Suggestions for better AI resource management and better Ground combat

Jourin · #1 March 21st, 2001, 01:18 AM

You just gave me an interesting idea. In SEIII the production facility would innately provide all of the storage capacity, but I also like the idea of additional storage facilities. If a production site produces 800 minerals a turn, being able to store 3x or 2400 is reasonable, and game wise, 5x would be acceptable. If you look at a normal production flow, usually one is being produced and 3 are being effectively stored because one set is usually intransit, one set is in the process of being shipped, one set is being produced, and one set is available for production start. Now this is a JIT flow, but assume a critical component that has an inventory safety stock requirement and 5x or 4,000 is very reasonable. Three additional facilities provide supply, a spaceport, a resupply point, and a shipyard. Let each of them store 10,000 production, 5.000 organic and 5,000 radioactive.

Now assuming a "Good Value" start of 20 facilities following the normal breakdown results in the following values

Facility Production Storage Organic Storage Radioactive Storage
Space Port 10,000 5,000 5,000
Resupply point 10,000 5,000 5,000
Space Yard 10,000 5,000 5,000
1 Organic 4,000 (5x)
1 radioactive 4,000 (5x)
8 production 32,000 (5x * 8)
7 research
Total 58,000 19,000 19,000

Now add in the empire bonus of 50,000 and you have realistic storage numbers. I would also increase the storage facilities from 20, 30, 40 thousand to 30, 40 , 50 thousand.

I would rather just do away with the empire bonus and do the following setup.

I would recommend the following setup

Facility Production Storage Organic Storage Radioactive Storage
Space Port 10,000 5,000 5,000
Resupply point 10,000 5,000 5,000
Space Yard 10,000 5,000 5,000
2 Production Storage 60,000
1 Organic Storage 30,000
1 Radioactive Storage 30,000
1 Organic 4,000 (5x * 1)
2 radioactive 8,000 (5x *1)
5 production 20,000 (5x * 5)
5 research
Total 110,000 49,000 53,000

This would result in a reduced number of storage facilities needed, but will definitely benefit the AI and I think will improve the game.

God Emperor · #2 March 21st, 2001, 01:43 AM

Jourin, there are a few ways we can help the AI (eg by getting them to reserach cargo and by adjusting their Construction_Facilities files to build more storage), but, I do like your ideas.....Sound nice and logical too....

Lemmy · #3 March 21st, 2001, 06:48 PM

storage bases....

i like that idea, maybe a new component : mineral storage bay ( or something like that )
can only be fitted on a base, size = 100 kt , can store 5000 kt minerals,
costs : i believe a storage fac. costs 1000 each resource and can store 20000 resources, i think it must be more expensive ( capacity / costs ) so something around 500 (?)

what do you think of it?

DirectorTsaarx · #4 March 22nd, 2001, 12:18 AM

Too bad a resource storage component requires a code change by MM. We've been asking for this (and for resource generation components) for a while now...

Baal · #5 March 22nd, 2001, 01:14 AM

My idea for improved ground combat would be making it an integral part of the game in the first place. Simply make it so when you glass a planet everyone declares war on you. That way you would have to send in troops to take planets so you don't get a Galactic War II, like with Hitler. Hitler was smearing jews so the countries declared war on Germany to stop him.

Just my 2 cents.

Lucanos · #6 March 22nd, 2001, 01:21 AM

LemmyM:
"i believe a storage fac. costs 1000 each resource and can store 20000 resources, i think it must be more expensive ( capacity / costs ) so something around 500"

A great idea.

The resource storage costs 2000 times each resource (if I'm not mistaken). But I actually think that the production cost should be lower or the same because of the following reasons (or... "why it's better to have a storage facillity on the planet"):

-Maintainance
-Research (the component should be in its own tech area, or perhaps in the "cargo" tech area since it only consists of three levels?)
-You'd hafta build the hull, engines, vehicle control components in order to get these storage bases/ships.

The good things about having a storage base would be:

-More storage space.
-Cheaper in the short run/to build (paying maintanance for the ship for 100 years would of course be more expensive).
-Saving facillity space on planets

That's how I think it should be (for the time being). "Why?" I dunno why...

Lemmy · #7 March 22nd, 2001, 12:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
Too bad a resource storage component requires a code change by MM. We've been asking for this (and for resource generation components) for a while now...

why is that, isn't it possible to add it in components.txt,
i'm not a experienced modder, but from what i've seen in the txt file it should be possible,
a component with a storage ability?

and another thing, while i was looking in the txt files i also took a look a the pictures, there are quite few that are never used in the game, i can remember one that is between the normal shield generator and the phased shield generator, does MM has plans for these pics, new components, there were also 6 engines and there are only 4 in the game.