AI ineptness in Miner's Guild mod

[Antonin]

OK, I DLd the image packs and the GritEcon and Miner's Guild mods.

I'm still getting a huge number of error Messages when I begin playing a GritEcon game.

I've started a couple of MG games and have notced that you can't choose an 'existing empire' when setting up the game. There are no empires in the empire list to choose from. None of the stock empires and none of the user-created races are shown. You have to create a new empire to play as.

I love the MG mod though, especially the emphasis on remote mining. I think the stock game truly needs a slow, very low maintenance remote mining hull. Since I started playing SE4 I've been a remote mining junkie. But alas, it's too expensive in the stock game. I wind up using mining satellites, but that's a gamey tactic and I feel a bit ashamed for using it.

I must say the AI really seems unable to cope in MG games. It seems to be unaware of remote mining and therefore absolutely passive because its planets quickly run out of minerals.

Is there a MG mod mod that makes the AI a bit more intelligent?

Is there a MG mod mod that makes planetary mining less useless? The weakness of planetary mining at the lower levels of extraction tech seems not quite right to me.

Is there anybody out there who can provide some tips on using user-created races in MG?

Thanks!

[Alneyan]

I think the AI cannot do any kind of remote-mining whatsoever, but could be wrong on this count. Forcing the AI to build bases with components generating resources might help, while making most of its economy as vulnerable as remote-miners (without supplies, they cannot even attempt to run away).

You cannot use already existing Empires because the Miner's Guild mod add new traits (the Space Monster trait namely), which makes the other Empire files incomptabible with this mod. Devnull itself should have some Empire files, and should be comptabible with the Miner's Guild as they share the same advanced traits.

Satellites aren't really a gamey tactic in this case. They do not cost any maintenance, but have a very low output, and will deplete asteroid values faster if you are using the three sorts of remote-miners on each asteroid (as in, three satellites with minerals, radioactives and organics mining). Even in the stock game, remote-mining can be very effective with Light Cruisers, and becomes very powerful as ships get bigger. You more or less have to play a game with a lot of asteroid fields though, which means FQM or a similar mod.

[Fyron]

The AI is not capable of handling remote mining at all.

[Suicide Junkie]

I'm still getting a huge number of error Messages when I begin playing a GritEcon game.

Uncheck the buttons for adding random AIs and random neutrals.
And find a buddy to play against.

[Alneyan]

Alneyan said:
I think the AI cannot do any kind of remote-mining whatsoever, but could be wrong on this count. Forcing the AI to build bases with components generating resources might help, while making most of its economy as vulnerable as remote-miners (without supplies, they cannot even attempt to run away).

Sorry for quoting myself, but I feel I should clarify that part; I can hardly understand myself here.

What might be done to force the AI to use non-planetary resource generation would be to create AI-only components using the "resource generation from nowhere" abilities introduced by the 1.91 patch. You would give these components a AI tag to force the AI to use them on, say, bases. This way, the AI will still be able to generate resources without having to use planets to do so.

How to force the AI to build such specific ships is another matter. Another more drastic possibility would be to give this kind of ability to *all* AI ships, but you would get an exponential growth, which might be a problem for the human player.

[Fyron]

Alneyan said:
Another more drastic possibility would be to give this kind of ability to *all* AI ships, but you would get an exponential growth, which might be a problem for the human player.

That is more or less how the Space Monsters of Devnull work, though they do it via negative maintenance rates on their ships/bases. I do not see a problem?

[Antonin]

Suicide Junkie said:Uncheck the buttons for adding random AIs and random neutrals.
And find a buddy to play against.

Are you saying the mod can't be enjoyed solo? I don't know anybody who plays computer games, and I'm not interested in PBW because I like to play at my own pace. Also, in the past when I've played games via the net I've encountered too many jerks. It's not worth the trouble.

[Fyron]

Antonin said:
Are you saying the mod can't be enjoyed solo?

Yes he is. The AI can't really handle some of the changes in the mod.

I don't know anybody who plays computer games, and I'm not interested in PBW because I like to play at my own pace.

Perhaps you can find a player or two willing to play at the same pace?

Also, in the past when I've played games via the net I've encountered too many jerks. It's not worth the trouble.

There are not many jerks out there playing SE4. The overwhelming majority is civilized and mature, rather than juvenile as with most Online games...

[Phoenix-D]

Imperator Fyron said:

That is more or less how the Space Monsters of Devnull work, though they do it via negative maintenance rates on their ships/bases. I do not see a problem?

SE4 tends to choke when you get too many ships.

[Fyron]

Phoenix-D said:
SE4 tends to choke when you get too many ships.

You will either have beaten the monsters back or have been crushed by them before that point occurs.