quote:
Where I am having trouble is with the Engines. Since we are using a Q-N style I have engine categories ranging from Light to Massive, but I am having trouble with making the AI pick a good mix of classes, maybe if I just make them pick the class best for a ship size and limit each shipsize group. Any ideas?
Try giving the engines a useless ability, such as "organic extraction", or "star-unstable"
Light: minerals extraction (the facility ability)
Medium: organic extraction
Large: radioactives extraction
Heavy: Planet - shield generation
Massive: Star - unstable
For each Category of ship, you can then make the AI use some of each, and you can vary the proportions as you go.
Alternatively, you could give all engines all 5 abilities, and have them stand for certain characteristics, such as fuel efficiency, speed efficiency (thrust/size, so AIs won't pick an engine twice as big because it provides 10% more movement points), etc.