Thoughts about the AI.

from Sins Forums

Instead of giving the AI a resource bonus, why not give the AIs a hull/shield bonus?

For example, easy: -10%, normal 0%, hard +10%, unfair +20%, vicious +30%, cruel +40%.

Of course, this should be in combination with a slightly smarter economic planning (namely that they invest in starbases with cargo bays).

And why do I suggest this ... currently, an AI has a really big economic advantage, which it can use to expand its empire and on top of that to build a large fleet. Basically it's an exponential growth model (for a while at least) and the AI has a big starting advantage. Because it's exponential, the difference with a human player becomes very, very large after a while. However, much later in the game when the AI and the human player have hit the research and fleet limits, there's nothng the AI (or human) can do with their resources anymore ... and then the AI has lost just about all of its advantage. It still has a good income of course, which it can use to rebuild its fleet quickly, but so does the human player.

The only thing that needs to be added to the AI is a small subroutine that manages heavy constructors and starbases. Whenever there's a new colony, send a heavy constructor there, build a starbase there and upgrade with level 1 cargo bays (at the very least). They should also send such starbases to gas giants, asteroid belts, and the star. To keep it simple, you could limit this to locations that are within range of the culture.

I expect that this will make the difficulty of the AIs easier to manage and easier to understand for players... because the differences in difficulty would be more consistent throughout the game, from start to end.

In theory at least.

14,195 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

So you still want to improve their economy (force them to build starbases with trade upgrades) AND give them stronger ships? Not a good idea, though  it may be interesting because in one thing you are absolutely right, when both AI and player reaches max fleet limit and research everything, there is no doifference anymore.

 

I don't think forcing AI to build starbases everywhere would be a constructive thing, it's enough if they starbase important worlds, I hate destroying those bases, takes too much time, imagine if you would have to deal with them in every enemy grav well....

Though Vasari AI should build more starbases, I hate losing just because my Vasari ally fails to build a mother****g starbase when he has 2 constructors there..... and loses his whole fleet instead without a chance of winning.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

I see... yes too many starbases may not be that much fun, but if the AI doesn't upgrade the starbase except for the cargo bays, then it won't be that hard to destroy them. And it shouldn't upgrade most starbases for full military power, that would defeat the purpose of economic development because it costs way too many resources.

In long games I encounter many starbases, most have just 1 defense upgrade, mostly they just sit there and cannot interfere with the battle and I only engage them after I've defeated the main fleet. And then when I attack in full force, they just melt away against my full fleet. The only ones that are difficult to handle are the Vasari ones, but only when they are fully upgraded and if there is a full fleet present. Otherwise, without the support of (many) regen bays and without a major fleet, they are not that hard to defeat. It's just one "ship" after all. And I bring my own starbase in as well when I attack, And plenty of torpedo cruisers when I need to face the Vasari starbase plus fleet... if I bring in about 15 torpedo cruisers, that is usually enough to destroy the starbase before it can do too much damage to my fleet.

I wouldn't want to improve their economy AND boost their strength. It takes a lot of resources to build starbases, the AI will have to do that just like the human player does. It will take the AI a lot longer to build a good economy.

On a side-note, they should also always add Auxiliary Government to their starbases, because I sometimes see a world protected by a starbase, then one super-missile hits it and the colony is gone... and I think: why didn't they add auxiliary government?

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GeomanNL, reply 2
On a side-note, they should also always add Auxiliary Government to their starbases, because I sometimes see a world protected by a starbase, then one super-missile hits it and the colony is gone... and I think: why didn't they add auxiliary government?
End of GeomanNL's quote

I would say they should only always get auxillary government on their homeworld, the asteroids and dwarf planets are not really worth protecting with AuxGov.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

I don't know why my experience is so different, but in the games I generally play (9 AI players vs. me), the AI has no problem building starbases and upgrading them.  Including the "auxiliary government" upgrade.  In my current game, for example, all three remaining AI players are Vasari, and every planet is protected by an Orkulus with the anti-bombardment upgrade, plus whatever is required to get up to around 20,000 hull points and 10,000 shield points. So I don't think the AI needs much additional encouragement in that regard.  When left to their own devices, they can and do fortify their planets quite heavily. 

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Really? It seemed more or less random to me. Uh oh... you're right, I've checked a replay and looked at all starbases and they're all upgraded to max armor and fighters and ... oh well, they also all have trade port upgrades already ... I didn't realize that ...  :blush:

Not all the AI planets have starbases though... and there are no starbases at gas giants and asteroid belts, and I don't think the AI ever builds starbases in allied space to extend its trade routes further and to fortify allied planets ...

 

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GeomanNL, reply 5

Really? It seemed more or less random to me. Uh oh... you're right, I've checked a replay and looked at all starbases and they're all upgraded to max armor and fighters and ... oh well, they also all have trade port upgrades already ... I didn't realize that ... 

Not all the AI planets have starbases though... and there are no starbases at gas giants and asteroid belts, and I don't think the AI ever builds starbases in allied space to extend its trade routes further and to fortify allied planets ...

 
End of GeomanNL's quote

To be fair, a lot of human players do not do that either. Starbases are not a very efficient way to expand your trade chain, the only way it even sort of works is as TEC. And usually you only build starbases on allied planets if it is a truly vital chokepoint or your ally really needs time to regroup from a loss.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Well...it is pretty efficient imho. It costs about 4000 credits, but yields about 7 credits/second on a reasonably long chain and if the chain is extended, it will also boost trade income on all other starbases on the chain. That means, it takes about 600 seconds to pay itself back.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GeomanNL, reply 7
Well...it is pretty efficient imho. It costs about 4000 credits, but yields about 7 credits/second on a reasonably long chain and if the chain is extended, it will also boost trade income on all other starbases on the chain. That means, it takes about 600 seconds to pay itself back.
End of GeomanNL's quote

 

a trade port is more efficient, takes less time to be built and way cheaper. though I also build starbases to prolong my chain.