[JLS]

Originally posted by cybersol:

quote:

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Originally posted by JLS:
This would result in a more intimidating AI earlier, my concern would be maintenance for the None and Low Bonus Games, the AI may not have enough resources, this would need to be tested and calabrated, but the result may be even a less intimidating AI in the Mid to end game.

Cybersol, what are the thoughts of the new way the AI is hard coded to use Population Transports for the se4 minister change?

If you have good ratios like 1 support ship for every 4 attack ships, and maintain that through all the doublings of the queue, then I don't see how you sacrifice late game performance. In fact where most empires just stop building quickly at higher bonuses in the late game, this should keep the AI always churning out more ships. And like a human player, you then end up utilizing most or all of your shipyards right up to the point maintenance becomes a problem. As maintenance becomes a problem the Maximum Maintenance Percent of Revenue kicks in and slows the building down. And because the queues are repeated evenly, you end up with a nice consistent force composition no matter when maintenance becomes a problem.

I am not aware of minister change you are refering to. Please tell me more about it. I played before 1.84 but I never got into modding the AI or using the ministers before then. I tried to search for more information, but all I found was a vague note in history.txt for 1.82.

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Agreed, the Basic maintenance considerations, would probably not be a factor in Medium and especially High AI computer Bonus games as was stated in my Post, just its concern in None to Low bonus games.
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In regards to the loss of AI intimidation in mid to Late AI game play , overall Ship and Base Strength as it relates to score that is directly related to AI Diplomacy and the quality of the AI ship and base in itself.

If what has been posted is true, in regards to BUG 3, 3a and 3b.
And what you may be suggesting that; If the AI designer were to issue orders for the AI to build massive amounts of Ships earlier then in past designs:

Originally posted by cybersol:
What I have not seen as much is using these same capabilities to better handle the various resource bonus games available. I like the idea of copying the entire heart of the build queue multiple times, doubling production for each copy . This better allows the AI to build up even force compositions in both the zero bonus and higher bonus states. I've seen this build up limited to attack ships in most TDM type AI's. IMHO, why not extend the idea and build up the whole construction queue .

As opposed to the gradual build up in the designers Current non-Moded and original se4 designs; then wouldn’t this exasperate the 3rd Bug you mentioned?

Originally posted by cybersol: Problem/Bug 3b)
A similar bug where ships that hit the 50% retrofit limit just sit there useless trying to retrofit but failing over and over again. This happens for a long time, sometimes they switch and try to retrofit at a different ship yard with the same result.

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Follow up reference:

3) Is there anyway to stop the AI from trying to retrofit to a “newer” Version of a ship that is in fact the same as the old Version? This results in ships being wasted just sitting there and trying to be retrofitted but failing because the ships are identical.

3)As I recall, the AI ship hangs around for a short time if cannot Retrofit, plus the AI gets a neat little message it can't read

3) I have seen them try for a while, over and over.

3) Is there anyway to stop the AI from trying to retrofit to a “newer” Version of a ship that is in fact the same as the old Version? This results in ships being wasted just sitting there and trying to be retrofitted but failing because the ships are identical.

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Nope, I don't know how to do it... Think Aaron "fixed" it in several patches, but the behavior is still there.

Well, for me it tries to retrofit for 10 or more turns until finally the tech changes so the new design is different and then the ships can retrofit properly. Since posting this problem, I now run into a similar one where ships that hit the 50% retrofit limit just sit there useless trying to retrofit but failing over and over again for a long while.

In my case 10 to 50 turns depending. Longer for the 50% limit problem than for the same design problem.

Problem/Bug 3a)
Is there anyway to stop the AI from trying to retrofit to a “newer” Version of a ship that is in fact the same as the old Version? This results in ships being wasted just sitting there and trying to be retrofitted but failing because the ships are identical.

Problem/Bug 3b)
A similar bug where ships that hit the 50% retrofit limit just sit there useless trying to retrofit but failing over and over again. This happens for a long time, sometimes they switch and try to retrofit at a different ship yard with the same result.

Bug/Problem 3).
Think doesn't exist a way to avoid this problem.

[ June 18, 2003, 18:40: Message edited by: JLS ]