AI Campaign => For a Challenging AI opponent

[JLS]

Oleg

I am more then happy to make compromises, however most players, have no problem with the AIC Fighter system, as is.

I will need to ask, what was your Propulsion level and what was that of your recent opponent?

Oleg, any save games you may have, along with the corresponding saved Empire File, would be very beneficial, in this decision process.

I also will need to know the Version and whether it is v3.02Complete or just the upgrade and if there has been any modifications.

Sullivan_JohnL@msn.com

====

Do you make escort fighters and pure Interceptors with your own Fighter Attack strategy?
As you notice, the AI Players all have there own Fighter Strategy on S-Fighters that will by-pass your ships, planets and bases initially, and go right for your Fighters. You must counter this

If you are just making basic fighters, with the standard (Optimal Range) or even some other standard strategies, you will be at a disadvantage, against the AI.

If you are adding Torpedo designs, as it states, this is just for Anti-Ship and will be of little value, against the AIs fighters I suspect you know this. General FYI

As a player, you must also choose the value of the equipment to be loaded on your fighter design and if a Armed Cockpit or Unarmed Cockpit is the best choice for that design and the strategy that would be best used.

Until, I have more information about your total situation, I really do not foresee that many changes in the AIC fighter system or its Tactical and Strategic Fighter Module.

[ June 23, 2003, 15:17: Message edited by: JLS ]

[oleg]

Originally posted by SunDevil:
Grand Lord Vito,

Thanks for your response, but you didn't answer any of my questions. Yes, I have modified the AIC mod, but since you don't have a clue on what I have added or changed there would be no reason bring this into the discussion. I don't have a problem this time, I just wanted someone who had experience with this mod to look at the three facility build queues and tell me why with the abilities added like movement bonus and quantum reactor the ai will build more facilities and what facilities would be built.

What I did not ask for was a defence of how good this game is on the ai bonus levels. I don't care, because as you pointed out I have changed the mod. So if you have any modding experience and can contribute to my post in a productive way then please I would like to hear your opinion, if not then save your advertisements of how good the ai is on what bonus levels for someone else, because I will never ask anyone who has contributed to this mod how good it is, because I already know.

SunDevil

OK, AIC and Proportions use bogus abilitites for the very simple reason. Here is why: for example, you want AI to build reseacrh lab. If you use "research generation" in construction file, it will pickup the facility with highst level of it. Unfortunately, it is Cultural Center ! AI will try to build it - for eternity. To make AI use cheaper facilities, PvK assigned to them some bogus abilities, like "movement generation" and use them in construction file. I urge you to look through facilities.txt file and compare bogus abilities assigned to different buildings and compare them with construction.txt files. The end result is the same build up as one would expect for normal (TDM for example) race !

------
Oh, why are you so jumpy ? Grand lord Vitto made a perfectly normal and constructive responce.

[ June 23, 2003, 15:48: Message edited by: oleg ]

[oleg]

JLS, I don't have that save game anymore
It was about turn 50, both me and AI used ionic engines, everything was pretty basic stuff. Yes, I used purely anti-ship fighters since that particular AI (Cryslonite) did not have fighters yet. I am still fuming about my silly fighters

Oh, it is of course purely strategic combat issue. If I used tactical combat, it would never happened of course. I would keep fighters not too far from enemy while they reload.

[JLS]

Originally posted by Grand Lord Vito:

JLS, why isn’t it good to trade colonizer tech and why do you allow Colonizer Tech Trades in AIC?

Colony tech, trading that could go on in PBW games, may upset the Balance of Power in that game, however, I guess this could be said, for most key techs, to a less of a degree.

The Players are encouraged to trade with others, when playing AI Campaign, and most of all, especially with the AI Players. Actually your AI trades, may become the best way to victory.

[JLS]

Originally posted by SunDevil:
JLS,

***What is the point in putting in Movement Bonus abilities to a construction queue. And how many actual mining facilities will be built? Where are the mineral storage facilities which even though the ai has low mineral costs for ship building, the actual facilites themselves are quite expensive to build. And I don't see where the ai would build towns, cities any of the other multi use structures you have added to the mod. Can the ai build these?

I am sorry SunDevil, I thought that Cybersol answered this perfectly.
Therefore, I only answered the parts that Cybersol, did not address.

=

AFAIK, the tag idea, was originated by PvK, for the Proportion Mod. available here on the Forum.
The AI loads Culture Centers and Cities that generates Resources, Research, Intelligence Production, as well as several other neat things.

Now if we ask the AI, for example to build: (Resource Generation – Minerals) the AI would think the Cultural or a large city would be the best facility, and this would require a longer build time, then the basic Mining Facility we origonaly wanted.

Please refer to the AIC Facility file.
The tag of (Movement Bonus) is attached as you can see to the Mining Expedition, Mining Settlement, Mining Colony, as well as the Mining Complex may be properly constructed by the AI, depending on your levels of extraction.

