[cybersol]

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
I'm sure you can call for resupply depots on any planet you feel like.

AFAIK:
1) The AI will automatically build one per system, guaranteed.
2) The AI will follow the build instructions for planets including any calls for resupply depots.

AI modders, what say you?

Presently, you call for resupply depots with the ability "Supply Generation" in the AI_Construction_Facilities. It is the only ability Resupply Depots have in the unmodded game. It is a system wide ability, so that multiple calls on different planet types result in only one resupply depot per system. This is great for most planet types (mineral, farming, etc). But construction yard type planets that build and retrofit ships might want a resupply depot on the planet regardless of whether there is already a system wide one. For instance, as a human player I put resupply depots on planets that are likely to do engine retrofits. If you add another ability that does nothing to resupply depots, then you can call for that ability instead of "supply generation" to get additional resupply depots for construction yard type planets. For instance, this is possible in proportions mod because resupply depots have the additional ability "emergency resupply" that is not system wide. This change would help mostly because the AI does not handle resuply or retrofit very well in some cases (colony ships never resupply for instance, retrofit ion engine I to ion engine II, etc).

Hope this better explains what I was thinking.

Originally posted by Rollo:
Which begs the question, cybersol: Why would you like to have the AI build more than one depot in a system? Just curious.

As I alluded to above, because the AI performs useless engine retrofits (and the occassional useful one) that leave the ships mostly stranded. Warships will limp to the nearest resupply depot and lose only a little time, but colony ships never resupply so they lose supply permenantly, limping across the galaxy trying to colonize. Currently, I add supply components, lots for colony ships, to get around this somewhat. It would still be nice to have the option to use a resupply depot on every planet with a shipyard, thus saving the component space for other things.

All around it was a minor frustation I ran into, much less annoying than the armor issue. It would be really great if the armor fix gets into wide public use. Have you suggested the armor fix to Mephisto for possible TDM inclusion as well? Back in the day it contained some minor data mods to help the AI (dummy research tech for instance).

[ July 30, 2003, 23:39: Message edited by: cybersol ]