idea for racial enemies

[PvK]

I just though of a possible idea for how to implement the often-requested concept of having AI's that specifically hate certain other races!

Seems like it might work. Specifically, see if you can get an AI to send a lot of a particular type of diplomatic message (much more than other races). Then, get their nemesis to be a little more friendly to everyone, but to hate receiving that message. Then, mod the message text to include some words about the reason for the feud (e.g. "Energy beings are taking over the quadrant - they should be eradicated!"). I don't see an obvious choice for a message type though, or how it would be possbile to get an AI to send a lot of one. If I had time to test, I'd try turning the % of score to send X message down to 1 or 0.

Maybe someone's already tried this?

PvK

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by PvK:
I just though of a possible idea for how to implement the often-requested concept of having AI's that specifically hate certain other races!

Seems like it might work. Specifically, see if you can get an AI to send a lot of a particular type of diplomatic message (much more than other races). Then, get their nemesis to be a little more friendly to everyone, but to hate receiving that message. Then, mod the message text to include some words about the reason for the feud (e.g. "Energy beings are taking over the quadrant - they should be eradicated!"). I don't see an obvious choice for a message type though, or how it would be possbile to get an AI to send a lot of one. If I had time to test, I'd try turning the % of score to send X message down to 1 or 0.

Maybe someone's already tried this?

PvK<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is similar to using 'non-functioning abilities' to identify special components for the AI to include into its ship designs. it might work but if the game is ever altered to actually do something with those abilities/diplomatic Messages then bizarre things will happen. Surely MM can put some sort of 'distinguishing characteristics' into the AI files and control entries to recognize them and give a reaction modifier?

[geoschmo]

I don't see this as the same kind of problem as the abilities. You don't really need to create bogus Messages, as the AI can't diferentiat between Messages anyway, only types of Messages.

It's easy enough to make a race that will get really really ticked at tribute requests for example, but how do you make the other AI send tribute requests more often? Does lowering the score percent in the politics file really control how often those get sent, or is it just a threshold under which they will not get sent?

Definetly bears some testing.

Geoschmo

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
I don't see this as the same kind of problem as the abilities. You don't really need to create bogus Messages, as the AI can't diferentiat between Messages anyway, only types of Messages.

It's easy enough to make a race that will get really really ticked at tribute requests for example, but how do you make the other AI send tribute requests more often? Does lowering the score percent in the politics file really control how often those get sent, or is it just a threshold under which they will not get sent?

Definetly bears some testing.

Geoschmo<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">And how many races can be setup to trigger on tribute requests? One. Next you'll have to use another message type like want a gift. Then you'll have to use another message type for another empire and you'll soon have various diplomatic message committed to 'special effects' just like we have various abilities committed to special effects. It is just like the unintended use of abilities and it will cause the same sort of confusion when the unused features are implemented.

[Phoenix-D]

"It is just like the unintended use of abilities and it will cause the same sort of confusion when the unused features are implemented."

Somehow I doubt "star- unstable" and the like will ever be implimented for ships. Just a hunch. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Phoenix-D

[PvK]

Well I agree with you Baron that it would be better to have direct support from the game engine. And the ability to create properly-named AI design hint abilities is almost the feature I'd most like to see added.

However, this was just an idea for how something like this could be hacked in to work, though ya it would definitely be a hack and not a real solution.

PvK