Kwok, are you a genius, did you achieve real AI or are there even more problems with the AI being that friendly to each other and the player ?!?!
AI treaty conclusions - again
Situation:
I finally gave in and signed a intersettling treaty with the Urka-Tal, which are several systems away and ,like me, battling the Sithrak. And because I was a bit behind in tech to them (and had half of what the leading Abbidon had, which have a tech lead of at least 30% in every game), I added a "current tech exchange" to the treaty.
Next turn, I gave them 2 minor techs, got a couple from them and everything looked o.k., but unspectacular. But during the next 10 turns, more and more techs started to trickle in, up to the point that I switched to researching racial techs and still get>1 standard tech per turn.
So I logged into some AI turns and looked what happened: Obviously, the Abbidon have a good lead with 206K research and 173 tech levels. But the Ukra-Tal (43k research) signed tech exchange treaties with me (57k research, current tech exch.), the Norak (85k research, curr.t.e.), the Xi'Chung (18k,4 lvls old), Jraenar (28k, ALL tech!!), Drushoka (42k, ALL tech!!) ... totalling 256k research .. quite enough to equalize the Abbidon research lead in a reasonable amount of time!
Now I wonder if the AI did that on purpose. Sadly, I have the nagging suspicion that it happened just by chance ... and because the AI is too eager to sign exchange/intersettling/etc treaties.
Furthermore I feel this changes the nature of SE5 completely, turning it from a more-or-less militaristic strategy game into a game of diplomacy (pun? whats that?). Now if I was sure that alliances, especially with the AI, would work correctly, .. are all those issues worked out with the latest patch now? Even if they do - do we really want to change SE5 that much?
I think it would be a more "safe" route to let the AI prefer smaller groups which then fight each other for dominance - presumed that something could be done about the Abbidons being the leader in every game, which has to do with the planet type/atmosphere distribution between races and in the galaxies I guess.(I'll check both if I find the time and motivation
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.. plus AIs colonists handling:
More on the situation:
The Ukra-Tal wanted migration as well, and now colonists from all over the galaxy are starting to move in on my planets, allowing me to un-dome lots of colonies - is the AI able to do that, I'm pretty sure it isn't .. at least the Urka-Tal only have 2 obsolete small transports running, which are shuffling colonists out from the home worlds at a snails pace. No sign that they care about the immigrants.
IMHO, the AI still needs to build more pop transports. I'm not sure if something could be done 'bout the migration which strongly prefers the human player as long as the AI does not understand how to handle the different breathers.
AI (commanded) transports on the battlefield
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Kwok
AIs give Troop Transports a weapon to keep them together with the other warships when they are approaching a planet to capture it. It sometimes helps to avoid accidental glassings of the target or protect the troop transport.
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I\'ve re-implemented the previous AI task force scheme for the next patch and future versions. It will send transport ships in fleets to flee when in a fleet.
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Dunno what those latest changes will do, but at least for my fleets in simultanious mode the following works
much better than arming troop transports:
Troop Transport
- small freighter hull for max speed
- min. number of cargo pods
- adding PD(1, better 2), combat sensors
- adding shields, armor
- setting "capture planet"
Task Force
- set to "attack: capture planet", "defense: don't get hurt"
- "capture planet" uses (break form. immediatly: false / core ships lost: true / drop troops: true / capture ships: false / launch units: true / retreat: move in group)
- transport as leader
- add 2-4 beam attack ships (those should have PD as well)
- 50% beamers into core, 50% beamers into escort
- formation "attack: flying V", "defense: **unsure, depending on no. of ships"
Other Task Forces
- set to "optimal/maximum range"
Every time I tried, the Ground Assault TFs headed straight for the planet to drop troops and retreated promptly afterwards, and the Combat TFs turned away as soon as there was no enemy unit left fit for fighting spaceborne targets. I'm not sure, but I think the GA TF even regrouped to "don't get hurt/defense" tactics/formation.
No planet was accidently glassed, though I presume that could happen if enough missile ships launch at a planet to kill the last assets present which could fire at ships. Nothing that could be done 'bout that I guess. S*** happens ...
And in no combat situation the troop transport (or the whole GA taskforce) tried to mingle with enemy ships, unless it found itself stuck within a group after WH transit. And even then the GA taskforce tried to retreat from the battle as fast as it could.
IMHO this is exactly the wanted behaviour for troop transports, isn't it?