Bug(?): AI Disregard for Player Satellites

[great.throwdini!]

Is it just me, or ...

In my current game, the hostile AIs seem utterly disinterested in the mining satellites I've populated systems with. I'll set up a ship-based space yard at the heart of system (refuelling off of a sun) and use a small satellite launcher to place mining satellites on the system's asteroid belts. Playing in an ancient sector, this is often upwards of ten belts to a system, so the process takes a while (not being able to deploy single satellites, I have to load one, move, drop one, go back and get another one, etc. -- another issue with the "dump all" aspect of the satellite launch controls).

Anyway, AI-controlled hostiles will pop in and move through the system, ignoring everything of mine in the system. Even after I move my space yard to another to repeat the process, I can watch hostile AI vessels moving through the system but leaving my resource-gathering satellites unmolested.

Anyone encounter similar behavior on the part of SEIV's AI? Are there plans to make the AI more aware of the utility (and fragility) of such remote resource collectors? As it stands, this weakness on the part of the AI pretty much guarantees an uninterrupted supply of materials for my empire, with satellite mining being far more secure than planet-based mining operations that can easily be disrupted when the AI throws a snit fit and obliterates the host colony.

[Psitticine]

quote:

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Originally posted by great.throwdini!:
not being able to deploy single satellites, I have to load one, move, drop one, go back and get another one, etc. -- another issue with the "dump all" aspect of the satellite launch controls

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Err, I may be misunderstanding but have you tried using the Move One/Five/All setting buttons on the right-hand side of the Deploy Units window?

To answer your actual question, I've seen the AI zap miners and such but they seem to be considered a very low priority, especially when not placed in a contested system. I suspect the AI is thinking it has more important things to do with those ships. Since whittling away the industrial base of an enemy can a great path to victory, I'd say there's a good chance it's wrong there!

[great.throwdini]

re: "Err, I may be misunderstanding but have you tried using the Move One/Five/All setting buttons on the right-hand side of the Deploy Units window?"

Funny, I don't see that as an option when setting up things through the "Launch Units Remotely" dialogue. Seems to be an all or nothing affair.

[Psitticine]

Ah, I see what you're talking about now!

I was talking about the Launch/Recover Units button, which deploys things here-and-now. I haven't looked into the Launch Units Remotely window yet. I've always done things in two steps - send the carrier to the location and then launch.

Actually, I hadn't even realized there was a way to combine the commands. I guess they need to add the Move # buttons to it, but it'll be useful when they do!

[AndonSage]

>> Actually, I hadn't even realized there was a way to combine the commands. I guess they need to add the Move # buttons to it, but it'll be useful when they do! <<

I use Launch Units Remotely a lot for my mines, and Drop Cargo (specifying another planet) for my population transfers. I would LOVE to have the option to specify how many to drop when the ship gets to it's destination. Currently, I have to write down notes on what I plan to do with the ship (move to planet #1, drop 250 pop, move to planet #2, drop 250 pop, etc).

Malfador, please add this one to the wish list

AndonSage