Severe combat disadvantage for AI - Page 2

Nitram Draw · #11 May 25th, 2001, 08:11 PM

Maybe an initiative roll could be made for warp point combat or just random choice.

PvK · #12 May 26th, 2001, 12:07 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Nitram Draw:
Maybe an initiative roll could be made for warp point combat or just random choice.

Yes, this is what I proposed to MM long ago, but it hasn't reached high priority yet. Have a random chance, heavily influenced by crew/fleet experience and cloaking status.

PvK

Nitram Draw · #13 May 26th, 2001, 01:05 AM

The first shot/move is a BIG advantage in WP combat but not so big in other types. If you take out the AI leader ship on the first shot in a WP battle you get two shots/moves without return fire. This can decide a battle.
I think the defender should get the first shot/move unless the attacker cannot be seen.
I don't know if this can be changed though.

capnq · #14 May 26th, 2001, 06:48 PM

quote:
2) Not cloaked ship (for cloaked ship, see 1.) comes out of the wormhole, another ship waits at this side of the wormhole.

-Close range battle, ok. But who should get the advantage of the first shot? Maybe the wormhole-traveller would be more surprised by ships waiting on the other side with laser banks unlocked and targeted to the exit of WH. Or maybe the defender of the WH would be tired, already waited some months w/o any wormhole activity, turned his ship towards the sun, hypnotized...

It depends on how the wormholes manifest. If the wormhole becomes "active" well before the ship comes through, the defender has time to prepare its shot. If the incoming ship just pops in without warning, whoever reacts faster has the advantage.

------------------
Cap'n Q

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft

PsychoTechFreak · #15 May 26th, 2001, 06:58 PM

Wormhole Theory, I'm not a scientist, just a technician, but if you enter a wormhole I think you will leave it at the other end in almost the same moment. This would Last not even a fraction of a nano-second. To "see" any activity would be very hard I guess.

OTOH, it's just a wrinkle in space, so maybe you can see "the other side" with your bare eyes because it's just a few yards away from your point?

[This message has been edited by PsychoTechFreak (edited 26 May 2001).]

Suicide Junkie · #16 May 26th, 2001, 07:41 PM

quote:
OTOH, it's just a wrinkle in space, so maybe you can see "the other side" with your bare eyes because it's just a few yards away from your point?

SE3's description of WPs made it sound like they were invisible until decent tech ships got out into the system.
Ships had to "push through", to me that shounds like there would be a noticable effect on the other side just before the ship arrives.

God Emperor · #17 May 27th, 2001, 05:59 AM

As a Star Trek follower, I am a supporter of the manifestation theory and therefore support the defender having an elevated chance of getting first shot....(Unless of course we are talking about a cloaked worm hole traveller.....)

The defender shoots first principle is probably even stronger if there are lots of defensive assets present (what the hell do you lock onto first? the mine directly in front of you, the satellites to the left, the Defense Base to the right or the Superdreadnought that is spewing weapons fire at you?

Or am I really talking about some form of combined arms initiative bonus here instead?

Omega · #18 May 27th, 2001, 08:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by capnq:
This entire discussion seems to be ignoring weapons range. Whoever moves into range first is going to get first shot.

In a meeting engagement against the AI, I can ALWAYS get in the first shot. I simply keep my ships beyond the movement distance + max weapons range of the AI. Then on my turn I close the range and deliver the first salvo. This works as long as the max weapons range of the AI ships is not greater than your ship�s movement distance + your max weapons range. Works every time without fail.

PsychoTechFreak · #19 May 27th, 2001, 09:29 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Omega:
... I simply keep my ships beyond the movement distance + max weapons range of the AI ...

Yes, this is another problem for the AI. The AI ships always blindly attack, don't calculate weapon ranges and movement like a human player would do.

Good point !

[This message has been edited by PsychoTechFreak (edited 27 May 2001).]