Balance Mod Available for SE:V

[Q]

Probably this is a general bug not related to BM but when you play a game with intel projects disabled the AI will still research intel and build intel facilities.
In BM 1.07 I have seen so far very good AI development and good defenses of their colonies.
Thank you for your work Kwok.

[aegisx]

Kwok, any preview on whats next for BM?

[Captain Kwok]

Here's the current to-do list. I'd like to get v1.08 out quickly (although it looks like a lot of items, most are small tasks). The following v1.09 I'd like to have out with the next SE:V patch.

v1.08:
- Continue AI design improvements
- Diversify AI diplomacy
- Base total unit demand on available total planet space
- Improve AI state transitions
- Improve AI colony type selection criteria
- Add specific AI lists for unit drop locations
- Adjustments to weapon balance

v1.09:
- Update Alliance diplomacy
- Update research pathways and tech selection
- Implement AI use of cloaking, basic stellar manipulation

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So far I haven't found a way to prevent the AI from researching intel. I've asked for a script function to return if the game has intel or no intel.

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Also keep an eye out for odd AI designs. There's bound to be some ones that don't quite work out with the new revisions.

[Baron Munchausen]

Logically, the game should remove Intel from the research list if it has been disabled. Isn't that what SE IV did?

[Captain Kwok]

I believe it does, but the AI scripts call tech areas by their name and so it doesn't matter if it's not displayed.

[Raapys]

Central Computer Complex( and thus System Computer Complex, Citizen Databank Complex, System Citizen Databank ) bonuses are still stackable, unlike those modifying resource generation and construction rate. Thus you can basically build ten SCC's in a single system and get a gigantic bonus.

This isn't a mistake with the mod per se, but rather the game engine. For some reason Aaron has made it so it treats the resource/construction modifiers( not stackable ) differently from the research/intelligence modifiers( stackable ). I've tried to bug Aaron about it, but without much luck it appears. Think you could give it a try, Kwok?

To sum it up: The abilities "Point Generation Modifier - Research" and "Point Generation Modifier - Intelligence" needs to be altered to behave like the Resource Gen Modifiers, i.e. only one ( the highest ) modifier should count on each "Scope".

[Captain Kwok]

So you have confirmed (ie tested for certain) Resources ones do not stack within scope? But research/intel does?

[Raapys]

Yah, I tested it out by making a facility that used all the modifiers and built several of it on the same planet. Intelligence and Research is definitely being increased for each, while Construction rate and all the Resource Gens are only being increased by the first one( unless a facility with higher % modifier is built, of course, at which point it uses that one instead ).

I assume the Research/Intel modifiers are the broken ones and not the Resource/Construction modifiers, since the facilities are obviously only supposed to be 'one per system/planet'.

Perhaps a big improvement would be to have the current modifiers( with research/intel fixed ) and in addition a set of stackable ones, to open up possibilities for modders.

[Q]

The possibility to research intel in a game with disabled intel projects is available for the human player too. It is clearly a bug in the game itself and I reported it to MM.
Kwok did you change anything about migration or the population transport? In my game I am at 2407.1 with AI team mode. And to my big surprise almost all AI colonies are undomed due to population migration/transport. This is excellent!! The AI is getting extremely strong in this game and the only weakness I found so far is that the AI still has problems with my minefields. I have seen no minesweepers until now.

[Captain Kwok]

The AI will scrap any non-breathers on planets with breathing population. It was added in v1.06.

The AI does build lots of minesweepers and sticks them in fleets, but perhaps they haven't got to mine research yet.