SOLVED AI TROOP INVASIONS

[Cranex]

1. I chose Abbidon race and went to the AI_Design Creation file in Abbidon race and put the ability "Drop Troops" /50 at the bottom of the Troop Transport. Changed #of abilities +1.

2. I went to TechArea and set "Troop Weapons" start level 3 and "Troops" at level 3 so troops are available from turn 1.

3. I went to "Components" and set Troop Cockpit at 0$ cost and troop weapons at $0 cost so AI would make more troops per turn.

4. In the default AI construction Vehicles file (I wasn't using any mods so I altered the default AI file), I added two entries at the bottom of each AI state:ex exploration, infrastructure etc:
Entry # Type Troop
Planet Per Item 20
Must have atleast 50
Entry # Type Troop Transport
Planet Per Item 80
Must Have atleast 1
At turn 30, 1 race brought two cruisers and 1 troop transport into my system, but for some strange reason(perhaps cause it was a small transport), it didn't invade. At turn 53, another race attacked with a medium transport with about 60 large troops and captured my planet.
I did't use any mods, I used patch 1.49,high difficulty, low bonus, no racial bonus's except any ones that are default when you install the game. I set the game so large troops with level 3 cannons are available from turn 1(techarea adjustment-which I like)

Have fun!
All the races will use it if you add
Name Drop Troops"
Spaces Per One 50
to their Design Creation Files and add the two above entries to their Construction Vehicles file if they have one or make sure the AI default Construction Vehicles file has the two entries in each each ai state.
[This message has been edited by Cranex (edited 25 October 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Cranex (edited 27 October 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Cranex (edited 27 October 2001).]

[mac5732]

great news, pls send info to MM maybe they can get it into patch before it comes out....
yey,.... enemy troops to waste...

ps. Will all the AI races use it or only certain ones??

just some ideas mac

[This message has been edited by mac5732 (edited 25 October 2001).]

[Baron Munchausen]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cranex:
I put the ability
"Drop Troops"/100
on my troop transport design.
And double checked that AI players
were designing "Troops" and "Troop Transport"
right from game turn 2. If not I added to design file.
I used default TDM Modpack "construction
vehicle file".
Sergetti attacked with 172 troops and took
my planet. Finally!!!

---

Huh? Are you saying that you added the (unused) ability to drop troops to the HULL of your troop transport? This doesn't make any sense. That ability is for components, and it's not needed or used since any ship w/troops in cargo can drop them. I guess it's possible that the AI is still designed to expect this ability on a troop ship... Please post what you've done.


[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 25 October 2001).]

[Atraikius]

You could check the Aquilians, Space Vikings, and Orks. All three are using tropps to capture planets.

[Dracus]

I would like to see this file also.

[Baron Munchausen]

Well, if Cranex isn't going to get back to us we'll have to experiment for ourselves. Shall we invent a 'troop drop bay' using this Drop Troops ability and see if the AI will suddenly recognize a ship with it as capable of invading planets?

[Rollo]

The AI already does recognize troop transports and uses them to invade planets. What is this Troop Bay supposed to be other than a cargo storage filled with troops?

Rollo

[Rollo]

Btw, Baron and others,
I just noticed that Cranex has edited his first post and put some more detail in. Gosh, I hate this up-side-down of this forum.

edit: So, if I understand this correctly, what Cranex did was that he put troop transports and troops in the construction queue. Yes, that is correct. If the AI has troops and a transport it will load them and use the transports to invade.
He also added the "drop troops" ability to the transports (which is not really necessary, IMHO). I will check that and see if the AI uses transports with the ability in any other way than without it.

Rollo

[This message has been edited by Rollo (edited 31 October 2001).]

[AJC]

Okay - I have been experimenting with this - I made the mods and added the Build troops and Transports to every AI state in the AI_Construction_Vehicles.txt file and added the Drop Troops to the transport Abbidon designs as an ability . My result was that I have managed to get the AI to load troop transports once in 76 turns and head off to invade.
unfortunately on the way to the target world - the ship was intercepted and destroyed...soley due to the fact that it didnt go with a fleet - it went on its own... how do we solve the transport not going with a fleet?


[This message has been edited by AJC (edited 31 October 2001).]

[Rollo]

I have also tested this now. The drop troops ability doesn't seem to affect the troop transport (TT) behavior. So you don't actually have to put that in. Putting troops and TT into the construction file is sufficient.

AJC, are you sure the TT was on its way to a target world and not trying to join a fleet? Did you check its orders? I have never seen this behavior of TTs trying to invade a planet alone, only as part of a fleet.
Usually the problem with TTs is that they sit in orbit doing nothing until some time they will join a fleet, if one passes by. If you see a TT leaving orbit, please check its orders. It should say "Join fleet x". After the TT joined the fleet the fleet orders automatically change to "Capture planet". Depending on how many fleets you have moving around and given that the TT is not waiting in some backwater world, this can work quite well or nothing at all. I have seen the Vikings capture planets as early as turn 35 and as late as... well, never.

Rollo