I have been wondering this for a long time. I will have created an Ai that has 3 ship 'classes' for attack or defense and only 1 of them seems to get built, the odd other one will. Recently I discovered why (maybe the various modders already know this, but I didn't, and I know a few others didn't as well, so heres my story
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The game builds the ships exactly the same as it selects weapons in the ship designs. that is to say the most recently discovered is used exclusively. (this means the FIRST one in the file!!) So if you build an AI that has 3 attack classes listed as 10-300, 301 to 600 and 601 to 1500 in size listed from the 10 down to the 601 and with all carrying redundant weapons (ie, all have say weapns listed as torp/apb/duc) then only the size 300 will be built as it is the first one the Ai comes to in the design file that meets its non-obsolete criteria when new tech is discovered.
How to get around this: build backwards!
List the Heavy attack ship first in the ai file, then the medium, then the light. this goes for all other ships as well (and bases). This way has been tested and works. Another way to do this (if not seperated by size) is by weapons (this has not been tested, don't know if it works since engines etc are being discovered all the time as well). List the most 'advanced' model first, and DO NOT include lower weapons like DUC's or ABP, just the 'advanced' weapon (pick 1) that it will use (ie, list the Null-space ship b4 the DUC ship). (the duc ship will be obsolete and the null space will be 'new tech') At least it should work this way.
If anyone has comments/corrections please post them here, I know the first part works, but would dearly like to know if the 2nd does without completely re-vamping a shipset for testing.
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"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.
Why the AI builds the Ships it does
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