[Mephisto]

Ah, a very interesting topic!

HreDaak, I can confirm both of your observations regarding the defence base and the units.
The reason for production crippling due to units is AFAI can see it the cargo space. The AI just runs out of space but is still trying to produce units in effect building nothing.

But the best is, I think I found the error with the defence bases. It is plain simple. The AI analyses each turn which planet to protect (and will move its defence fleets in accordance). The AI is obviously doing the same for a defence base. So, what does this mean?
Simple. Every time you start a colonizer and this colonizer reaches a world, it will build a defenceless colony which the AI will try to protect with a defence fleet - or a defence base. As we need a space yard for building the base the AI tries something impossible - it tries to build a defence base at planet with no yard! So in effect the AI will try to build a base at this site to fulfil the requirements of the construction file but will never succeed crippling the total production this way.
I have confirmed this by building only space yard enabled colonies. The AI had no problems, builded a base at one of the new colonies and proceeded to build more stuff of the later lines.

I will send this to MM.

[This message has been edited by [K126]Mephisto (edited 06 February 2001).]