Getting a fight out of the AI

[Bakunine]

Jubala:

Thanks for your files. Gonna try them. I will say something after.

[Jubala]

Talenn:
Great! I'm looking forward to it.

Bakunine:
Enjoy. Keep in mind that I went to war with the first AI I met shortly after I met them. They kept telling me to get out of my homesystem and I can't have that, now can I? So they kicked me out. But I hurt them good in the process though.

[Baron Munchausen]

Being able to mod my own files, I am trying out Jubala's hint about adding space yard bases to the AI build requirements. So far, I've only managed to meet an adjacent neutral in my newly started game but this guy was one tough little cookie to crack for all the head-start he had. The space yard base he had built did indeed help him churn out ships faster and put up more of a fight. I'm looking forward to meeting the major AI empires now.

[Bakunine]

Jubala:

Haven´t used very much your files but until now it seems that it´s the AI who's getting a fight of me and if they wanted any of the three i have contacted could make me dead meat.

I set a + or - 40 systems game with neutrals off and everything high to the AI. I have a good homeworld.

I started very unluck. For the first time I didn´t had ANY planet to colonize in my starting system. Two warp-points that lead to empty systems, one of them with the thing that magnetizes ships(don´t remenber the name). After that I encoutered a race in a corner, their home system, and there was 4 breathble planets, 2 huge and 2 large, unbelievele. But meanwhile i encoutered another system with two huge doomed planets.

I dicided to colonize the doomed first, but didn´t went to the borders screen,it was already claimed. I colonized one and came another race with two ships and kaboom. I have to say that i started with my usual tactic of building first 4 or 5 colony ships and explore with them. Well that´s no more effective.Then I start sending colony ships with 2 or 3 ships and they always send more and better then I had.No alternative then abandon this system and unclaim it.

What's been saving me is that went partnership with the race who have the 4 breathable planets and i could colonize them. Now i´m at peace with all three and trying to make a fleet who's effective.

It´s amazing the number of ships they have.
Next time i have to start with less computer bonus.
It´s true that im not a experienced player with SE series, not even with SE4,(to be honest i spend more time reading this forum them playing, but if i have fun that way )but the few changes you made, make a BIG change in how the game must be played, I can say whithout doubts.
Thanks for the mod.
Thanks also to Tallen,Shadow99,[126]Mephisto,Trancejeremy,James Sterret,Tampa_gamer, and all that post or will post their hard work.

[Tampa_Gamer]

One additional thing to get a better fight out of the AI- I expanded on a concept I started in my 1.00 Mod by modifying the Default_AI_Fleets file by:

(1) Changing the number of Div 1 fleets from 3 to 2; and

(2) Changing the % to use in fleets from 80 to 90.

I went ahead and made this change to each race's AI_Fleet files and it made a considerable difference. Now it increases the chance the AI will be escorting their transport and colony ships. I was very suprised by how a little number change would make such a big difference, but it did.

[Jubala]

Bakunine:
I'm glad to hear my modest mod is working out for you. Good luck defeating your foes. You're gonna need it.

Tampa_Gamer:
Sounds interesting, I'll have to try it when I have more time on my hands.

[Michou]

Hello to you all

Another great improvement to the AI, IMHO :

In my current game, an AI which had recently declared war to me was in a process of accumulating a fleet. The only problem was that it accumulated his fleet directly beside my main battle fleet, which was waiting for reinforcement.
So on 4 consecutive turns, it put 6 ships directly beside my fleet. Each turn, I destroyed his 6 ships. Together, those 24 ships would have been a good challenge, however his potential big fleet was destroyed piecemeal.

My point is, the AI should recognized danger. I.E. It should recognized immediate danger

An algorythm like that could be implemented :

1. Spot all ennemy fleets within a single turn range of my assets.

2. If tonnage of ennemy fleet is 20 % greater than my defense assets tonnage (WP + Ship + Fighter+ Bases), than get out of range ! (to fight another day!!)

3. The % used to determined fleet behavior could eventually be different depending on the planet under risk of attacks (i.e. Never flee if homeworld or key mining world is under risk of attacks)

It is always better to flee than fight a losing battle because i.e. a 3 to 1 advantage usually means that the inferior fleet will be destroyed by the superior fleeet, at little or no loss to the superior one. It would also minimize the typical AI behavior of leaving single ship here and there just waiting to be destroyed.

My question to you guys is this one :
- Do you think it would significantly improve the challenge offered by the AI
- Is this improvement can be done by us (Mods) or Malfador.
- Would it be useful to send this to Malfador ?