Initiatives

[Pustov]

I notes that when I enter a worm hole in tactical combat that all of my ships can move and shoot first. Maybe If there was an experience or race bounce each ship can move and shoot dependent on pond there race or experience level that way one of my ships can move and shoot and then one of the enemys can move shoot. This Is just an Ideal that I think will help the AI.And I would like to thank [k126]Mephisto and Tampa-gamer for there modes booth of there modes work together really well and I find It A better gaming experiences. thanks

[Shadow99]

That's a good idea, but lets add inititave to all combat with sensors & scanners giving bonuses as well as fleet/ship experience... As is fleet exp doesn't seem to do much other than giving me nice fleets with 'legendary' tags...

[Mephisto]

Kind of you, Pustov. Such comments keep one working on the AI.

[Taqwus]

Hmm. How does it help the AI? I'm not sure at all whether it, say, tries to prolong a ship's useful existence via retrofits and so forth, and off-hand I don't remember seeing it (on Medium) build training centers of any kind.

In fact, in my current game, for quite some time and probably still the AIs had a significant lead in ships, and almost certainly warships (255-system game, and I'm pretty sure I've fewer than 25 DNs running around ), but mine Last *far* longer since they're normally three times as fast, with comparable or superior weaponry, similar levels of armor and shielding and unlimited supplies -- and a human being controlling them in tactical combat.

I had a single DN, Novice (+0%), operating solo, completely destroy a XiChung fleet of 7 DNs and 1 CA (all w/ Organic W. 6, good Org Armor III/shielding, sensors, ECM, etc -- just *slow* as molasses) in four consecutive attacks, without sustaining any damage past shields. After these fights, it was Legendary (+41%).

Until the AI figures out how to build and use ships in such a way that they'll Last, I'm figuring that this will hurt them more than any possible compensation for losing the Ship Construction research race.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[Talenn]

I'm not sure if it would help the AI or not. But its something I'd like to see as an option. MOO2 combats often came down to who went first in the combat (partly due to the EXTREMELY short starting distances). I'd hate to see SE4 multiplayer games go down the same path.

On that subject...has anyone every seen the AI go first in a battle? Whether I attack or defend, it always seems like I have the first turn. This isnt as critical normally, but combats on warp points usually result in the 2nd player being vaporized before they can even fire. Naturally, in this case going first is a HUGE advantage and one that I've never seen the AI get.

But yes, an Initiative system based on Experience, Computer level, and ship size (smaller=faster) would be a VERY welcome addition to the SE4 tactical combat IMO.

Talenn

[Tampa_Gamer]

Thanks Pustov-

I like your ideal of initiative-based combat (similar to MOO2) it would give smaller ships the proper initiative over larger capital ships. I don't know hard it will be too implement, but thats for Malfador to decide - forward your ideal to him.

[Pustov]

Exactly' Talenn and if they can not put in an initiative-based combat system in the near future like maybe before X mas then maybe they can set it to where only the defender moves and fires first. After all the defender should have the advantage.

[Shadow99]

Actually defenders don't always have an advantage (those DN's & baseships should have a heck of a time gaining init), but besides that...

I've found attackers always have init in strategic combat, but in tactical a human player (haven't played multiplayer so I don't know about two humans against each other) always goes first. I'm my latest game (me vs. 15 comp players) I've been using ships to guard my 4 warp points (nice way to build xp on ships) & I occasionally loose ships in strategic (if I don't feel like playing that battle) were as if I'd played it my 25 ships (1 Baseship, 4 DN's, 4 BS's, & the rest BC's) would have killed the messly 4 DN's before they could fire. Which has proved my theory pretty well.

[Courageous]

If it were me, even in turned-based combat,
I'd to simulataneous damage resolution (only
resolve the damage after all sides have
taken their turns). This would fairly well
do away with the notion of initiative
entirely. This would probably be
a big underlying code change, however.

C//