Intergalactic Civil War !!??

[raynor]

quote:

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Originally posted by chewy027:
A few people have stated that the civil war would be unbalancing, I thought about it and I really can't understand why it would be unbalancing. In fact from, my point of view, it would add balance to the game.

So why is it unbalancing?

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Mainly, it is unbalancing because it gives the human player such a huge advantage over the already struggling AI. The human player would *always* attack the AI's homeworld, wouldn't they? But the computer doesn't yet have the ability to target mineral-rich systems much less the capital system.

[chewy027]

Raynor wouldn't that be an easy hardcode change though. Insert something that tells the AI to seek out and destroy the Homeworld. I really don't know much about programming, but it seems like it would be easy.

[raynor]

From what I can determine, the AI offense fleets only attack enemy colonies in systems they have claimed. And the AI only claims systems adjacent to its colonies.

So... it would require a very, very large change in the code for the AI just to attack a system non-adjacent to one of its own systems much less attack a system that is far removed from its colonies.


[This message has been edited by raynor (edited 16 April 2001).]

[chewy027]

Well couldn't you at least tell the AI to attack the system capital?

[raynor]

quote:

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Originally posted by chewy027:
Well couldn't you at least tell the AI to attack the system capital?

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No... this would require some pretty complex enhancements to the AI. It seems like the AI only sends its attack fleets to contested systems with(without?) enemy colonies in them. These systems become contested systems because they are adjacent to other AI systems. I don't think the AI knows how to attack enemy systems that aren't contested. In fact, I've seen AI empires send ships *through* my system to get to some mustering point without stopping to attack completely undefended planets.

Before you tell the AI to attack a system far removed from its borders, a logical first step would be to teach it to attack nearby enemy systems that aren't yet claimed/contested. Once you do that, then you can think about teaching it to assign them different values and attack the ones that are worth more strategically. After that, you could think about teaching the AI to use resupply ships/bases to explore a level further (in terms of warp points) and assign strategic values to those systems as well. Eventually, you might be able to show the AI how to assign a strategic value to every enemy system and determine which enemy should receive the brunt of the attack based upon strategic value. Then, and only then, you might be able to tell the AI that the capital has a very great value. Even still, it would be somewhat complicated telling the AI that one enemy homeworld four defended warp points away is a better target than a mineral rich system belonging to the same or a different enemy just one undefended warp jump away.

Hope that helps you understand where I'm coming from.

[Daynarr]

quote:

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Originally posted by raynor:
No... this would require some pretty complex enhancements to the AI. It seems like the AI only sends its attack fleets to contested systems with(without?) enemy colonies in them. These systems become contested systems because they are adjacent to other AI systems. I don't think the AI knows how to attack enemy systems that aren't contested. In fact, I've seen AI empires send ships *through* my system to get to some mustering point without stopping to attack completely undefended planets.

Before you tell the AI to attack a system far removed from its borders, a logical first step would be to teach it to attack nearby enemy systems that aren't yet claimed/contested. Once you do that, then you can think about teaching it to assign them different values and attack the ones that are worth more strategically. After that, you could think about teaching the AI to use resupply ships/bases to explore a level further (in terms of warp points) and assign strategic values to those systems as well. Eventually, you might be able to show the AI how to assign a strategic value to every enemy system and determine which enemy should receive the brunt of the attack based upon strategic value. Then, and only then, you might be able to tell the AI that the capital has a very great value. Even still, it would be somewhat complicated telling the AI that one enemy homeworld four defended warp points away is a better target than a mineral rich system belonging to the same or a different enemy just one undefended warp jump away.

Hope that helps you understand where I'm coming from.

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And after doing all that Aaron would probably win a Nobel price.

[chewy027]

OK I see your point. So obviously a patch possibility is ruled out. But what about an expansion? Would this be feasible for that?