Ai Ics!!!

[Mead]

Originally posted by Zeiter
Well, I'll try, but with the alpha.txt I'm using, AAA units get a 150% bonus vs. air attacks, choppers cost like 3 times as much, and they only have a movement of 6, so I'm think it's going to be a little harder than that.

You're really trying hard to make things difficult for yourself, aren't you. It sounds like a challenging game.

Are all choppers limited to 6? Or rather, it is just the fission ones, with a 2 movement upgrade for each improved reactor level? Any chance of grabbing the CBA? Will it still give you the movement bonus?


Come to think of it a 150% bonus is not all that much more than a 100% bonus. Do needlejets and missiles (I very seldom use missiles much, but in this game they may be of value) cost the same the usually do?

If they do cost the same then you may want to make a number of them to clear out the AAA defenders (more missiles if the needlejets won't likely survive a single attack) of the various victim bases to allow your choppers to clean out the remainder of the garrison.

Your assault may take longer, but you should still be able to prevail.


Mead

PS
Do you get the 150% AAA bonus too? If so, then the AI should be very reluctant to attack any base (indeed any AAA unit) that has a AAA unit in it with airpower.

[Zeiter]

True, blink displacer might help, or maybe nerve gas if I get desparate (although nerve gas costs twice as much in this version.) I'm playing SMAC, so I can't use the wave ability.

It might be possible, but it's certainly going to be tough. It's going to take some crafty diplomacy and some careful decisions. Which is great, because this is the kind of game you want, the kind of game that makes you sweat a little.

[Mead]

Originally posted by Zeiter
True, blink displacer might help, or maybe nerve gas if I get desparate (although nerve gas costs twice as much in this version.) I'm playing SMAC, so I can't use the wave ability.

***

Your running it on SMAC.

I guess that means CBA is not available.

The other tactics I mentioned may still be of value.

About the only time I used to use missiles was to take out a very hard (usually AAA with good armour, in a base with a sensor, AC, perimeter, and tachyon) target. Sometimes I would have to lob two missiles at it to kill it or to get it weak enough to allow other air units to attack it successfully.

Mead

[Zeiter]

Well, the basic fission chopper is limited to 6, but I assume that that will increase with the reactor.

Playing SMAC, so there's no CBA. (If there was, Morgan would just snag it, probably).

Yeah, missles cost the same. I was hoping to make them more useful. Looks like I'll get to use some.

Yeah, AAA bonus is same for all, so I doubt the AI will do little more than plink a few formers.

[Mead]

Originally posted by Zeiter
Well, the basic fission chopper is limited to 6, but I assume that that will increase with the reactor.

Playing SMAC, so there's no CBA. (If there was, Morgan would just snag it, probably).

Yeah, missles cost the same. I was hoping to make them more useful. Looks like I'll get to use some.

Yeah, AAA bonus is same for all, so I doubt the AI will do little more than plink a few formers.

It looks like once you get to fusion or better reactors you should be able to destory the AI.

Let us know how it turns out. It will be interesting to see a missile intensive war.


Mead


PS

Why did you have to probe the same Morgan base over and over again?

Was it the one in Iberia? And was that the only one you could reach? Why?

[Whoha]

Give some updates, how are you doing?

[logic_error]

Originally posted by smacksim
The question has always been: 'How to get the AI to ICS without jungle?' but it's good to see that even Morgan is willing to have a go in the xenobannana forest.

I just got a really ridiculous idea. Play on a map wholly covered with jungle and edit alphax.txt slightly by changing the following value to 3:

2, ; Nutrient intake requirement for citizens

Well, could someone test this? I'm too lazy to try myself.

[Zeiter]

Ack! Even with the increased cost, the AI is still using probes very well. Miriam mind controlled one of my frontier bases, and along with it my main defensive force for that sector (a 1-3-1 and two 4-1-2s.) I quickly appeased her with 2 techs and signed a blood truce until I can establish another defensive front farther back and/or gather a force to retake the base. This is the only time ever that I've had to sue for mercy from an AI, so I guess that tells you something about how well it is playing.

Then, Morgan mind controlled one of my bases in southern France. I then retook it, but the closest probe defender team was 2 turns away, and I couldn't rush one, so Morgan mind controlled the base again (He's got over 1200 ECs!!!). I retook the base again, he mind controlled it again, I retook it again, and then I got him to sign a truce and treaty with me in return for helping him attack Yang (I had a feeling that Yang was going to turn on me any moment anyway. He was always seething when I called him up.

On the bright side, I just got superstring theory.

So, I lost one base, my defensive fronts are shattered, but at least I'm at peace with my neighbors (for now). I now have a treaty with Morgan and Zak (for some reason Zak renounced our pact. Silly Zak.), a truce with Miriam (once I get a chaos rover force ready, and some probe defenders in my eastern bases, I'm going to counterattack), and I'm in a vendetta with Yang, which doesn't bother me a whole lot, as he doesn't share much of a border with me. Still no word from the others. Santiago is still unsurpassed. I think I'm still at wanting or anemic. It's gonna be a tough game!

[Zeiter]

MY 2213 update:

I'm currently building some infrastructure and getting choas rovers into the battlefield. Miriam and Yang are really slugging it out. Finally contacted Santiago and Deidre. The preliminary analyses were not encouraging...

Here's a screenie of my homeland as of 2213:

[Zeiter]

And here's the Santiago behemoth:

btw, not sure why this screenie turned out so crummy when the other ones were just fine...