A grumble about the AI

[Method]

d4 maybe that HGP thing is because the prerequisite for it is biogenetics(isn't it? )

and how's this for an AI cheat. the AI using marines. i can see how it happened. (lal convenes the council of the AI) i have called you all here for this meeting because of a brilliant idea i have just had. instead of just putting amphibious pods on infantry and sending them to attack land bases from land, how about we use them to attack coastal bases from transports! (murmuring among the other AI leaders)hmm thats a good idea...lets make him planetary governer.

and i'll bet nobody's seen this before! zakharov calling you a wretched un-believer because of your "godless" police state. (random agendas) of course i thought that since he's going to be running fundy it'll really balance him out. of course the university can't choose fundy

oh and whilst we're talking about smilies shouldn't this one be uh-oh?

[Cybergod]

Originally posted by TKG
oh and whilst we're talking about smilies shouldn't this one be uh-oh?

LOL

Moi's 3 personal favourites:



By the way, if you hold the mouse over this guy ( ), it will say "I said do it!!"

LOL

::Remix of X-files theme::

[death_head]

We need an Aolyton smilie java game! Where you have to organize the smilies like they are arranged in the posting page!

[Blake]

:)   :(   :o   :D   ;) 

:p   :cool:   :rolleyes:   :mad:   :eek: 

:confused:   :b:   :q:   :scared:   :rant: 

:naughty:   :love:   :evilgrin:   :lol:   :cute: 
:idea:   :zzz: :hmmm:   :doitnow!:

you mean like that? It's not perfect...

[death_head]

Exactly...and then it would scramble itself, and you would have to put it back together.

[Cybergod]

And they called it "A grumble about the smilleys"...

[cousLee]

there are so many cheats, that it's hard to pick the worst one. It vary's from game to game which ones piss me off. The mineral carry over cheat ticks me off, but so does the instant units.

Mineral cheat: the AI can switch production from a SP 90% done, build a probe team, and resume the SP the following turn with only the cost of the probe team deducted from the accumulation.

Instant units: Last SP game I started, I traded cent eco with santiago. the very next turn, she had 3 formers come out of the same base (with full movement). This is not possible without cheating.

Tech cheats: I had one game, where I started very close to the UoP. with spoils on, I captured a base on about turn 12. He already had around 8 techs. again, not possible without the cheats.

And could you explain how a disciplined probe team can beat an elite probe team and only recieve 30% damage? (both w/fission reactors)

Smac seems ok for MP games, the only cheating you deal with is the wild MWs winning nearly every battle.

[Black Sunrise]

the FIRST breakthrough on planet. A few turns later I get SotHB and begine building the HGP in a base that had a very high mineral count for the start of the game (9). Five turns later I get the message that Aki has built the HGP. HUH?

Maybe she got SotHB with a datalink? And if she had a great base site (like 2 mineral resources, or 2 monoliths), then you are significantly behind her.
Indra

[Black Sunrise]

Tech cheats: I had one game, where I started very close to the UoP. with spoils on, I captured a base on about turn 12. He already had around 8 techs. again, not possible without the cheats.

Faction starts with 1
Faction Ability=+1
Datapod. Datapod. Datapod.=+3
Research=+2 (1 per four to six turns)
Trade with neighbor=+1
=8.
Essentially why I prefer the University if I want an easy game.

Indra

[cousLee]

Originally posted by Black Sunrise


Faction starts with 1
Faction Ability=+1
Datapod. Datapod. Datapod.=+3
Research=+2 (1 per four to six turns)
Trade with neighbor=+1
=8.
Essentially why I prefer the University if I want an easy game.

Indra

Actually, I was the only neighbor, so that would mean 4 techs from data pods. As I said, not possible without cheating. NO human faction gets 4 datapods in that brief time period. for theat matter, human players are lucky if they get 4 through the entire game. Also, human players are less likely to get datapods if they are in the tech lead. The UoP was obviously in the lead. For that matter, the UoP could have got 6 datapods. possible? yes. a cheat? yes, imho.

[Tau Ceti]

In one University game I had 9 techs by 2107. Started with 2, researched 3 (incl. SotHB), got 1 from the Secrets and found 3 in pods. Needless to say, I had started on a river and moved along it to found my second base on the first turn. Does it happen often? Certainly not. But it is possible, without cheating.

[Earwicker]

the FIRST breakthrough on planet. A few turns later I get SotHB
and begine building the HGP in a base that had a very high mineral count for the start of the game (9). Five turns later I get the message that Aki has built the HGP. HUH?

It stinks, but it seems the cheating is the AI's only way of staying competetive.

If you were Aki's only neighbor, then it sounds like time to send a Rover-rush after her. THEN, you'll have the HGP. Don't forget to thank her.

[johndmuller]

Originally posted by Cybergod
Oh yeah? What about seeing HUMONGOUS numbers of missile needlejets come and wipe your a** ...... Also in another game, where I had war with Yang, I infultrated him and found out that he was supporting 23 units for FREE in just one of his bases!!!

How can you tell that 23 were supported by the same base?
IIRC, the game doesn't show the base name under the units for other peoples units (even if infiltrated). Also IIRC, in the base screen, there seems to be a 2 "page" limit (with a 1 row overlap) in how many units you can see in the lower right corner where the supported units are identified - that's just 3 x 3 times 2 = 18 less 3 for the overlap equals 15 units - maximum # units visible in a base support box. :banned:

[cousLee]

Originally posted by Earwicker


It stinks, but it seems the cheating is the AI's only way of staying competetive.

And that is the key thing to remember. I am sure we all know the AI cheats, and why. As you say, it's the only way the AI can offer any resistance. Though we all know that, we still like to complain about it on occasion.

There will probably never be a game AI that can match wits with a human. If someone could write a good thinking AI (for a tbs), the program would be too large to fit on a disk. Not to mention such talent would be wasted on a game.

So, untill the time comes that today's supercomputers are so much yard sale fodder, and the average person can afford a good rig; We will endure the cheating AIs, and continue to grumble about it. :banned:

[Earwicker]

Originally posted by cousLee
There will probably never be a game AI that can match wits with a human. If someone could write a good thinking AI (for a tbs), the program would be too large to fit on a disk. Not to mention such talent would be wasted on a game.

and it would TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!!!

(okay, reading a little too much sf)