And The AI is ???

[Baron Munchausen]

quote:

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Originally posted by dmm:
Some stupid things about the diplomatic AI:
1) If you blockade a planet and demand it as tribute, the AI always gives it to you, with all facilities intact and a population that's not especially unhappy about it.
2) If you blockade all of an empire's colonies and destroy all of its ships, it ALWAYS agrees to a demand for surrender, regardless of how you've behaved. Shouldn't it at least try to negotiate for protectorate status, or even subjugation? And shouldn't some races simply refuse to surrender to others, even if it means annihilation?
3) The AI never takes desperate cooperation measures like trading Colonization techs or surrendering to each other, even in the face of a ruthless conqueror who's taken over 1/2 of the galaxy (i.e., me). Or if it does do this, it waits way too long.

Because of these facts, I _never_ destroy an enemy colony. Also, I especially target biologically dissimilar races for assimilation, because they add to my collective ability to colonize other worlds. (We are the Borg.) Example: I'm an O2 Rock race. I blockade a colony of H2 GasGiant people, which is given as tribute next turn. Suddenly I can colonize all those H2 planets in my systems without using domes. Later I force the H2 GasGiant empire to surrender, and I get GasGiant colonizing ability (not to mention 2-8 billion H2 breathers). Unless the AI totally gangs up on me, I'm now unstoppable in the long run. (Resistance is futile.) Now I turn my attentions to CO2 breathers, or Ice colonizers. Using this strategy, I can conquer the entire galaxy in less than the demo's 100-turn limit, and lose less than 20 ships (if I use tactical combat).

p.s. Obviously this strategy would not be so successful in an Advanced Tech game, but then you lose the fun of researching tech.

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All of this will change, considerably, in the next release. Hopefully the next demo will be out soon. You'll find many changes, especially in the AI.

[wingte]

quote:

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Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
All of this will change, considerably, in the next release. Hopefully the next demo will be out soon. You'll find many changes, especially in the AI.

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NEXT DEMO??? WHEN???


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Wingte

[Psitticine]

Check out MM's site (www.malfador.com). There's some info on upcoming matters in the What's New section.

Basically, though, the next demo will be built off the gold code, and that's still on target for 10/1.

[Rambie]

The AI in the latest Beta is much better than in the available demo. It's still not a replacement for a human player but still hard enough.

[dmm]

I'm glad to hear that the AI is improved. I beat up on the .56 demo regularly. But my sons (11 and 9) think it's already plenty hard! Here's what the one does to improve his chances: he starts with high racial points, then makes up all the computer opponents and doesn't have them use all their racial points. "Quite frankly, Captain, you are inferior -- mentally, physically." :-D

[Jubala]

I do the same thing but the other way around to give the AI's a chance. Sometimes I get some really interesting games this way.

[This message has been edited by Jubala (edited 06 October 2000).]

[Taqwus]

[0.56]

Heh. I might as well have done that for my current game. Instead of my usual beserk fighting races, I opted for a stranger combo using Time, Psychic, Advanced Propulsion, -50% ground combat, +20% research, +20% cunning, and minor maintenance/production/reproduction bonuses.

Interesting opening, as well -- war with the Drushocka almost immediately; we even shared a system from the get-go.

The points on Time were basically wasted, as the two weapons granted seem rather broken -- they usually *repair* the enemy ship (They won't repair destroyed components, but the total damage taken drops almost to nothing...), so for instance 4 CAs with a speed advantage and loaded to the gills with Time weapons will NOT kill an unarmed colony ship. They may immobilize it, but they won't kill it apparently... so that was quite a few points that were misspent. Oops.

On the bright side, two enemies have surrendered to me (at least three to go, at least two of which have allied), and the others are terrified enough of me that I can make outrageous demands like 10 planets + 20 ships + 10 tech levels and they agree. And I've enough intel to either rob 'em blind every turn, or, say, plant lots of ship bombs...

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night