Where did the AI leave it's I

Taqwus · #1 March 2nd, 2001, 08:30 PM

The AI isn't adapting very well, if at all, to what players do; for instance, I don't think one would shift from all missiles to having at least some beams if you show up with dedicated point-defense BBs in a combined-arms fleet. Nor, for that matter, does it have a notion of a good fleet design; I don't recall ever seeing a fleet that included a good mix between combat and non-combat ships. Even if one could define fleet compositions in .txt files, it'd still need to deduce when and how to use them, since a proper fleet composition depends on how much you know about your opponents' preferences, as well. Actually, it should take just about everything into account...

For that matter, it's research and build strategies aren't affected that much by quadrant parameters. Try a mid-life; clusters are far easier than mid-lifes, I suspect, because the AI isn't good at using SM and espionage to foil warp-point defenses and w/ a ML you usually have a far longer border. Especially with a low ship count limit, that can present more problems.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

raynor · #2 March 3rd, 2001, 01:29 AM

quote:
From what I understand, 'Medium Bonus' is giving the AI 3x Research and Production.

According to my tests, the bonus only applies to research and intel production.

I *wish* the AI was getting a 3x resource bonus at med bonus but I don't think it is.

Talenn · #3 March 3rd, 2001, 01:46 AM

raynor:

Yeah, thats what I thought at first too when I would take over AI players and see what they were doing. The Research was approx 2x (with Low Bonus) and the Production seemed flat. But game experience demonstrates otherwise. I constantly see larger fleets and far faster expansion when it has a higher bonus.

Early in the game, there is nothing that can augment production to the degree that it appears to have. So, I concluded that it is indeed gaining some kind of economic bonus as well. I just cant quantify it. Maybe I'm just imagining things, but I dont think so.

Anyone else have any input on this?

Thanx,
Talenn

raynor · #4 March 3rd, 2001, 02:51 AM

Talenn,

I agree with you one hundred percent. But my mind won't accept it until I quantify it.

Here is the Last test I ran. Start a high dif/high bonus game with yourself and just one AI. Now, hit end turn ten times in a row before you take control of the AI player. Take a look at what he has produced. I tried this a couple of times. When I compared the cost of the ships and units to his production capacity and his resources, it seemed to balance out.

I gotta, gotta be able to demonstrate the higher production before I'll believe it. So, I have two theories for the AI's seeming abundance of ships. First, maybe there is something hard coded in the game engine that makes the AI play better? Second, maybe the increased research at the beginning of the game is playing a role somehow?

Do ya suppose I should offer a reward for the first person who quantifies this?

Thanks for your comments. I hope we can draw some other bright folks into this discussion.

Daynarr · #5 March 3rd, 2001, 03:36 AM

Talenn, this was true in 1.19 Version (I had confirmed it), but in this Version it seems that there is no bonus resource production for AI. I have both Sergetti and Xi'Chung on the edge of their maintenance capacity and as soon as they have more maintenance then resource income, they start losing resources from their reserves. I am 100% positive on this one. It has been fixed, whatever the problem was.

[This message has been edited by Daynarr (edited 03 March 2001).]

Marty Ward · #6 March 3rd, 2001, 05:03 PM

Maybe the ship building routine is effected by the difficulty level not the bonus level. I usually play medium difficulty and find that some races build fleets of a reasonable size and others don't seem to. Don't know why, just an observation.