AI Campaign => For a Challenging AI opponent

[Grand Lord Vito]

Grand Deceiver

What race had frigates that moved only 2 and about what turn was it? Was it the AI or a ship that you made?

If they are moving normal but not glassing the planet then it may be this you are seeing. I think JLS has some of his AI to have CAPTURE PLANETS as opposed to optimal range as a main fleet strategy, with some of the small fleeted AIs just block-aiding the planet until the main assault force arives with the troops.
This may explain why his AI does Capture a lot of planets, I also hate when my home world gets block aided by the AI and just knowing that its main assault forces in only turns away.

[ October 18, 2003, 11:46: Message edited by: Grand Lord Vito ]

[oleg]

IMHO, AIC and Proportions give the most variety in ship/unit designs than any other SE mod. You can win with a horde of small ships or few large ships or even better of, a right mixture. There is no simple "new ship hull -> better ship hull" relation embedded in stock SE. The AIC' tactical variety is very interesting.

[oleg]

BTW, JLS, any provisional date for 4.0+ ?
I'm bored playing 3.2 no-warp points games

[Fyron]

Originally posted by oleg:
IMHO, AIC and Proportions give the most variety in ship/unit designs than any other SE mod. You can win with a horde of small ships or few large ships or even better of, a right mixture. There is no simple "new ship hull -> better ship hull" relation embedded in stock SE. The AIC' tactical variety is very interesting.

You get that in Adamant Mod too, though to an even greater degree, as theer are no sized-based scale mounts at all.

[Saber Cherry]

What Version of Proportions is AIC based on?

And... what is there in Proportions not present in AIC?

Also, do Proportions and AIC both include the racial points balance change? If not, how do you combine 2 mods?

-Cherry

[Fyron]

I think that JLS either already has his own balance changes to the traits and such in AIC, or is going to incorporate PvK's trait balances in the next Version of AIC (which should be out soon).

AIC has quite a bit of stuff that is not in Proportions. You'd have to get the mod yourself though, as there are so many it would take a while to find them all and list them.

[Saber Cherry]

AIC has only 19 shipsets/races. Is it possible to add more (for example, from the TDM pack), or will that break the game? Or should I add new races for the pictures, but then copy the AI text files from existing AIC races? I'm a little confused.

[Fyron]

You shold copy the AI files from an existing race in AIC, renaming them appropriately. Make sure to use the name and description stuff from the AI_General.txt that came with the new race so that it will be named differently in-game (though use the trait calls used by the AIC race you copied).

[Saber Cherry]

Thanks!

[Grand Lord Vito]

Originally posted by oleg:
Bigger is not always better in AIC. Smaller ships have substantial attack/defence bonuses. AI ships have extra bonuses too. It is quite possible your cruisers could not simply hit AI' frigates. I see it happens to mee too

One solution is to use missiles. If it against the role-playing character of your race, use small ships as well ! Or invest heavily in scanners/ECM.

You don't use fighters. It certainly makes you vulnerable. Then use point-defence beams instead of point-defence cannons They are quite effective against fighters. Also, select "don't fire on fighters" in strategies. Normal guns are a waste against AIC fighters. Hope it helps.

I strongly advise against lowering maitenace cost. Ships have build-in maintenance reductions optimized for 100%. Lowering would destabilize game balance. Use "engeeniring section" on all your ships, research Chemistry II and build maintenence-reducing buildings !

Right on Oleg - I also use missile frigates espeaclly very early in the game.

Most AIC BEAM TYPE weapons require Combat Sensors when that BEAM weapon is still at low level or proto-typed.
Most Temporal Weapons, Crystalline Shard, Phasers, Helborer and Null Space Weapons also need at least level 3 if not better Combat Sensors.

Remeber to set your figters to go after the AI Fighters first the Ships and bases in the Empires Stragy setup. (use the Armed Cockpit)
Also make "pure" Fighter Intercepters with just cannons and the armed Cockpit. (that just attack fighters, Seekers on others, Drones and Satillites.)

Have a few Anti-Ship types with just Torpedos and the un-armed Cockpit and set them not to attack fighters, Sats drones (Just Ships and Bases)

Also have Bombers that attack planets with good sheilding to attack JUST planets and NEVER put the Armed Cock pit on a bomber or a Torbedo Bomber.