designcreation problems again

[Atrocities]

I don't understand:

If in the Race_AI_Settings file you have the following:
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 1 Amount := 5000
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 1 Num Turns := 1
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 2 Amount := 5000
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 2 Num Turns := 1
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 3 Amount := 5000
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 3 Num Turns := 1

are you then saying these all need to be 0? How will that help the AI?

[Nodachi]

AT, you could go either way with it. I was modding an AI that had it set up like this:

Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 1 Amount := 500
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 1 Num Turns := 40
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 2 Amount := 500
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 2 Num Turns := 20
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 3 Amount := 0
Max Ship Size Tonnage From Start 3 Num Turns := 0

When I tested it out using a high tech start the AI wouldn't design ships over 500 tons until later in the game. I just zeroed everything out and all was good. Did I find a bug? What I don't understand is why anyone would even want to handicap the AI with these lines.


Edit: OK, I just checked using TDM races. On a high tech start the Abbidon and Amonkrie won't design ships larger than cruisers until later in the game and the Aquilaeian won't design anything larger than a battleship until later in the game. I thought that "Start 1-3" corresponded with the begining tech level. Am I mistaken?

[Nodachi]

Had a thought, maybe "Start 1-3" was referring to the AI's difficulty level. After some more testing things didn't change based on difficulty. I'm at a loss as to what "Start 1-3" is based on.

[Suicide Junkie]

Its for high tech games, so the AI won't cripple itself by building a baseship on the first turn.

Instead it will stick to say, light cruisers for the first X turns.
That way the few queues available at the start won't be clogged by long-term huge-cost warships.

[Nodachi]

Ah! OK, now that makes sense. But what exactly is "Start 1", "Start 2", and "Start 3"? I would have thought "Start 3" referred to a high tech start.


Edit: Answered while I was posting. Thank you, this has been bothering me for awhile now.

[Atrocities]

So that one I posted with the 5000 limit, is horribly wrong?

[Nodachi]

No, I don't think so. If you use a properly done (and you do) AI_Construction_Vehicles.txt then you can avoid the problem of the AI building ships that are too big at the begining of the game.