Slow down exploration speed in AICampaign/PROPORTIONS

[oleg]

I never tested AI in such settings. If you like I can tweak AI "not connected" state for your game. It should not be very difficult, mainly changing AI_research.txt file. Tell me what races you want to include - piundon, krill, cryslonite, nostropholo, drushocka, ukra-tal, soul hunters and pequenino use my AI and I'see what I can do.

[PvK]

Foundations mod was a bit more like that, because you started out with Chemical Thrusters (markedly weaker and shorter-ranged than Ion Engines), and that was also before I added the Efficient Engines in one of the early Proportions patches. Increasing the supply use of effcient engines to closer to regular engines would help achieve the effect you're looking for. You could also reduce the supply capacity of all engines.

Also, a major element speeding expansion beyond the design's intent is the ability to build colony ships using space yard ships, so you can build the colonizers at the frontier.

One very spiffy idea (of SJ's, or Geo's maybe, I don't remember - sorry) was to run a "turn blitz" Proportions game on PBW, where there is a automatic turn every hour or so, so players focus on long-term actions, leave most details to the ministers, and get to see a lot of long-term development. This could be done either for the whole game, or just to advance it to a certain point, say 500 turns, and then slow down to a normal rate, in order to play with a more advanced state.

PvK

[PsychoTechFreak]

Originally posted by oleg:
I never tested AI in such settings. If you like I can tweak AI "not connected" state for your game. It should not be very difficult, mainly changing AI_research.txt file. Tell me what races you want to include - piundon, krill, cryslonite, nostropholo, drushocka, ukra-tal, soul hunters and pequenino use my AI and I'see what I can do.

Thanks for your offer to help with it.
Yet I would like to take a race with organic trait and another one with religious. But I need to take a closer look to them (hopefully I can get to it tonight) to be more specific.

PvK
Foundations mod was a bit more like that, because you started out with Chemical Thrusters (markedly weaker and shorter-ranged than Ion Engines), and that was also before I added the Efficient Engines in one of the early Proportions patches. Increasing the supply use of effcient engines to closer to regular engines would help achieve the effect you're looking for. You could also reduce the supply capacity of all engines.

I will take a look into Foundations (Gold-CD?) to maybe take some ideas out of this, maybe it becomes a Foundations-Proportions mix? Efficient Engines, I think I would probably just remove them. Supply Cargo components are the next problem for reducing ship ranges.

PvK
Also, a major element speeding expansion beyond the design's intent is the ability to build colony ships using space yard ships, so you can build the colonizers at the frontier.

That is what I find myself doing ALWAYS. SY ships moving to planets, create empty colony, send medium transporters for population. The colonizer slow down problem is just circumvented by this kind of exploitation. I am going to think about other solutions to use the system in a way that has been intended by you, but I guess this might lead to other side effects, let's see.

gregebowman
Can anyone do the programming for that?

It is just an early state of an idea yet. Most of PvK's proportions mod and intentions will be unchanged, of course and I think I could need PvK's help/answers in some cases. But I am going to give it a try, it needs to be balanced in several of the aspects that have been already mentioned. Also, some AIs for a game like this would be nice. First let's see how it will develop, side-effects on gameplay and such.

[dogscoff]

Foundations mod was a bit more like that, because you started out

I didn't realise Foundations actually existed. I thought it was some kind of ultra-comlplicated uber-mod that would be the end result of years of steady development on Proportions.

Also, a major element speeding expansion beyond the design's intent is the ability to build colony ships using space yard ships, so you can build the colonizers at the frontier.

I thought you were planning to remove this exploit by reducing the org output of mobile spaceyards or something.

[ March 04, 2003, 11:05: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[JLS]

Originally posted by oleg:
I never tested AI in such settings. If you like I can tweak AI "not connected" state for your game. It should not be very difficult, mainly changing AI_research.txt file. Tell me what races you want to include - piundon, krill, cryslonite, nostropholo, drushocka, ukra-tal, soul hunters and pequenino use my AI and I'see what I can do.

Oleg, I may be misunderstanding? But all the AI is already programmed for AI State: Not Connected since well before Proportions 2.53 and are good to go in all AI files that are packaged (I believe) with Proportions 2.53. A matter a fact the Abbidon and CueCappa are already programmed to Continue a balanced research program even if they are left in one system from the beginning of the game and this was programmed prior to July of Last year. That was one of PvKs requirements! So players could play with [all warps connected] off… For some neat Map generated combinations!

I still need to get Peter an Update on them for Plate Armor but other then that there good to go in AI State: Not Connected!. (Open Warp Ship protocols where tested Last year, but I doubt the new upgrades changed those any)

(PVK, I will Email the armor update for you end of week for the Abbi And the CC).


[ March 04, 2003, 13:19: Message edited by: JLS ]

[JLS]

Originally posted by PvK:
[QB]You could also reduce the supply capacity of all engines.

Pete,
Will this put the Ship in a possible supply problem and cause it not to sentry in some cases even one move away? Would it then be a must now to install at least one Supply Storage Bay to avoid sentry problems even after a refuel, by a supply ship?

There may be criticism that 2 engines carry the same amount of [Supply Storage] as one Supply storage bay, and what engineer would do this, but I look at the engine supply; indicative to the math required to have a ship move a desired distance to the designers intent. One could also change the sentence to read something other then 'Descr := Can store 250 units of supply' to lets say the (Pulse from a Ion Engine ???? ????? I don’t know, you’re the writer I just fix refrigerators for a living

[ March 04, 2003, 17:01: Message edited by: JLS ]

[oleg]

Originally posted by JLS:
Oleg, I may be misunderstanding? But all the AI is already programmed for AI State: Not Connected since well before Proportions 2.53 and are good to go in all AI files that are packaged (I believe) with Proportions 2.53.

I mean that I did not test my AIs for not connected state. I checked your AIs scripts and envy how good it is set ! I will do some work and post updated files ASAP.