ATTN: AI wizards

[Urendi Maleldil]

The AI won't launch fighters without carriers either. Neither will they launch any fighters outside of combat.

The drone AI must follow similar programming.

It's too bad. But what you could do is mod the AI to build a drone launching base in orbit of a planet. I expect that would let the AI launch drones from the same sector as a planet.

[Baron Munchausen]

Planets can and do launch drones themselves. Unfortunately, they will launch ALL drones regardless of type or the size of the threat.

If you design bases to use units you must include both the SY to build them and the appropriate launchers. In fact, include ALL types of unit launchers on a base if you give it cargo since you cannot control what the AI will build with those SYs. The AI is not smart enough to find units in the cargo of bases, or to load the appropriate units onto bases with launchers. I discovered this by designing BSYs with cargo space. Any units built by a BSY with cargo will just sit in the cargo regardless of what the AI needs. Only when the cargo over-flows and drops units onto a planet will the AI find and use them. At least with all the necessary launchers the base will launch what it has if/when there is an attack.

[Krsqk]

My problem isn't getting drones on the carrier base; it already has a spaceyard and plenty drone launchers and cargo space, and this AI doesn't build any units besides drones. The base even loads any spare drones from the planets cargo, just like you would expect from a carrier.

I even get them to launch when attacked. Of course, as BM said, it launches all the drones at once, which limits their defensive usefulness.

My goal is to get the AI to use drones offensively. I haven't found a way to get them launched and fired off. I see the Devnullmod Space Monsters have drones; do they launch them, or are they just for looking pretty in ship cargo? They won't be used defensively, since Monster planets are cloaked and can't be attacked (except with star destroyers ) Any ideas here?

[Slick]

I know that some of the TDM AI's launch drones offensively. Don't remember which ones offhand.

Slick.

[Master Belisarius]

Originally posted by Krsqk:
I've been working on an AI (for a mod) which builds huge amounts of drones during peacetime. My problem is that I can't get the AI to launch any of them. I have both anti-ship and anti-planet designs available and built. Percentage of drones to leave as planetary cargo is set at 0. Max target systems distance is at 500 which should be plenty, especially after I increased it from 100. What can I do to get these stupid things launched and useful?

While I'm at it, the mod has a racial trait with 6 levels of ships. All are the same size, but the hull abilities go up with tech level. I can't get the AI to create designs using any but the first hull, even by adding dummy abilities. Do I really have to make each one bigger to get them used?

Do you want the AI planets launch Drones to attack enemy planet/s ships?
Have you tested it using 50% of Drones as cargo? If you put it as 0%, if I'm not wrong, the AI will try to use all the Drones for Drone Carriers.

[Krsqk]

Hmmm...I begin to see I may have misinterpreted the file. I orginally had no drone carriers but set the "% To Keep As Cargo" at 0%. I assumed that meant the AI wouldn't hold any in reserve for defense, but would launch them all. From what you're saying, that's the percent the AI doesn't devote to Drone Carriers. Are drone carriers used in fleets the same way as fighter carriers--i.e., they won't launch their drones on their own, only as part of a fleet attack? I don't want Drone Carriers in my fleets; I just want to provide an additional nuisance for players to have to deal with. Are you saying I should get rid of the Drone Carrier bases and set "% for Cargo" to 100%?

Two questions then. Why would the planet not launch the drones before—did it mark them as "Not for Planet Consumption" and idly wait for a non-existent Drone Carrier to come claim them? And are the base Drone Carriers not launching their drones because they aren't part of an attack fleet?

This might provide some additional insight into these files (and some useful info for the AI Modding Tutorial being compiled). Thanks!

[Krsqk]

Well, I still haven't convinced the AI to actually launch any drones. I tried setting the cargo % to 100%--no luck. I launched them myself, hoping the AI would know what to do with them--no luck. I gave them an order myself, and they worked beautifully. That just doesn't work for me, though.

I'll try setting it to 50%, just in case it makes a difference...