Note from MM - AI MODDERS MUST READ THIS

[Trachmyr]

Three more issues with how designcreation.txt works...

1) Min/Desired Speed is currently the number of engines a ship is to be built with... this needs to be changed to the actual speed achieved (so we can actualy use the ENGINES PER MOVE field)

2) When the AI tries to fill a requirement (i.e., cargo or supply) it looks for the componet with the biggest amount regardless of the componets mass... change this so that it looks at the ratio (for Instance, say I want to make colonizers hold 200 tons of cargo, but then when the AI is to place cargo room it would rather use Colony modules which would weigh 1 ton per ton storage, than cargo bays which get 7.5 tons storage per ton of weight)

3) The AI will not correctly use componets/facilities that satisfy multiple requirements.... Say for instance I wanted to make all spaceports also be able to resupply, or to create an improved crew quaters that also provides lifesupport... but in both cases the AI will build TWO of those facilities, one to satisfy each requirement, rather than just one to satisfy both requirements.

Additionaly, I too would like to see the AI scrap facilities to allow for better ones... place an additional field for these that tells the AI WHAT to scrap to make room for this fac when it is available but no room is left. (Example: On a Mining Colony, add the field to Robominers that tells it to scrap one mineral miner facility to make room for the robominer if there is nno room available when robominers become available)


On a final note I NEED the ability to limit componets to ships of certain tonnages, this can be done one of three ways:
1) Min Tonnage/Max Tonnage fields in componets.txt
2) allow us to put "%" after componets tonnage... this would raise a flag that tells the game that this componet weigs x% of the max of the vessel (also the structure, cost and supplies use could also have the %, which means that that would be the value per 100 tons of COMPONET weight)
3) Get the custom Groups and requirements fiels in vechiclesize.txt working
(I prefer that you implement #1 and #2)

Lastly, add a SUPPLIES DRAINED field to componets, so that componet would ALWAYS use x amount of supplies at the beggining of every turn (before resupply), and if supplies are not available the componet becomes damaged

Thanks MM for the support...

[Talenn]

Well, as far as AI and modding goes...I'd really like to see the ability to add more ship types to the Construction Queue instead of only 'Attack Ship' and 'Defense Ship' etc. Same goes for units.

I want to be able to add 'AA ship' and 'Torpedo Ship' or whatever is appropriate. This should allow modders to flesh out the AIs fleet designs a little bit more intelligently..

Also, add another BIG vote for combat initiative or else an attack or defender ALWAYS goes first system.

I'm sure there will be more, but I think the earlier Posts cover most of the rest.

Thanx,
Talenn

[Mac]

1)The AI doesn't handle minefields or black holes well.

2)Does the AI use the race AI's of the Default, if so, when?

3)The AI doesn't upgrade with a number but rather a new name. As mentioned, names.txt have to be alot bigger if this is going to continue.

[Atrocities]

Talenn, You can. Just edit the Data files and add what you want. I did.

[Trachmyr]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atrocities:
Talenn, You can. Just edit the Data files and add what you want. I did.

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Actually, I think he's refering to Construction_Vechicles.txt, you can make diffrent variations of attack ships, but the AI must call for each variation as "Attack Ship" not the actual type, thus you have no ability to actually set the actual make-up of these diffrent kinds... AFAIK

[Barnacle Bill]

I second the request to make the custom Groups and requirements fields in vechiclesize.txt work as advertised. There are some mods I've been thinking of trying which will absolutely require them.

Here is an idea fix the problem of the AI building more carriers than fighters. In my own use of carriers, I have found it difficult to build the fighters. If I put the biggest planet in the system building a heavy carrier designed to maximize fighter bay III's, and the rest of the colonies in the system building fighters, I have a carrier long before I have its fighter load-out. Then you have to collect them all up, which is tedius (fighters can't even be set up to automatically move to a waypoint after being built, like ships can. Sub-suggestion, fix that). Expanding the fighter building to nearby systems cuts the time to get a fighter load-out built, but increases the tedium of gathering them up. The only thing that works is to have a wad of space yard bases so that while one builds the carrier several more at the same location build its fighters. It is clear to see why this is overwhelming to the AI - it causes me to use carriers a lot less myself.

So, my recommendation is to make an initial fighter load-out part of the design for carriers, so the carrier comes from the shipyard fully loaded. Replacement fighters, or fighters to base on planets, would still be built as today. If the fighter specified for a particular carrier's load-out becomes obsolete, that should prompt the AI to upgrade the carrier design to use a new fighter design. You should then no longer see empty or nearly empty AI carriers going into battle, unless they have already lost their fighters in a previous battle.

That Last sentence brings up another point. To effectively use carriers as a main fleet weapon you need a logistical system to build fighters, load them on transports and carry them to the fleet (or a colony near the front at least). Otherwise, your carriers are disarmed after a couple of battles. It would help in doing that if a fleet could be selected as the destination for orders, so that the ship or fleet with the orders would chase the target fleet until it caught up. Either way, the AI needs to be smart enough to deal with this. If a carrier goes below a certain percentage of its fighter load-out, it needs to withdraw to someplace where a bunch of fighters are stored to replenish. I see this working somelike like "resupply at nearest". If the feature of selecting ships/fleets as destinations is added, the depleted carrier and a transport full of fighters could be ordered to meet & make the transfer. Otherwise, transports with repeat orders shuttle fighters from planets that build them to depot planets near the front, and the depleted carriers would fall back to the nearest such depot planet to replenish.

[Mephisto]

I think there is a simple solution to the carrier problem: The AI should not build that much carriers and focus more on building fighters. That is not that hard to do, 3 to 4 lines in the right script file will do the job. BTW: Which race does have this carrier problem for you?