stages and omits it when reaching the quantum reactor. Filling up the AI warships with supply will make them very much less effective IMHO so I won't do it. But if you like to do it, it's just a simple added text line in the EarthAlliance_AI_ShipDesign.txt.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eagleton:
Hi again, Mephisto aus Deutschland.

I only had this error once, in my only fight with the EA involved. They game was over pretty soon after that.

There is a maximum number of units (in space) allowed in a game that I normally set to 700. I think some of your minimum fighter numbers that an empire must have are above that (up to 900?). In combat, the EA must launch their fighters, so they're in space - but it does not explain why it's only in strategic combat.
Just an idea.

I would appreciate it if you would let the AI's build resupply on their ships again - in games with ancient galaxy, they sometimes will be restricted to their homesystem without it. All other changes you made are great in my opinion. Have you contacted Malfador about it?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>