Proportions Mod Versions 2.5.2 and 2.5.3 available

[oleg]

Originally posted by Aloofi:

quote:

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Originally posted by oleg:
Norak does not design Population transports.
Reason is simple:
"must have ability 1" should be "cargo storage", not "star - unstable"
Here is modified Norak_AI_designcreation.txt
1046567994.txt

Kind of silly to load whole file because of two words but it WILL help Norak AI ! Some other races may have same problem, did't check all.

Oleg, why all transport have the star-unstable ability?
Is that the way it should be?

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Actually no here is why : when AI see "cargo storage" ability, it uses the component with highest value. This is fine untill it discovers "population module" or what is name ? - the big 400K module with capacity 1M. Now, it can not use standard cargo bays on troop transports, carriers, etc.

One way around is instruct AI not to research these modules at all. But I thought it is just not cool Thus, PvK introduced special bogus ability for cargo bays I - "star unstable" Now AI can use them if you use this new ability in design_creation. There is a catch though - for AI to use transport hull design should have
"must have ability1 := cargo storage" if you replace it with "star - unstable" here, AI will not pick up transport hulls. This is all quite complicated but I think I get it sorted in my AIs and in fact it makes AI modding more exiting !

[Aloofi]

Originally posted by oleg:
[QB
There is a catch though - for AI to use transport hull design should have
"must have ability1 := cargo storage" if you replace it with "star - unstable" here, AI will not pick up transport hulls. This is all quite complicated but I think I get it sorted in my AIs and in fact it makes AI modding more exiting ![/QB]

Lol, this explanation alone gave me a headache.
But now I know how to mess around with the AI designs....Muuuaaaaaaahhhhh.

[dogscoff]

Yeah, I agree. Neutrals are nothing more than a bonus to the human player.

In the standard game, yes, but not so much in Proportions. Their homeworlds are as good as anyone else's and I have fought long drawn out campaigns against them, because they have to concentrate their defences in one system unlike regular empires who spread themselves thin across many systems.

True, there's nothing to stop you parking a fleet just on the wrong side of their warp point and dumping drones on them, but neutrals in proportions are by no means easy meat.

[JLS]

Originally posted by dogscoff:

quote:

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Yeah, I agree. Neutrals are nothing more than a bonus to the human player.

In the standard game, yes, but not so much in Proportions. Their homeworlds are as good as anyone else's and I have fought long drawn out campaigns against them, because they have to concentrate their defences in one system unlike regular empires who spread themselves thin across many systems.

True, there's nothing to stop you parking a fleet just on the wrong side of their warp point and dumping drones on them, but neutrals in proportions are by no means easy meat.

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Actually all you need is about 6+ Carriers with 40% Fighters, 40% Fighter-Bombers some Anti ship/Base, and 20% Cluster bombers a few Troopships full off infantry. From as much as one sector away from the AI Home World. (assuming your Fighter techs is comparable to there ship/base techs).

Fighters set (Strat Menu) to engage Fighters, Sats and Ships etc. (NOT PLANETS)

Fighter Bombers set default (Optimal Range) or make your own avoiding planets as well.

Cluster Bombers also set (to Optimal range, but there only carrying Cluster bombs only and should have at least one Combat movement (preferred) slower then other fighters.
~
1st Wave: Send Fighters and Fighter/Bombers with enough Fighter Bombers (some fighters also if AI CVs are present) to defend the fleet. (Fleet remains on station with relative impunity about a sector away) This wave should take out most to all Bases and Ships the AI has over its home world. How ever you may loose a great deal of your Fighter bombers, unless you avoid engaging planets with them as well. In that wave.

2nd Wave: Launch but do NOT send Cluster bombers with first wave. Time that wave to attack the turn after the first wave. You should have Fighter cover left from the previous turns attack for your cluster bombers. (keep a careful eye on any reinforcement the AI may bring to bare and strike there ships with Fighter-bombers from afar).

Third turn:
With the right amount of cluster bombers getting thru to the Planet (Observe that battle report and/or check the planets Last Unit cargo) you should now be ready to send in your main body with Troop Ships and a few Thousand Infantry (Fleet orders Capture Planet), be sure to have transports from the Home System ferrying troops on a regular bases, it may take in access of 6000-10000 infantry to capture a Home World in fair order.

[ March 04, 2003, 14:56: Message edited by: JLS ]

[Aloofi]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
In the standard game, yes, but not so much in Proportions. Their homeworlds are as good as anyone else's and I have fought long drawn out campaigns against them, because they have to concentrate their defences in one system unlike regular empires who spread themselves thin across many systems.

The problem is that you can be at war with them for a long time and they can't attack you outside their system. That's the main issue I see with Neutrals.

On the other hand, is true that their defenses are impresive. I haven't attacked a regular AI Homeworld yet, so i can't compare, but it took me 3 assaults and 3 years of blockade to take the Bobrosa States Homeworld. They had over 60 WP including Medium sized ones. At the end I only conquered them when I retrofited 10 of my Destroyers as PDCs, and 2 as Fast Troop Carriers. Their weakness was in that the mayority of their WP were Missiles.
I will mess the AI design files so they build more WP with Meson BLasters.

[henk brouwer]

Originally posted by Aloofi:

quote:

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Originally posted by oleg:
No idea. Actually I never played Proportions with neutrals. Did't see the point, why not just add one more race ?

Yeah, I agree. Neutrals are nothing more than a bonus to the human player. The problem was that I realized that when I was already into the current game......

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Maybe it would be fun to mod the neutrals so they have special techs.. something like the master of orion guardian. problem would be that there can't be a tech-reward for destroying them
Maybe you could let them have a couple of special buildings on their homeworld that you could capture, a ship training facility that trains upto 40% or something.. anyhow just some ideas..

Henk

[Aloofi]

Originally posted by JLS:
2nd Wave: Launch but do NOT send Cluster bombers with first wave. Time that wave to attack the turn after the first wave. You should have Fighter cover left from the previous turns attack for your cluster bombers. (keep a careful eye on any reinforcement the AI may bring to bare and strike there ships with Fighter-bombers from afar).

Third turn:
With the right amount of cluster bombers getting thru to the Planet (Observe that battle report and/or check the planets Last Unit cargo) you should now be ready to send in your main body with Troop Ships and a few Thousand Infantry (Fleet orders Capture Planet), be sure to have transports from the Home System ferrying troops on a regular bases, it may take in access of 6000-10000 infantry to capture a Home World in fair order.

That sounds like an epic battle!