Has anyone seen the AI be aggressive? TDM-Modpack

Jason2 · #1 April 8th, 2001, 10:16 PM

I have the latest modpack. The results are great - huge fleets of ships and fighters... yet the AI never seems to exploit it.

One of my best systems (two Huge planets with my atmosphere) is on the outer fringe of my empire. The XiChung came with about 31 ships and bLasted my small defense fleet at the warp point... then they just sat there, then they left. That was about 40 turns ago. Since then I STILL am behind in technology... I have sent 3 fleets of 20 ships each to try and raid them and each time they have kicked my butt! Yet, the most they will do is enter my system and then just sit at the warp point....

What gives?? Anyone know? Do the modders or the patch plan to address this?

Don't get me wrong, the modpack is fantastic and has enhanced SEIV a hundredfold... but if the AI doesn't exploit it's gains it will always be a victorious game for me unless my own home system starts right next to the AI (the only time I've been attacked and lost)...

Any thoughts?

Jason2

Master Belisarius · #2 April 8th, 2001, 10:52 PM

>Do the modders or the patch plan to address this?

I think not.

Sometimes, the resupply minister send back a fleet, when the AI fleet has the opportunity to bLast your better planet...

Daynarr · #3 April 9th, 2001, 12:22 AM

Jason, judging from your description that was Xi'Chung defense fleet. This is how AI uses defense fleets:
- they always move only within the systems that AI has claimed
- they always hunt enemy ships, not colonies
- they will attack enemy colony only if enemy ship is orbiting that colony
- if there are no enemy ships in that system, they will just sit (effectively blocking it) on warp point until AI detects enemy ships somewhere within his territory or they run out of supplies.

To take out colonies, AI uses attack fleets. I guess in your case that AI had his attack fleet busy somewhere else.

Unfortunately, as a modder, there is nothing I can do to change it. I can make AI build effective ships, I can make AI produce those ships, but I can't tell AI what to do with those ships. It is hard coded behavior and it is not as bad as it seems. I have seen AI do some very complex things on both strategic and tactical levels and I must say that it is much, much, MUCH better than any previous Version. Of course, there are times that AI looks just plain stupid, but that is the case with ALL games (including chess games).

Jason2 · #4 April 9th, 2001, 03:44 AM

Thank you for the explanation

Over the Last month, I bought Fallout:Tactics and Kohan... playing them both... but the game that always keeps my interest: Space Empires IV - I play at least one full game a week

Again, kudos to everyone who mods - it has changed the whole game for me!

Jason2

Q · #5 April 9th, 2001, 06:39 AM

Yes I saw AI behave very aggressive. The Rage e.g. destroyed with their fleet one colony after the other from their enemy in a system. They attacked even more than one colony in a turn and didn't stop till the system was clean.

Tampa_Gamer · #6 April 9th, 2001, 05:41 PM

Any feedback on the Colonials or Piundon?

Atraikius · #7 April 9th, 2001, 06:19 PM

I've ended up quiting 12 games since the Last TDM-modpack (all set for 200pts, 100 systems, and AI at hard) all but two of them because I was so far behind I didn't stand a chance. (the other two were after using Daynarr's quad mods, and in those I was stuck where I could only colonize 1 or 2 worlds without reaching a point where I ran out of fuel). In those I only ran into the Colonials once where they wern't peaceful towards me. The Piundon have been very hostile, but I have been running into them very early, and so far up to at least turn 25 they have been almost more of an annoyance than a threat. I believe it is from them being very suceptable to missles early in the game, due to thier use of shorter range weapons at that point in the game.

Overall, the Pyrochette are typically fighting over 1st and 2nd place, with the Colonials and Rage running in the 3rd to 6th place range.

Master Belisarius · #8 April 9th, 2001, 10:01 PM

Talking about the Colonials: in games with 10 starting planets and full tech, is a good idea to start building Dreadnoughts from the start, then, they have advantage. But in games with 1 starting planet and full tech, they go lack of resources very fast, and usually have only 1 or 2 attack ships, then in my opinion, they have a big disadvantage with this kind of games.

And yea... in my test games, the Pyrochette are usually in the first place... but I never wanted to speak a lot, because I don't want the people think that I have not an objective opinion.

Tampa_Gamer · #9 April 9th, 2001, 11:06 PM

Master - that is probably b/c I took out hull limitations in the early turns. It was working fine when the AI used the maintenance limitation (which is currently not being used - hence the reason why a lot of races are running out of resources). I think I saw somewhere that this was fixed in the forthcoming patch.

Master Belisarius · #10 April 9th, 2001, 11:41 PM

"I took out hull limitations in the early turns."
Yes Tampa, I agree with you.

"It was working fine when the AI used the maintenance limitation (which is currently not being used - hence the reason why a lot of races are running out of resources). I think I saw somewhere that this was fixed in the forthcoming patch"

I hope that you're right!!!