quote:
1) I've seen a LOT worse, and for less complicated games.
Unlucky you. Most of the time I research a game before I buy it, and that effectively filters out the games with bad AIs. But I agree with you, SEIV is a good game even with its improvable AI, makes some interesting engineering challenges!
quote:
2) The problem, in this particular case, is arising because you're trying to capture a planet by _exploiting_ the weak AI! Ironic, isn't it? Admit it, you'd never capture that planet with that fleet against a human opponent. He'd go after your unshielded troop transport as soon as it came into range and would blow it to pieces with one salvo. And he would ignore your "shield ship." The AI would be good enough for the job if your fleet were good enough to capture the planet from a human opponent.
If I'm directing the fight personally I won't even let him shoot at my transport in the first place!
AND that planet is easily takable with that DN and transport. The biggest problem is the AI doesn't know how to do little tricks to defeat an enemy that doesn't move (the WPs namely).
quote:
3) Your (probably human) opponent has set up his planetary defences (defenses?) in accordance with known AI behavior. Sorry, but you just have to deal with it. That's the game. The hard-coding that insists on destroying weapons platforms before landing troops was probably put in at the request of some poor slob who had his heavily-defended planet stolen from him by someone who tricked the AI into ignoring troop transports. Ditto with the "one drop per combat" rule.
You can set the AI to engage the transport first in strategies but appearent none of the default AIs were set up for that. Either way, who says it is not a valid strategy? I'm the kind of person who don't like sticking to set-piece battle drills.
quote:
4) You should feel lucky. You've got a 50/50 chance of capturing a planet that you've got no fair expectation of capturing. The planet owner is the guy who should be complaining!
It is turn 23 already. In my solo games I normally would have wiped out my first AI empire by now, and with comparable forces. Again, the problem is the AI doesn't know how to defeat static defenses.
By the way, the empire I'm fighting is AI controlled.
[edit] sorry something funny happend to this post and I had to repost it.
[This message has been edited by CW (edited 16 August 2001).]