How is AI behavior effected by removing SE preferences/aversions?

[Whoha]

anyone done any tests on this?

[Darsnan]

Re: How is AI behavior effected by removing SE preferences/aversions?

Originally posted by Whoha
anyone done any tests on this?

Hi Whoha,

t-ras has set up several games with all the Factions SE settings set to zero. They were the "Race to Transcendence" series. I played Gaians in one of the games. Essentially the Gaians still got +2 nuts out of fungus, and still had their initial mindworm capture, but otherwise they were a tough Faction to play. The Believers were very powerful, IMO, as they still had their +25% attack bonus, but didn't have their -20% research penalty. The Believers, under Brother Flubber, ended up winning the version I played in. FYI.
All in all I wouldn't recommend it for a PBEM format again. FYI.

D

[Whoha]

Erm I mean that the gaians don't have the restriction on fm, and don't have a preference for green. or have the aliens not prefer planned. How does the ai react and pick se choices, or is that a choice they make depending on the situation, I tend to not give in to ai demands so they go to war and stagnate in fundy/planned.

[Natalinasmpf]

I tend to not give in to ai demands so they go to war and stagnate in fundy/planned.

You can stagnate with planned? You usually boom with it.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Whoha
Erm I mean that the gaians don't have the restriction on fm, and don't have a preference for green. or have the aliens not prefer planned. How does the ai react and pick se choices, or is that a choice they make depending on the situation, I tend to not give in to ai demands so they go to war and stagnate in fundy/planned.

Can't really tell you anything about this. Ask t-ras, as he probably playtested the scenarios before submitting them for PBEM play.


D

[livid imp]

I haven't removed SE Prefs/Adversions, but I did make a complete set of "peaceful" versions of the 14 standard factions. They would still go to war at the drop of a hat, they difference was that they were more likely seek peace after only minor losses.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf

I tend to not give in to ai demands so they go to war and stagnate in fundy/planned.

You can stagnate with planned? You usually boom with it.

63 years to a tech and all cities expending all of their minerals on support = stagnating ai

[Chaos Theory]

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf

I tend to not give in to ai demands so they go to war and stagnate in fundy/planned.

You can stagnate with planned? You usually boom with it.

The AI can do anything. Well, anything wrong.

[smacksim]

Re: How is AI behavior effected by removing SE preferences/aversions?

Originally posted by Whoha
anyone done any tests on this?

Apparently not.

I've done this with modded AI factions, but never with the original factions. Here's what I found for myself:

At first I thought that the AI wouldn't choose SE choices that didn't fit with their preferred SE ability. For instance, Miriam likes Probes. Will she run other SE's that have nothing to do with Probes? The answer is yes. In fact, I didn't see any connection between a faction's SE choices and their preferred SE ability.

Secondly, AI without preferences seemed easier to bargain with, even compared to AI with compatible SE situations to my own. This could use more testing for sure. I would suspect that having 6 AI factions with no SE preferences or aversions would be a bit more challenging for the player b/c the AI will find it easier to make peace and pacts among themselves, more quickly forming a united front against a dominating player. On the other hand, a diplomatic player should find it easier to keep the peace and trade tech. By keeping the player's SE aversions/preferences and discarding the AI's, at least there will be some grumbling by the AI.

[Flubber]

Re: Re: How is AI behavior effected by removing SE preferences/aversions?

Originally posted by Darsnan


Hi Whoha,

t-ras has set up several games with all the Factions SE settings set to zero. They were the "Race to Transcendence" series. I played Gaians in one of the games. Essentially the Gaians still got +2 nuts out of fungus, and still had their initial mindworm capture, but otherwise they were a tough Faction to play. The Believers were very powerful, IMO, as they still had their +25% attack bonus, but didn't have their -20% research penalty. The Believers, under Brother Flubber, ended up winning the version I played in. FYI.
All in all I wouldn't recommend it for a PBEM format again. FYI.

D

Iwon that game but it had nothing to do with my skills ( I replaced someone that left the faction in GREAT shape) and it seemed to have little to do with the Believers attributes, other than the fact that research was at 0. It was a weird game and not recommended.



AS for the initial question, I have not worked on this and don't know if anyone else has either. I would agree that it should make diplomacy easier but overall , I find most AI behavior so unremittingly idiotic that I don't spend much time trying to figure them out