AI Minesweeping

Mephisto · #1 December 22nd, 2000, 11:46 PM

A middleway for fighters would be to only allow replenishing them when landed and using up some resources every turn. This way the player cannot station hundereds of fighters in orbit (poor pilots...).

Noble713 · #2 December 23rd, 2000, 12:11 AM

Point Defense DOES miss, just vary rarely. I think they have a really high built-in to-hit bonus, but they aren't infallible.

Jubala · #3 December 23rd, 2000, 01:56 AM

quote:
Originally posted by [K126]Mephisto:
A middleway for fighters would be to only allow replenishing them when landed and using up some resources every turn. This way the player cannot station hundereds of fighters in orbit (poor pilots...).

Yeah, I agree. Seems kind of strange to me that fighters can sit month after month on top of a warp point with no support at all to rearm, refuel, rest, eat, replenish lifesupport and so on. They are very small one man vessels and I really don't think they should be capable of being in space for months, even years, without running out of supplies. Maybe they should be limited the way they where in SE3, or at least not have that capability at once, but higher up the tech tree. Or at least a limit on how long they can be deployed in space before they have to be recovered. Haven't really messed around with them after the latest patch so I don't know how the new limits affect things.

Come to think of it, in SE3 ships used up supplies every turn even if they didn't move. I think they should now to. As it is it's too easy to just park a fleet somewhere and don't even have to bother about supplies.

Maximus · #4 December 23rd, 2000, 03:42 AM

Personally, I don't think fighters are a problem in SE4. I think their are a lot of other things that MM needs to spend their time on. If you mess with fighters to much you risk damaging one of the things that makes the game great, realism.

Let's think about this for a minute. People are saying that fighters are too powerfull...compared to what??? Capital ships? Well Last time I checked, a couple squadrons of F-18's would make pretty short work of even an Aegis Cruiser if it doesn't have any support. That's why U.S fleets are "carrier" taskforces.

The best way to fight fighters, is WITH fighters.

As far as fighters not needing support, well that can be a problem if it's abused. But the flexablity that it gives you partly balances it out. The ability to attack with my fighters without moving my carriers into range is very nice. I don't know how you would limit that without totally removing that ability.

Baron Munchausen · #5 December 23rd, 2000, 05:10 AM

quote:
Originally posted by [K126]Mephisto:
[b]Yea, it is reacting to mines now.
Unfortunatly, it will also send a minesweeper if the WP is guarded by Sats.

<Insert sound of hand smacking forehead...>
Yargh! Well, edit the AI_DesignCreation files to include lots of PDC in those minesweepers and they can be "Satellite Sweepers" as well...

If only we could tell the AI how to design a FLEET as well as a ship. "Standard Bettle Fleet := 1 supply ship (crammed with solar supply generation), 1 repair ship (with repair bays), 6 attack ships (standard beam ships), 2 bombardment ships (with missiles and/or planetary weapons), 1 MINE SWEEPER ('nuff said), and maybe 1 PDC "Aegis" ship (all the PDC you can cram into a hull)...

[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 23 December 2000).]

Baron Munchausen · #6 December 23rd, 2000, 05:15 AM

Re: Supplies and station keeping

There's a general problem with supplies: Ships (and fighters) do not use ANY supplies if they don't move or fire weapons. This is a bit silly. Anyone knows that a ship sitting still must still use a great deal of fuel and other supplies in order to operate its various systems and the crew does have to breathe, eat, shave/bathe or whatever personal hygene your alien race might have, and pursue a little bit of recreation while off-duty. I've tried setting a supply usage for Life Support components but it has no effect. There should be a regular supply usage by life support each turn. If MM would make the supply usage setting for Life Support work, we'd be able to limit the station-keeping time for ships and fighters reasonably. Request #9987476745 -- maybe someone should keep track of them like the Ferengi 'Rules of Acquisition'?

[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 23 December 2000).]

Mephisto · #7 December 23rd, 2000, 11:59 AM

M�nchausen, that's a good idea with the PDC on Minesweepers. However, the Minesweeper is using the "Don't get hurt" strategy so it won't "sweep" the satellites.

Supply: IMHO the "no supply" for ships is ok. This takes out one micromanagement feature I never liked much. He, only effect is to run your guarding fleet back o the depot and then back again to the WP. I don't need this kind of extra work to do.
For fighters it would be nice so it is not abused by the player.

And yes, I do keep track of issues and send them in.