How to test Ideas / How Things Work in SE IV

[Wardad]

ver 1.78 fix... defender was not always first in tactical combat...

OOPS... Before the fix that messed with my SAT testing. Defenders were supposed to move and fire first... but SATs don't move so I guess thats why they didn't fire first.

Try setting up a warp point defense in the simulator. Did Gold patch 2 fix it???

In simultaneous combat your ships, stations, SATS, and fighters are positioned close to the warp point and fire first. ...UNLESS your ally is also there, then your both in different corners. Try simulating that!!!

[Zanthis]

Uh, it already has that option. You can "simulate" both Strategic and Tactical from the design window. And do you have any example of where there is a difference? I have yet to encounter any difference, but if I had an example I could test for I might be able to confirm an actually difference (I wouldn't, of course, be able to deny a difference).

[Atraikius]

When building an AI, I create a game that I save on turn 1.
I set the Ministers to Full AI, switch off some of the confirmation windows, such as colony types, end of turn confirmation.

Then I run the game and watch the AI I am testing to see how it does against the other AIs. As I make changes I reload the saved game on turn 1 to test the changes. F12 is a useful button ....

This is actually a rather enjoyable way to actually play the game; only controlling your race by altering the AI files (plus helps to learn how the files work). Some of them you need to exit SEIV, and then restart SEIV, and resume your game where you saved, other files can be modified with your game still running. It puts you more in a position of your empires ruler, not being able to control everything yourself; having to trust your ministers to do what you direct them to.