No AI mod?

Ruatha · #1 March 16th, 2003, 11:58 AM

I'm thinking of starting a PBW game and then be strict about the turn deadlines.
This means I would use the No-AI mod.
What to do with the empires taht are without player? If a player drops out and we don't get any replacement?

Currently I'm considering:

I as host go in and fill up the queues for defensive means. Builds planetary minefields and defense ships.
Offer everyone peace. Does no ship movement.
If I as host am in conflict with this empire I can't continue that conflict.
I will be participating in the game myself.

Any other options??

Fyron · #2 March 16th, 2003, 12:00 PM

If a player drops out, you either need to get a replacement, or consider the empire as good as dead. All that the AI will do is move ships around (maybe a few other minor actions, but that is the bulk of what it can do with the No AI mod).

Ruatha · #3 March 16th, 2003, 12:58 PM

Oh, so there is some limited AI functions afterall?

Grandpa Kim · #4 March 16th, 2003, 07:56 PM

If memory serves, one thing the No AI mod will do is fill up the research queue. Perhaps one of the PBW admins can correct me if I am wrong.

Ruatha · #5 March 16th, 2003, 08:32 PM

Yep. I downlaoded it and read the included documentation, it does.

Ruatha · #6 March 17th, 2003, 02:00 AM

is it good to have the No-AI mod?
I haven't tried it.
It should be great to don't have to worry about the AI messing things up if you miss a turn. ):
Yet not so good to have empires who doesn't do anything when a player drops out.

Fyron · #7 March 17th, 2003, 06:41 AM

The No AI mod will not have your research queue altered at all. It will cause more techs to be added if all of the projects are done though. That is a good thing for the AI to do on missed turns.

We can not control the AI's ability to issue orders to ships with no orders. So, it can still move ships around. But, if your ships have long, multi-turn orders, or sentry orders, those ships will not be affected by the AI when you miss a turn, with or without the No AI mod.

Using the No AI mod is a good thing if you do not want any AI empires in the game. I try to get it used in all PBW games I am in.

Andr�s · #8 March 17th, 2003, 06:55 AM

I ask this as someone who has never downloaded or tried to look closely at the no-ai mod, so please forgive my ignorance.
Are you aware that once all projects in the ai_research file are completed, ai will add a random trechnology of those remaining until it runs over of techs.
So that having a blank research file wold be much worse than the default one.

Fyron · #9 March 17th, 2003, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Andr&eacutes Lescano:
I ask this as someone who has never downloaded or tried to look closely at the no-ai mod, so please forgive my ignorance.
Are you aware that once all projects in the ai_research file are completed, ai will add a random trechnology of those remaining until it runs over of techs.
So that having a blank research file wold be much worse than the default one.

Yes, that is why the Research file is not blank.

Ruatha · #10 March 17th, 2003, 08:53 AM

The Read-me:

No-Ai mod
One of the most frustrating things about playing Space Empires IV PBW, or any PBEM for that matter, is in the event you miss a turn, or if your turn file gets scrambled somehow, the ai will take your turn for you. As we all know the ai does a particularly awful job of handling things.

We all have horror stories I am sure. I was in a game once where the AI, broke several trade and research treaties, declared war on my closest neighbor, took control of my fleets in that system and wiped out three of his planets, not to mention filling my construction queues with worthless junk, and obsoleting and replacing all of my carefully thought out ship designs.

All his dirty work was done in one turn. But it took me 7 or 8 turns to undo the damage. Particularly because I was close to the limit on maintenance anyway, and loosing all that treaty income meant several ships being abandoned.

There is a setting in empire options "AI should not make changes during simultaneous games." As we all know, that does little or nothing to help the problem. Jimbob and I have come up with a solution. It involves replacing the files that control what the ministers do during your turn. More on how it does it later.

These files, will eliminate the problem as much as is possible. By using these files, the ai will NOT:
1. Obsolete your designs
2. Design new ships or units
3. Put ANYTHING in your construction queue
4. Become angry at other races, for ANY reason
5. Break existing treaties
6. Offer or accept new treaties
7. Declare war
8. Attack colonies of empires you are not at war with

Using these files the AI still MIGHT:
1. Fill your research queue if empty (I figured this is about the only thing it does decently)
2. Reply to Messages from other empires, but only to refuse any requests. (But I have modified the speech.txt file so that it is clear the refusals are coming from the AI and not the player)
3. Move your ships around somewhat
4. Attack colonies of Empires you are at war with.
5. Attack ships of Empires you are at war with.
6. Send colony ships that do not have previous orders.

It is very important that if that player leaves the game a human replacement is found. Turning them over to the ai will result in a useless do-nothing empire.

Do not use AI or Neutral players with this mod. It is not recommended that you allow the AI to take several turns for you using this mod. Basically it is for short term absences. It will continue doing nothing during a long term absence, and that could be worse than letteing the normal Ai run things for you.

Geoschmo

Ruatha