Fighter grouping question

[Tomgs]

The probable reason for the EA having an old design fighter is that when a planet is filled up with units or it reaches its build limit (whatever that is set to) the old designs are not scrapped or moved and new ones built. You will see this with almost all the AI races if you look at their weapons platforms. On the edges of their empire they have new design weapons platforms but on their homeworld it is full of their first design. There should be some setting in there to say scrap a certain percent after a certain time and build new design units. But so far the AI doesn't seem
to do this.

By the way since the patch I have actually seen the AI do some retrofitting of some of its ships. I don't know how often but I know that at least it is capable of it now.

[Mephisto]

Tomgs is right in his assumption: The AI does not scrap old units so you probably will find the oldest fighters in their core systems. There is no way around this (look at my "remaining issues" list)
The EA would use 20 fighter Groups if only the EarthAlliance_AI_Strategies.txt would work. As I found out all the AIs are using only the Default_AI_Strategies.txt. As all the races uses these files I did not alter this. But if you have a closer look you will find that the EA already has the EarthAlliance_AI_Strategies.txt and will use altered strategies and fighter group once MM fixes this bug.
And for the DUCs: The EA will concentrate on energy stream weapons and does not develop DUCs any further. If the AI in turn 70 only has DUCs it probalby had a bad start resulting in low research or low minerals.
The same is true for carriers. If the AI picks a bad start/starting point then it is just tough luck. But I'm constantly modifying the production scripts (there is already a new one but not tested enough to be released) so watch out for the EA carriers.
The problem is to balance the AI in the start, middle and end games as the AI is using the same scripts all the time. With a few more ships of one type you will do great in later games but choke the AI in the beginning. It's much try and error, thought and testing, testing, testing.


[This message has been edited by [K126]Mephisto (edited 02 January 2001).]

[Sinapus]

Oh, didn't you know? When you attack the EA homeworld, you're supposed to destroy nearly all of the fighters, but surrender just before you win.

(Yes, it's a Babylon-5 joke. If you don't get it, go watch the show.)

Anyone make a Minbari bitmap set?