AI Campaign => For a Challenging AI opponent

[Grand Lord Vito]

JLS, you did not rename and package the Medium Starliner in the extras folder.
That’s all we have to do is rename the old large starliner to medium?

[QBrigid]

GLV, I like the slow steady pace and the not knowing of NO WARP games. I also like the nice slow pace of AIC v2. Now is a good time to start a High Tech Cost game, since my best planet was just wiped out by a level 3 plauge

[Spoo]

The portraits for the starliner and large starliner provided in the extras folder are too big. They are 200x200 pixels while they need to be 128x128. I haven't checked the other images.

[ June 01, 2003, 06:25: Message edited by: Spoo ]

[Grand Lord Vito]

I agree Spoo, the close up of the AIC supplied Star Liners, sure are close.
What I did, was to barrow another Transport set from a different Race Set that is not playing in my games.
My personnel Ship set is Earth Alliance.
Also, from the Rage Ship Set:
The small Transport is perfect for the Small Starliner
The Large Transport is perfect for the Large Starliner
With the new Medium type Star Liner in AIC. The Colonizer works great for the Medium StarLiner, from the Rages Ship Set

QBrigid, I do like the faster pace of AIC v3.00. Its No Warp games that are to sloooow
Do you also play both Finite and No Warp at the same time, QB? Let us know how your game is going.

JLS, I played a game Last night with Crystal Tech. Do you think they now need a Facility boost?

I also like the new Strategic Fighters addition.
Thanks

[JLS]

Originally posted by Spoo:
The portraits for the starliner and large starliner provided in the extras folder are too big. They are 200x200 pixels while they need to be 128x128. I haven't checked the other images.

Yea, the Supplied [extras] Star Liners are basically still the way I received them;~ Spoo.
When Atrocity has some time, he may make a set of Star Liners for all Basic se4 Races, I also think Dogscoff may have something in the works.

Any ship set designers want to volunteer, to help out, with some new Star Liner designs?
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Originally posted by Grand Lord Vito: JLS, you did not rename and package the Medium Starliner in the extras folder.

I played a game Last night with Crystal Tech. Do you think they now need a Facility boost?

I also like the new Strategic Fighters addition.
Thanks

Consider it done. I will take care of the Star Liners tonight.

Partially in agreements here, although the Armor Skip is an advantage in this armor latent Mod and were good Maintenance modifiers are also the premium, the Crystals could use a little boost to make up for the restructured distribution of the Crystalline Restructuring Plant rates.

Crystalline is usually my racial choice in most games, and I find that they play well. However, they can be beefed up for Finite play, this way the Religious trait is not always the alternate trait choice, in Finite.
How about we add a Crystalline (RAD) Value Improvement Plant, at a reasonable Crystalline Technology requirement, 1=1%, 3=2% and Tech 5 = 3% ; For Planet radioactive value improvement.
What are your thoughts?

Thanks, the Strategic Fighters are a fine addition to AIC.
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Originally posted by QBrigid:
my best planet was just wiped out by a level 3 plauge

Don’t you just hate that, I bet you will have a new found priority in building system Bio Hospitals;~ QB.
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[ June 01, 2003, 17:37: Message edited by: JLS ]

[Grand Lord Vito]

The Crystalline Value Improvement Plant sounds like a fair boost.

JLS, the AI seems to play a fair game with no bonus, is there a way to slow the AI's early expansion down a little for the AI low and medium starts?

[ June 01, 2003, 21:55: Message edited by: Grand Lord Vito ]

[JLS]

Sure GLV the AI expansion can be programmed, they seem reasonable now.
It may be perceived differently from game to game, if you are boxed in-between a couple of Rock AIs and if they are Aggressive then yes, they will expand quickly.

I have a few LAN pals that like to colonize early, as long as they do not crowd me, I let them go. It applies to the aggressive AI in AIC as well; you will have to compete for planets when next to an aggressive AI. Do not give unwarranted Military agreements where they will just use your refueling bases to expand even further. Build mine and sat fields at choke points, back them up with a fleet and or base and then ask the AI for a peaceful treaty reduction that will keep them out of your Systems and space (non aggrssion) for example. However, timing is everything. The most aggressive, merchants and trader AI's wants (refueling rights) treaties; so expect them to eventually fight for more territory. Even a soft fight can cost you a system or two

Aggressive AI races in AIC are not Violent by nature, they emulate the Human Player that likes to build a lot of Colony ships and Colonize like Crazy. True, this gives them an advantage, and if the aggressive AIs get to powerful via Planets=ship count, I will trim there AI files so they won’t have the quantity or possibly the quality in the mid or late game ships. For example the Terrans colonize prolifically, yet there ships Primary Weapon is still the DUC for the most part, yes the Terran AI have a lot of Planets but there ships may be a little weaker.

With every AIC addition, there is a chance to unbalance one or even all the AI so we all keep a close look at this (one race rules all, at all times) if this is spoted, let me know and I will tweak that race. I also have noticed in a few games that the Amonkrie may be too quick out of the gate and I have an eye on them as well.

Thanks for the feed back;~ GLV
The next AIC Version (v3.01), I will tweak for a slower expansion rate in Low and Med bonus games

[ June 02, 2003, 11:16: Message edited by: JLS ]

[oleg]

JLS, who is Fryon you mentioned in credits ? You even has a star with the name Fryon

More serous business: "normal" cultural centers have reproduction bonus of 2. Organic cultural center has bonus of 1 Surely it should be bigger ! Since only the highst value is used, organic races have no benefit.

[JLS]

You have a Point;~ Oleg.

Starting Organic Races Population Modifiers = 3
General Population Center = 2
Agrarian Cultural Center = 1

Organic Race Specific = 8 Possible.
Medical Lab=1-3
Gestation Vats=1-5

Total Organic Population Modifiers possible = 11.
Plus another possible 5 from below. Total of a possible (was 17) now 18 when in the Home System.

- - - - -

Starting Population Modifiers for other races = 2.
General Population Center = 2.
Total of a possible (was 7) 6 when in the Home System.

- - -

All Players also may add to Population Modifiers by constructing = 5 Possible.

Bio Med Hospital Facility =1-3
Metropolis=1 Megalopolis=1 New World Cultural Center=2.

===
AIC Empire Starting Percent Reproduction := 11
AIC Reproduction Check Frequency := 10
===

Thanks, Oleg. Absolutely, I will invert the Agrarian to (2) and the General Population Center to (1).


[ June 02, 2003, 21:49: Message edited by: JLS ]

[oleg]

I think it would be a good idea to raise a starting storage from 50k to 80k in settings.txt. Very often I got overboard without any chance to build new storage facilities ( yes, i do have several base space yards frantically building ships, but still...)

All fighters' racial tech. torpedoes look too blant - same numbers expept for cost. I know, we must keep balance, but why not for example reduce the damage of organic torpedo and proportionally increase firing rate ? Or make temporal torpedo do half (or may be even third) but skip shield as well ?