With Quantum Reactor tag, this as you can see will instruct the AI to construct the Farming Settlement, Farming Colony, or the Farming Center, depending on you levels of extraction.

===

As this applies to, “towns, cities any of the other multi use structures”.

The way AIC is programmed. The AI will start you with the correct amount of individual Racial Population Centers/Cultural Centers, when you start your AI Campaign game. This is done because there is an Individual AIC Racial Construction Trait, for every Race even a dual Races that you may choose, as you will notice in both your AIC RacialTraits and TechArea File.

The AI will not build or replace your Starting Cultural Centers in AIC. Instead, the AI player will build one or two tiny Settlements on most of the Colonies, early in the game.
Please refer to the (Component Destroyed On Use tag) in the Facility File.

These AI Player Settlements will evolve, in sequence as your game Progresses. For Example:

Settlements
Communities
Towns
Cities
Metropolis
World Cultural Center - This would be more then the equivalent of the Starting Population Center.

Also Please note:
In each AIC AI folder, in the AI_Construction_Facilities file, you will Find both the:
Construction Queue Type := Homeworld
Construction Queue Type := Resupply Base

The Homeworld may Replace lost Population Centers here, however, they will be in the form evolving Settlements, as explained above.

The Resupply Base Colony, is actually the Colonial World for the AI Player and in with this Planet the AI, if lucky, will build the Utopia of Worlds, as would you, if you had a:

Minimum Planet Size for Type := Large
Mineral Value := 101
Organics Value := 101
Radioactives Value := 101

The above entree will be found in your AIC, AI PLANET TYPES DATA FILE, which very well may be one of the most important AI files in AI Campaign

I hope all your questions have been answered, SunDevil

Reference:
However please do not be confused, and think that this tag, in any way; will give the AI Player or Human Player any Special Abilities. It does not.

================================================== ===========
ABILITIES DATA FILE ~AIC v2~ Proportions Mod by PvK/~AIC Modeled by JLS
================================================== ============

Warp Point - Turbulence
Value1 = Amount of damage done to objects moving through this warp point. (Normal Damage)
Value2 =
(PvK: Used as AI tag for efficient engines.)

Star - Unstable
Value1 = Chance that sun will explode each year.
Value2 =
(PvK: Used as AI tag for regular cargo storage.)

Sector - Sensor Interference
Value1 = Modifier subtracted from to-hit rolls
Value2 =
(PvK: Used as AI tag for Religious Talisman.)

Resource Generation - Minerals
Value1 = Amount of minerals generated per turn.
Value2 =
(JLS: Used as AI tag for Sensor Level.)

Resource Generation - Radioactives
Value1 = Amount of radioactives generated per turn.
Value2 =
(JLS: Used as AI tag Planetary Weapons used for AI Balance for fighters and BC ships and up.)

Planet - Change Ground Defense
Value1 = Percentage modifier to ground combat on this planet.
Value2 =
(PvK: Used as AI tag for ECM.)

Planet - Shield Generation
Value1 = Amount of shields generated.
Value2 =
(PvK: Used as AI tag for regular armor.)

Drop Troops
Value1 = Number of troops which can be dropped to attack a planet.
Value2 =
(PvK: Used as AI tag for armor plating.)

Ancient Ruins
Value1 = Number of techs areas (random) received when this planet is colonized.
Value2 =
(PvK: Used as AI tag for base / weapon platform non-fire-control-center combat sensors.)

[ June 23, 2003, 22:23: Message edited by: JLS ]

[mottlee]

JLS, Did you get my E-mail? any Ideas?

[JLS]

Yes, I did, Mottlee...

And thanks

I like the way you set up your Race, and this is one neat map you made

I am now preparing a file to send you. If you can help out with this, I would greatly appreciate it.

I have seen your keen abilities to lay MINES against the AI Player in both the Proportions Files I helped you with and the AIC files you sent me

Because of this, I think you are just the man to help me balance the AI Mine Sweeping abilities in AIC, to help keep the AI on track.

Are you game, for it?



[ June 23, 2003, 19:21: Message edited by: JLS ]

[mottlee]

Sure, I will give it a go, the map was computer made and was/is a real pisser too like about turn 8 had contact.
Just tell me what you want meb to look for and will help out

[Fyron]

AFAIK, the tag idea, was originated by PvK, for the Proportion Mod. available here on the Forum.

That has been in use for much longer than Proportions has been around, actually.

I know this SunDevil at High Bonus there is no way you can beat the AI, in AIC with any size default maps and with at least 5 real AI Players, in solitaire.

I will accept that challenge.

[ June 23, 2003, 22:50: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[oleg]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
...I will accept that challenge.

Please post savegames as your game progress. I would be most curios. Or, use simultaneous turns, SE has a trouble loading heavy population units (like in AIC and Proportions) onto population transports in Classic Turns games.