Next patch requests

[Rusty_Nail]

If there is just ONE thing Malfador does, this should be it: give the AI some better movement strategies in combat. The following would at least TRIPLE AI effectiveness, especially if the same strategy was (optionally)NOT made available to humans (who I am sure use it always in tactical combat. I call it "just out of range". The AI usually moves right into the human's range without thinking, giving him first shot. As any human knows, first shot means guaranteed victory (I mean 100%) in a one-on-one all tech environment with equally good and optimal ships, no matter how good the opponent, and is a BIG advantage at any time. A single human ship in tactical combat can often take out a superior AI fleet without losing a single component as it is now. The game is just too easy in this respect. But suppose the AI practiced "just out of range", stopping his advance as a human would (i.e. stopping at distance 1+ opponent's minimum range + his number of moves) and let him come to you). That would really even the playing field and make strategic and simultaneous combat far more challenging for the humnan player. It can't be that difficult to program and would make a world of difference. Secondly, if they can do TWO things, teach the AI how to design better ships, using worms, subverters, talisman and ionic dispersers, the things that make the critical difference in who wins strategic combat between equally good designers (at least this is my experience to date). The first is, however, the key thing as the latter can be done with mods.

[Captain Kwok]

The biggest problem is humans can always find a way to exploit the AI, no matter what Aaron does to make the AI better. Of course you can crush the computer in tatical combat because you can react to thousands of different situations in a thousand ways. The AI has just a limited number of choices. If you want a challenging game...then don't cheat the AI by trading worthless junk for stuff, use strategic combat, things like that. You'll the notice the game becomes much more difficult.

[Rusty_Nail]

Another move strategy that humans use in tactical combat that the AI could use to advantage but doesn't is the following. This we could call "moving in and out of range". The cleanest example is in attacking a stationary target which has a certain range, say a WP or a ship with engines knocked out. The human moves into range, shoots and moves back to distance (1+opponent's range). It seems trivial, but the AI now sits still within a planet's range and lets himself get knocked to pieces unnecessarily. Once again. it can't be all that difficult to program. Perhaps the movement strategy should be split into two parts (1) before shooting (2) after shooting, to give the possibility of more variation. for example. (1) "optimal range" AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE (i.e. no parallel moves as the AI does now) followed by (2) move "just out of range" if possible.

[Rusty_Nail]

Catain Kwok, I agree and for that reason I don't use tactical combat any more. But what I am trying to do here is suggest that Malfador improve AI strategical combat by using some simple moves of the kind that a human would use in tactical combat, thus evening the playing field a little.

[capnq]

The cleanest example is in attacking a stationary target which has a certain range, say a WP or a ship with engines knocked out. The human moves into range, shoots and moves back to distance (1+opponent's range). It seems trivial, but the AI now sits still within a planet's range and lets himself get knocked to pieces unnecessarily

I have lost planets to unmodded, standard AIs that did exactly what you describe.

[Crazy_Dog]

The destrutction of ion stroms is still not reported in the log.

Sometimes, the ministers add itens ti queues of shipyards under human control (example: i use some space stations with huge cargo capability to build units in a loop, not minister controled of course, and sometimes appear ships/etc added to the queue.

[Crazy_Dog]

If the Intelligence make a ship turn to us, in the log they report it but the go button take us to the place it appenned and not to the ship itself.
I think need to be fixed.