SE4 Stock Balance Mod

[Krsqk]

IIRC, the AI currently tries to use Scattering Armor for any armor call, because it is the lowest component (Organics/Crystallines use their racial armor instead, since it's even lower). Since it's 50kt, it's wasteful, and since only one is effective, it's again wasteful. Actually, a code change to make the AI choose the armor with the best size/structure ratio would probably be better (although I would like to see Armor IV-VI added). Organic and Crystalline would still be chosen when available, then Armor III, since it has a better ratio than the Stealth/Scattering armors.

[Asmala]

Originally posted by Krsqk:
IIRC, the AI currently tries to use Scattering Armor for any armor call, because it is the lowest component (Organics/Crystallines use their racial armor instead, since it's even lower). Since it's 50kt, it's wasteful, and since only one is effective, it's again wasteful. Actually, a code change to make the AI choose the armor with the best size/structure ratio would probably be better (although I would like to see Armor IV-VI added). Organic and Crystalline would still be chosen when available, then Armor III, since it has a better ratio than the Stealth/Scattering armors.

OK. But does that mean AI use only one type of armor? No one scattering, one stealth and the rest normal?

[Rollo]

Re: AI and armor

When the Armor ability is called for in a design the AI uses the armor with the highest tech level requirement. That means the highest number of tech levels required.
In case of a tie, it uses the armor that is farther down the components.txt file.
Adding standard armor IV - VI or adding redundant tech requirements to Armor III as well as reordering the file will help the AI, because now it will use standard armor when it is called for.
Special armor can be called for by their specific abilities.

Btw, the same is true for other components that use abilities that don't have a value attached (for example Point-Defense ability).

Hope that clears things up,
Rollo

[ July 27, 2003, 23:14: Message edited by: Rollo ]

[Katchoo]

Maybe the Balance Mod should be a discussion on the #se4 channel. We'd likely make more headway on it than we are now.

[Pax]

Originally posted by Katchoo:
Maybe the Balance Mod should be a discussion on the #se4 channel. We'd likely make more headway on it than we are now.

And then again ... some of us don't frequent that location.

[Fyron]

Everybody should go to #se4 at some point. It is a fun (and occasionally productive) place to be!

[Ed Kolis]

An idea to balance offense vs. defense (and PD vs. ftr/skr/sat to boot!)

Cut ALL entries in the data files that affect to-hit chances in half.

This means:
1. Reduce base to hit chance at point blank (in settings.txt) from 100 to 50
2. Reduce to hit chance reduction per square distance from 10 to 5 (so weapons over range 4 are still useful )
3. Reduce offense and defense bonuses/penalties of hulls by half
4. Reduce to-hit bonuses of base mounts by half
5. Reduce to-hit bonuses of Combat Sensors to 12/22/32
6. Reduce defense bonuses of ECM to 10/20/30
7. Reduce defense bonuses of Scattering/Stealth Armor to 3/5/8
8. Reduce to-hit bonuses of certain weapons (WMG, PDC, HEM, etc.) by half\
edit: 9. Reduce offense and defense bonuses/penalties for planets and seekers in Settings.txt (yes, planets DO get an offense bonus, that's why your WP's always seem to hit! )
edit: well, maybe not the defense penalty for planets
And anything else I may have forgotten - essentially, do a global search for "Combat To Hit" in the data files and edit those lines

These changes essentially have the effect of reducing the chance for any attack to hit by one-half (not 50%, but one-half - a 70% to hit becomes 35%, not 20%). This way, ships survive longer in combat and the weapons that go over 99% and get cut off (PDC? WMG? ) get toned down to something in the 50%-99% range.

Of course, this would make the Talisman even MORE powerful but I'm assuming we're going to balance it in some way anyway

[ July 28, 2003, 00:44: Message edited by: Ed Kolis ]