Fleeing from battle -- how?

[couslee]

Originally posted by Perrin:
If the planet does not have any ships in orbit you can change the fleet strategy to Don't get hurt. This will blockade a planet because when combat occurs when you move into the sector you ships will run for the corners. They will not get in range of planetary defenses. After that first battle the planet will be blockaded.

This has worked for me in PBW.

I am playing my first simultaneous game in SP mode to leard the quirks, to see if I might be interested in PBW. I am trying to set up a surrender with one of the AIs. I have been able to blockade one of his planets, but it also has WPs on the surface. these will have have to be destroyed before I can make the demand. i have tried numerous things, and all have proved difficult to implement, and a majority of the time the planet gets glassed. I am thinking the "easiest" way is going to be to design a specific ship only for blockading, and a specific ship for planet capture/defense destruction.

I know some of the players here love it, but personally, I can't stand simultaneous games. Not yet anyway. I really miss the tactical combat. IMO, that is half the fun of the game. However, that rant is for another thread.

[Phoenix-D]

"I am trying to set up a surrender with one of the AIs. I have been able to blockade one of his planets, but it also has WPs on the surface. these will have have to be destroyed before I can make the demand."

Err..not exactly. AI's don't care if their planets are armed to the teeth or utterly defenseless when considering a surrender. All that matters is your score vs their score, and weapon platforms, like all units, don't count for score.

And you can't force a single planet to surrender. Only entire empires. Though you could ask the AI to tribute you the planet..

Phoenix-D

[couslee]

PD. Most of the details of this are in my Simultaneous game thread, so I will be brief.

I know only complete empires will surrender. It was my experience in TB that the Ai had to be pretty much defenseless. All planets have to be blockaded, and no SATs or combat ships left. I don't think score is the only factor. WP may not be considered, will have to try that some in this current game. It's not really a playing game either, I am trying to works any major bugs out of a simultaneous strategy, so I am trying a number of different things. If I have to do a reload to try something else, I will.
This is a learning game, not a playing game. it is my first time trying a s.m. game. (so no flaming peeps).

[ January 31, 2003, 21:08: Message edited by: couslee ]

[Phoenix-D]

"It was my experience in TB that the Ai had to be pretty much defenseless. All planets have to be blockaded, and no SATs or combat ships left. I don't think score is the only factor."

First just FYI surrender and all other AI actions work the same in either mode. Second, I've had an AI surrender without doing that.

Third, from the AI files:

Score Percent To Accept Demand your surrender := 1000
Will Accept From Friend Demand your surrender := False
Will Accept From Enemy Demand your surrender := True

These control how the AI handles surrender. Blocking does help, since by blocking their planets you remove any production from that planet. That lowers their score IIRC.

Phoenix-D

[Perrin]

If the planet does not have any ships in orbit you can change the fleet strategy to Don't get hurt. This will blockade a planet because when combat occurs when you move into the sector you ships will run for the corners. They will not get in range of planetary defenses. After that first battle the planet will be blockaded.

This has worked for me in PBW.

[Shadowstar]

Well, in developing my mod, which will be PBEM only, and not use any AI's, it would be helpful to find effective ways of giving unarmed ships a chance to flee. One thing I've been doing is modding the ships so that the number of engines you need for a movement point is directly related to the ship's mass. So, the bigger ships would tend to move slower than the smaller ships, and unarmed transports are usually just engines and cargo pods anyway, so in theory they could mount more engines and thus move faster than a warship that needs the space for weapons. Just have to teach them not to get cornered...

[couslee]

PD, "Blocking does help, since by blocking their planets you remove any production from that planet. That lowers their score" that would explain it. thx.