Want the Darn AI to build many bases

[[LordLMP]]

I very annoyed with..successful in making the AI tougher and more interesting (to me anyway) without putting disadvantages to myself. Doesn't really matter, i expand like crazy :P by 2150, usually have 5-10 bases, by 2200, 10-20 or more bases. Depending on the map and if i have close neighbours. anyway, by time i am far in the game, i got the most bases, the largest territory and etc....where some (Hives and Believers are good at expanding a lot, sometimes Peacekeepers aswell) have only 5-10 bases :P thats not much and theres plenty of space left for them to expand too.

Also, they atleast aswell expand bit more when i play with all AI being agressive. I edit all of them to Growth, only works good with some factions.

Any ideas?

-LordLMP

[mark13]

It is a known fact of SP SMAC that the AI dos generally not build enough bases, preferring instead to concentrate on infrastructure (even that it doesn't do very well). Even switching the AI to growth does not really have the desired effect, because it tends to concentrate on actual population growth, rather than territory expansion.

Maybe the AI associates territory with power? I have noticed that Santiago is reasonably proficient at expanding, although this depends heavily on the circumstances of course.

OTOH, one of the reasons the AI fails to grow is because of its tendency to 'rush' at other factions, hampering not only the enemy, but themselves as well.

Maybe change aggression to -1, and settings to power? I haven't actually tried it yet, maybe I will tomorrow when I can be bothered, but it would seem logical (for me anyway ).

[Simpson II]

When I was creating factions in SMAC, I found that the best way to get the builder or hybrid AIs to compete is to make their priorities EXPLORE, BUILD. Explore makes them build lots of CPs and formers early on, and later on build seems to kick in and make them actually develop their bases with more than the Gaians' typical 4 facilities in a size 14 base! Conquer also seems make the AI build CPs, which is why Miriam has so many horrible little bases, and why the Hive is so often the most powerful AI.

I think that the growth, efficiency etc. settings only help the AI to choose SE - they try to maximize this on the SE table, so e.g. Morgan picks wealth because it improves his economy. I don't think it has any wider game-play implications. And as the AIs love to spend any time when they are at war - even with someone on the other side of Planet! - in Fundie/Power, even in controlling SE it is virtually useless. You get to choose their economy, is it. The best thing you could do here is to manipulate them to avoid FM like the plague, since they can't handle the police rating at all.

Making the AIs more peaceful could work, certainly it doesn't stop them from attacking the human player! I wouldn't make them all totally peaceful, though, Miriam is usually very weak unless she has someone to bully.

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S2, insane builder.