[JLS]

Originally posted by Paul1980au:

You know you can always create new ship classes in the mod section - a few mods exist with new ship types etc. However i would like to see more flexibility in the ship designs aspects.

What new ships designs would you suggest for AIC?

A improved AI would be need - my suggestions for smart mines (with limited movement), cloaking mines (cloaking capacity) and dumb mines of course standard run of the mill mines.

You have an interesting concept here. The main problem as it is now, is that many concepts may not work with the AI.

For example Anti-Engine Mines.

The AI would be crippled not destroyed and stuck at that location (no more engines), yet costing large amounts of support resources and the AI is none the wiser

Further example: In se4 the AI calls its designs to be built by :
Planet Per Item (PPI) and Must Have At Least… Please see reference.

In this example the AI has 5 Dreadnoughts even worse 2 Colony ships as well; disabled by anti-engine mines and unable to fulfill it missions. However the AI sees this and sure it wants them repaired, but it can not get it to return to a Repair Yard. However when the AI Construction File looks at the [Must Have At Least numbers] it has the 5 Dreadnoughts and 2 Colony ships and will not fulfill any Must Have At Least orders because the ships exist.

Please remember, this AI is paying resources for the 5 Dreadnoughts and in stock se4 where only the Best and/or Largest ships is built; this may halt a majority of that Ship Types Construction.
It will certainly slow or even Halt Colony Ship Production…

The AI Ship with disabled engines is a sad sight to see
A designer must consider the PPI also when designing there AI race , however, not to the point where it will break the bank in the late mid to end game
(A planet may have many slots in se4, however many also only have one slot for that AI Minning Facility to support those large Capital Ships)

Any constructive suggestions for possible patch improvements to the mines structure for the v 1.85 eare welcome.

SJ is working on a MOD that may have an alternative to the way Mines are currently handled and I look forward to his work.


Other then that I would like to see the Minefeilds only be placed at Warp points as to represent an area that is funneled and congested so the mine hit will make sence (to me anyway), not in open space or a few in a planets vast orbit.


= = = = = = = = =
Reference

se4 Default_AI_Construction_Vehicles

Entry X Must Have At Least:
Must have this many of this type in existance, or being built.
If not, then build more.
This comes before Planet Per Item.

AI State := Infrastructure
Num Queue Entries := 39
Entry 1 Type := Defense Base
Entry 1 Planet Per Item := 100
Entry 1 Must Have At Least := 0
Entry 2 Type := Attack Ship
Entry 2 Planet Per Item := 20
Entry 2 Must Have At Least := 2
Entry 3 Type := Colonizer
Entry 3 Planet Per Item := 80
Entry 3 Must Have At Least := 1
Entry 4 Type := Weapon Platform
Entry 4 Planet Per Item := "
Entry 4 Must Have At Least := "

[ January 22, 2004, 21:25: Message edited by: JLS ]