What tech does the AI not use and why?

[Heavy-D]

I'm a dumb newbie. Did a search but couldn't find what I was looking for. It doesn't use Stelar Manipulation and what else?

[Deathstalker]

If 'properly programmed' it will use stellar manipulation (Warp Openers, Closers etc). AI will not use Remote Miners, Emergency Supply Pods, Emergency Movement pods, none of the Ancient Techs (massive ionic weapons etc) are used by default (but like Emissive Armor it will be used if modded correctly into the AI txt files).

Hmmmm.....anything else guys?

[TerranC]

Computer Virus
Master Computers
Monolith Facilities
Racial Facilities *Excepting Temporal and Religious*

[Heavy-D]

Since my programming skills are non-existant,has anyone made an AI Mod which gives the AI the same choices as a human player?

[Yama001]

I'm a relative newb myself, but it looks like the TDM mod is what you are looking for. I have seen the AI use many of these techs in TDM games.

[oleg]

TDM' AI uses all available racial buildings, computer viruses (Cue Cuppa build nasty CV+AS ships http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif ) Some races also put master computers to help the crew. True, AI cannot make pure MC ships and only uses MC as a gimmick. It is possible to make AI build Monoliths - simply restrict the research of extractors/mines/farms to level 1 and force AI to research several levels of monolithes ASAP and it will build them !

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by TerranC:
Computer Virus
Master Computers
Monolith Facilities
Racial Facilities *Excepting Temporal and Religious*<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Cue Cappa in the default AI will build psycic training facilities. Since these affect the entire system, it's fairly effective.

[Alpha Kodiak]

Originally posted by TerranC:
Computer Virus
Master Computers
Monolith Facilities
Racial Facilities *Excepting Temporal and Religious*<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I know the Namovans will use temporal facilities, and I am fairly certain I have gotten the AI to use religious facilities in the past, but I will have to verify that.

As for Monoliths, once the AI researches stellar manipulation 3, it will use a monolith in place of any level 1 resource extractor. My races are usually set up to research mineral extraction to higher levels but not organics or radioactives. That way, when they get stellar manipulation 3, all the calls for organic or radioactive facilities will get build a monolith.

[Atraikius]

I've seen the TDM Norak use Religeous facilities, and I've had the Zorians use them.

[capnq]

I've seen the TDM Sergetti use Massive Planetary Shield Generators.

[Urendi Maleldil]

I've seen the default AI use stellar manipulation as well as unique facilities. They can be modded to use pretty much everything else except:

Master Computers (properly)

Remote resource extractors (they can put them on ships, but they just won't use them)

Build ringworld & sphereworld components (not that the AI ever reaches the point at which it's reasonable anyway)

[Atraikius]

I believe I have seen at least one of the TDM races use 'ancient' techs too, it isn't too difficult to make them use them if they don't though.

[AJC]

The Dominion Imperium gold AI uses some of these techs , like computer virus & allegiance subverters and boarding crews on boarding ships ( a really nasty combination) . it places MCs on ships to stop allegiance subverters, It also builds System gravitational shield facilties

[ September 04, 2002, 03:40: Message edited by: AJC ]

[Heavy-D]

WOW, Thank's everyone for your input. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[oleg]

The only racial facility that AI should never use is Crystalline' solar collection plant: AFIK, there is no way to make AI to build them in binary/trinary systems only. Any attempt to insert SCP into AI construction files will greatly impede productions in standard systems. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

BTW, how solar plant works in limited resources game ??? It output does not depend on planet values (I think) but does it deplete planet resources and if yes, will it stop working at the end ?

[raynor]

A better quesion would be:

What tech is the computer player (CP) fairly ineffective at using?

Sure, the CP will use Stellar Manipulation ships but it doesn't use them very well. Another example of a tech the CP doesn't use very well is Troops.

[solops]

The TDM United Flora are using the Talisman on me, so that is a good sign for AI effectiveness.

[Wardad]

CP do not use the Industry catagory very well. They do not use any bonus facility very well. The default Facility Construction file will build the system and planet bonus facilities first.

I tried using the construction minister and found the fool building these on small planets and in sparse systems. These facilities are a huge drain on resources to build, and need enough of the normal ones around to get a decent payback. I recently messed up an AI on PBW by trading it Industry 1. At only a 10% bonus it will go broke even if it does complete some of the robotiod facilities.

I have my own modified file for Facility Construction and one for picking the planet type. It makes the AI races challenging.

MODDERS... It been possible for some time now for each race to have it's own Facility Construction file. Please do not ignore your AIs resource income.

--------------------------------------------------
So many ugly women, so much time. Got Beer?

[ September 04, 2002, 18:28: Message edited by: Wardad ]

[Alpha Kodiak]

Originally posted by raynor:
A better quesion would be:

What tech is the computer player (CP) fairly ineffective at using?

Sure, the CP will use Stellar Manipulation ships but it doesn't use them very well. Another example of a tech the CP doesn't use very well is Troops.<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The one exception to stellar manipulation is a create planet ship. The AI seems to do a pretty good job of creating planets and colonizing them.

I have had pretty good luck getting the AI to use troop transports to capture enemy planets. It seems to be much better under Gold than it was before.

[Baron Grazic]

The one exception to stellar manipulation is a create planet ship. The AI seems to do a pretty good job of creating planets and colonizing them. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not sure if I Fully agree with this statement. Somehow sending a Planet Creation Ship into Enemy Claimed Space to create a planet doesn't sound very 'effective'.

[Atraikius]

The biggest problems with the AI using troops are that it will hold the troop transport back until the rest of the fleet either eliminates the planet defenses, or is destroyed instead of charging them in with the rest of the fleet; and that so many of the modded AI's have thier strength reduced to 50 making them need several hundred troops to take a planet, and allowing 100-150 high strength troops take a good sized planet of thiers.

[Krsqk]

One of the biggest problems with Stellar Manip ships is that the AI does not multi-task. If it has 5 storm destroyer ships, it sends them all to the same storm. The first one destroys it, and the others get a "cannot destroy storm" error. Ditto for star creators, black hole/nebula destroyers, etc...

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by AJC:
The Dominion Imperium gold AI uses some of these techs , like computer virus & allegiance subverters and boarding crews on boarding ships ( a really nasty combination) . it places MCs on ships to stop allegiance subverters, It also builds System gravitational shield facilties<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Most of the unmodded AI's should use the System Gravitational Shield Facilities (at least in a game setup with "not all systems connected"). I've seen Organic AI's make pretty good use of organic facilities & Temporal AI's make good use of Temporal facilities. No experience with Crystalline, Psychic or Religious facilities, though...

I have not seen the following components used by the stock AI: tractor beams, repulsor beams, wormhole weapons, stealth armor, scattering armor, quantum reactors, emergency propulsion/resupply pods, or repair bays. I've seen ship yard components on bases, but never on a ship; and I've never seen a stock AI build bases on warppoints. I've also noticed that the stock AI always uses the "Small Rocket Pod" weapon on fighters, never using the small DUCs/APBs/MBs/etc; not certain whether AI's with racial tech will build better fighters - I have yet to see a racial AI use fighters at all...

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by Baron Grazic:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> The one exception to stellar manipulation is a create planet ship. The AI seems to do a pretty good job of creating planets and colonizing them. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not sure if I Fully agree with this statement. Somehow sending a Planet Creation Ship into Enemy Claimed Space to create a planet doesn't sound very 'effective'.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, I once followed the Space Vikings planet creator around with a stack of colonizers. Oh, that was soooo cheezy. But lol can you just picture the look on their faces. And to think I was gonna actually build a planet creator myself.