Proportions isn't just for multi-player. The AI is just wanting some work to play well in the mod, which we're working on presently.
The mod is mainly about adjusting the
proportions of various aspects of play, to make them more realistic, and to provide more interesting and approptiate effects (and therefore, strategies) of various differences of scale. It also makes the tech tree progress much slower in the middle and later game, and greatly deemphasizes the production and research contributions of colonization compared to the standard game. Homeworlds, on the other hand, are much more important, and remain the backbone of an empire even after many years of colonization.
Quite a few balance adjustments have been made, as well, so that although most of it looks familiar, the relative abilities of many things are quite different. For example, the Phased Poloron Beams are still there, and some of them do the same damage as before... but now they're even more expensive, and to reach those powerful levels from the original set may take you decades of research (they now go up to level XII, and you can't multiply your research rate by building a few colonies in a few years). In fact, comparing the highest levels of equipment isn't so meaningful as in the standard set, because it's a major research investment to get anywhere near the end of any tech area in Proportions, unless you start with multiple homeworlds and/or turn down research costs when you set up the game.
Ship design in Proportions has many new trade-offs and decisions to consider, which don't have a "best" answer:
* Large ships retain the great economy of scale advantages of the standard set. However, small ships are cheaper, faster, and easier to maintain, and gain substantial combat bonuses compared to larger ships.
* Armor components are cheap and strong, but don't necessarily all get destroyed first. Players can design very powerful and capable ships that are expensive and fragile, or cheaper and much more durable ships with a high proportion of armor. Or, they can research armor technology to achieve other trade-offs.
* Engines use a pseudo-Newtonian system where smaller ships are easier to move than larger ones, and engines can be designed with different levels of speed or efficiency. Speed, range, power, and cost are the trade-offs.
* Fighters are no longer PD-fodder, and can be one of the most powerful weapons in the game. They now have additional trade-offs between anti-fighter and anti-ship abilities.
And tons more. Full details are available at
the Proportions web page.
PvK
MOD crazy.... (which one to choose?)
Linear Mode
