Advanced IA race moddings tricks (long)

[oleg]

"No - the Num Must Have At Least 1 Ability := 1, and the Must Have Ability 1 := Launch/Recover Fighters instruct the AI that the ship has 1 ability it must have and that the ability is Launch/Recover Fighters. That will place a total of 1 Fighter bay on the ship. What instructs the AI on what type of hull to use is the Majority Component ability - Cargo will select a transport and add cargo bays until the 50% requirement is met, Launch/Recover Fighters will result in a carrier, and Colonize types will result in a colony ship. For example, if you wish to construct a carrier using a battle cruiser hull try:"

No, it will fill 50% of carrier hull with fighter bays. Trust me. Note the word "carrier". You are absolutely right if you want non-carrier hull, like BC in your example. AI will ideed put just 1 FB. But I was talking about carrier hulls - then AI works as I told.

[oleg]

"2) - As said, if you are using Gold, give each a different name with the design type Fighter. The 'Must Have' does NOT apply to all designs of the same type, only the specific design it is listed in. However, you will need to make sure that you change the ConstructVehicle file to call out the names you use instead of just calling for Fighter - otherwise it will only build the latest of the designs."

I am absolutely sure that "must have" applies to all designs of the type. At least it worked this way when I tried to make AI build different types of "attack ship" May be it does not work with units ? If your results are opposite to mine - I have no clues.

[Atraikius]

oleg - The 'Must Have' fields are design specific, each type of design can have different 'Must Have' items listed. I can't remenber seeing it apply them to all designs of the same type even in the earlier pre-Gold Versions. I use different 'Must Have' abilites for all of the different design types and haven't had any problems - I know some of the TDM guys also use different abilities as 'Must Have' in thier DesignCreation file (look at the latest Aquilians MB just posted).

- In the Battle cruiser example I used, the AI will place 5 FB's, and 3 Cargo Bays. A carrier with 1 'Must Have' Fighter Bay, and Fighter Bays as the Majority Component will end up with 1 fighter bay over the minimum number of bays required. The design type is used by the AI for which designs to build in the Construct Vehicle file (if not calling for a design name), and how the ship will be used when constructed. i.e. if The Battle Cruiser Carrier I used as an example had a Design Type of anything other than carrier, it would never be loaded with fighters; the Design type tells the AI how the ship is to be used - Carrier loads fighters and joins fleets, Pop. Transport moves population, Mine Layer lays mines, etc... The Majority Ability is what will determine if a Carrier, Transport, Colony Ship or standard hull for ships; the type of hull used for units is determined by the Vehicle Type entry (design a recon satellite with a Fighter Type and you will get a fighter - actually worked very well in the pre-Gold Versions, post-Gold there is a hard code change that will limit the AI from constructing more than 1 Recon Satellite on a planet at a time) - Try using the default design for a carrier, and only replace the Launch/Recover Fighters with Cargo Storage - you'll get a transport with 1 fighter bay on it that will be used by the AI like a carrier.

[oleg]

Ok, I made 2 attack ships (design type in design creation file) - one named "missile ship", another "gun ship".
Now, I want AI to build 10 MS and 10 GS.
In construction file I put
first entry for MS with "must have = 10" and
and then GS with "must have = 10". AI builds 10 MS and stops

Now, I modififie GS "must have = 20" and AI builds 10 MS and 10 GS !!!

IT entirely possible that "planet per entry" works differently and AI will build GS in first exapmle once it has more planets. But every time I tried, "must have" appears to apply to generic "design type".

I understand perfectly well how you make carrier based on BC hull. My point was only about how AI fill carrier hulls and I stand by it.

[Rexxx]

Hi Oleg,
I encountered the same problem with satellites. I created two designs of small sats, one with DUCs named Sat (SR), one with CSM named Sat (LR).
I called for their names in the construction_vehicles file, both with "must have at least = 10). The Ai everytime builds only the number of the first entry. I tried it with attacks ships, with everything, to no avail. I always ended up one with only one of the designs.

I'm quite sure that you're right: the must-have numbers (still) refer to the design type. The AI builds the number of the first entry of a certain design type and only if the second entry for this design type calls for a higher number of Must Have, the AI will build the rest of it. It does not consider names. Just like the numbers in the construction_facilities-file.

[ October 15, 2002, 16:24: Message edited by: Rexxx ]

[Atraikius]

OK, I see the problem now - we are looking at different 'Must Have' lines. By Must Have, I was reffering to:

Num Must Have At Least 1 Ability := 1
Must Have Ability 1 := Launch/Recover Fighters

Not the must have from the ConstructVehicle file. I'm still unsure on some of the ways the ConstructVehicle file works, but I believe that you are right about the Must Have at Least := xxxx line interpreted as must have that number of ships of the Design Type.

[oleg]

Good, I knew it was some simple misunderstanding between us

Thanks, Rexxx, so it works the same way with units. It makes editing the construction file rather complicated and cryptic but it should be possible to make AI build correct numbers by keeping track how many are listed. I suspect "entry per planet" works the same way but could not verify it so far.