Questions, part 4

[Silent Sorrow]

They keep a' comin'!

1. Does playing politics with the AI really matter? Besides the strangeness I've noted in other past questions of mine, another I see now it that the state of relations between my empire and the AI's doesn't match what it says under mood. For example, I'm at war with the Drushocka but the mood says they're "warm" to me. Huh?

2. After the AI agrees to a demand to depopulate a planet, does it ever actually do so? I waited and waited for the AI to do that and it never did leave. I kept checking the population but the AI didn't move a thing.

3. What defends against the Abbidon's mind control weapon (allegiance converter)? I find it to be hell, especially in the early game.

4. Does the self-destruct device work if your ship is taken over by mind control (i.e. deny the enemy the ship even though it's just been taken over)?

5. Does the shield damage of shield disrupters, etc., stack? The damage is so low on the individual weapon that it can't penetrate even low level shields--yet someone told me earlier that shield depleters are "all or nothing" and that they either overcome the shield or do nothing. But that can't be right, can it? Don't they eat away at the shield? (But then, why not use regular, more powerful weapons instead?)

6. What's happening when my missiles strike a planet but there is no explosion graphic (even though the planet has no defences)?

7. What determines a planet's base hit points?

8. Wall formation isn't really wall. I notice that on auto the ships simply bunch up in something that is definitely not a wall. Is something wrong?

9. If you have ships blocking all of a system's jump points is that entire system blockaded?

10. I set my ships to "max weapon range" but on auto they keep closing in anyway. What's happening?

11. What defends against a null-space projector? I'm using them on the AI and they're devastating. Bypass armour and shields? Other ships don't stand a chance against that--including me if I'm on the receiving end.