Radical Alpha.txt stuff

[Darsnan]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Radical Alpha.txt stuff

Originally posted by BlackCat


the probe team equipment actually had some nasty effects -- well, ok

Yes, they did, didn't they, especially for the Kzin!
Anyways, its the double blind experiment, slightly modified. Essentially in a different solar system tell a human that a new tnuctipun weapon has been discovered (whether its true or not is inconsequential here). Then send that person to Down. The Grogs won't be able to help themselves but read that person's mind, and be able to understand the consequences for themselves.

Originally posted by mart7X5

How about setting a crawler as "lurker"
Unit is not supposed to move for some time.

Problem here is that once any opposing unit bumps into one of these, it automatically wakes up and does what its supposed to do, which for crawlers in the hands of the AI is to stumble around like a drunken sailor....


D

[Googlie]

Originally posted by mart7x5
How about setting a crawler as "lurker"
Unit is not supposed to move for some time.

That'd be OK if it lurked until a human player passed by, but unfortunately they cease lurking when any unit arrives, and as the AI knows where everything is, it doesn't take long for them to send a scout or a trannie, as the case may be

[Mart]

I have some good experiences with "Unity supply droids", forced cost 1 row crawlers, and additionally disabled in alphax.txt pre-defined, so it cannot be built. I made them for human players actually in order to aid early growth, but it turned out that AI in like more than 50% of cases sends them for resources. It is unfortunatelly only till there is a Secret Project started, but still a nice addition for an AI.
It might be tested with more than 3 units per AI (what I did) If some AI does not build a SP till like 20 turns, it crawls a bit more then. and nice thing here, since cost is 1/3 of a regular crawler, the aid for SP is this much less. So you may give an AI 3 times more crawlers while granting the same number of SP.
Bad side, you need bases established at the start for that. As in SMAX you cannot force an independent unit to be supported from a base. Last time I checked, but I have to re-check it here...
----------
Well, I am getting very curious, what would AI do when having e.g. 50 unity supply droids...

[DilithiumDad]

I was the one that made "turbo SMAC". The main idea was to create an unlimited number of PBEM games with no input from a CMN. Players would make their own passwords and send them to the CMN. The CMN could start the first turn and send it on without even using the scenario editor or knowing the e-mail addresses of any player other than the first. The result would be as many PBEM's as anyone would ever want to play.

I put mangroves in there and they work. They don't spread like regular forests, but that would probably be overpowered. I agree about sea-boreholes. Sea sensors (bouys) are more balanced.

[Straybow]

Dang threadjackers!

Errr, Grog??

DD, do mangroves not spread at all, or just not the same as regular forests?

[Mart]

Originally posted by Googlie


That'd be OK if it lurked until a human player passed by, but unfortunately they cease lurking when any unit arrives, and as the AI knows where everything is, it doesn't take long for them to send a scout or a trannie, as the case may be

That is true, however there are still possibilities.
You set up "lurker" unit in the area, where even AI has less chance to sneak into. Away from coast, "shielded" by fungus or just in the center of territory, where in any other agreement than Pact, the AI due to zones of control cannot go that easy.
Good thing is here a mine on a rocky tile with road. 7 minerals for a base.
Also, as long as "lurker" status remains AI does not use it for SP hurrying.
Quite powerful tool for early game, when minerals count.

In my recent tests Hive and Sparta performed the best. When given crawlers, they are quite smart in crawling resources. My recent test showed how Sparta by itself placed 3 "unity suply droid" on bonus resources. Although it is 3 out of 10 given to it, still it was nice to see. On nutrient bonus a farm was made. Another crawler does minerals on a rocky tile, which has already a road and AI makes mine there. Quite smart considering typical stupidity of AI here.

I will keep further tests into trying force AI into crawling. I think still there are ways to make it use crawlers more.

[Straybow]

Have you tried putting lurkers on a moated island? Surround with a 1 tile wide ocean moat and a 1 tile wide rocky land barrier. AI won't get there until noodles, nor can humans poach them until noodles. Could even put trawlers in the moat.

[Mart]

And I have more thoughts here:

Energy
This is probably more easy than minerals for a CMN.
While energy from tiles might be difficult due to all problems we talked about here, the way of giving an AI substantial financial help is to setup its bonus:
INTEREST, 8
for example, which is 8%. Morgan could get 12 %.
This is here to decide, if 8 or 10 or more/less. I find it very easy, safe and powerful tool making an AI economy strong. AI tends to accumulate energy, so here it comes more handy. Counteracts cases when AI in stupid way hurries stuff.
Bad thing is when human can abuse this, by borrowing, stealing etc., but note that AI is often due it so strong, that even that cannot help you very efficiently.

Power satellites are excellent too, though if you have random events "ON" they may get destroyed by solar flares.

I tried thing with
FUNGUSENERGY, x
but my final preference is not to do it, due to messing up with AI way of planting fungus.
Good for some themed scenarios though when you make "fungal paradise"

Minerals
Mineral satellites mainly here. Though there is an event destroying them too.

Another one, as mentioned above - crawlers of rocky-bonus-road tile. Early game here.

Smaller one is giving AI
SUPPORT, ++
This helps a bit - few mineral each base
or just pre-defined clean units, especially formers, though I still test it.

Nutrients
Definitely satelites. I have not noticed any event destroying them. It helps for everything, as more population for AI means more workers in field --> minerals and energy too.

tile improvements, condensors.

---------
The more I test all this stuff, the more I find ways of making a scenario difficult to the point of no chance of winning by a human player.

More difficult is to make it work, when a player starts a game by an option from the game start screen. You are mostly limited to just a good map, but I have some idea.
I believe a file replacement program could be made here, where you choose a faction to play a singleplayer game, so it places in the spot of original faction files those "improved" to super AI except of that which you wish to play. Then launches the game. The player only would have to after starting the game to "Alt-Tab" to the launching application to revert to original files and close the application.
I have some more ideas how to make it more interesting.
This would be for all those not afraid of such additions, what is often the case.

[Mart]

So I wrote all this stuff, forgot what I had initially in mind:

How to make an AI crawl more...

Maybe to make it in need of some resources. And I mean BADLY IN NEED. Any ideas here? So insted of giving crawlers "hold" order, they would do the right stuff.

[binTravkin]

I think:

1.lower crawler costs.
2.add some more bonuses in their territory.
3.Make them more builder-styled ('build' social priority).
4.Advance the timetable - as per sightings in Aldebaran mod (AIs get smarter in older dates - using FM more and crawlers for SPs).

[Mart]

Originally posted by binTravkin
...
4.Advance the timetable - as per sightings in Aldebaran mod (AIs get smarter in older dates - using FM more and crawlers for SPs).

I do not recall this one from Aldebaran. What is exactly advanced timetable?

[binTravkin]

it spans over 2300-2800.

Smack made a research on which years AI do what and his sightings prove that on later years AI invest more in energy and do other 'smarter' things from human viewpoint.

[Mart]

Hardcoded!
---------
Anyway, I tried already cheaper crawlers. Maybe I should recheck it then.