AI interests and agressiveness

[Cybergod]

I have noticed while making custom factions some things regarding the AI personality. The following can make the AI more or less agressive regardless of the agression rating (-1, 0 or 1):

Conquer - very similar to putting 0.6-0.8 on the agressiveness scale
Explore - similar to putting 0.4-0.6 on the scale
Discover - similar to putting 0.2-0.4
Build - similar to putting 0-0.2

Then add or take away the pacifist/aggressive rating (eg for Gaians = 0.4/0.6 - 1 = -0.4/0.6, ie. peaceful, but not as much as a -1, 0,0,0,0 personality would give.

Also I've noticed that an AI with -1,1,0,0,0 is very nice in very early game and signs Treaties with everyone. Later on they reject trade and act really *****y so I am forced to pronounce Vendetta on them on the grounds of unsubmissive behaviour !

Thoughts? Am I wrong?

[Avenoct]

Agreed

The -1 Passive variable seems subtle in effect. You'd think that a passive faction wouldn't want war, would avoid it, but noooo! Actually I've taken to using it for all the factions and they repeatedly make war on me. But the most agressive is Miriam as her disposition is now [-1,1,0,0,1] or thereabouts, similar to what you're talking about. With Conquer, she's interested in Conquer techs and facilities and SP's. That's how I think the second 4 variables are mainly applied, not so much in diplomacy, and less so in overall willingness to make war. But it seems to me that any faction will roll over in the early game if you hit it hard enough. Later on however, even pact-mate-submissives pacifist in disposition will turn on me if I don't keep them happy. Occassionally I'll provoke one by not feeding it pactfood (tech, bases, units), and sure enough, if I'm the clear leader in the graphs, they come after me.

The implications as I see it are that 'Passive' factions actually have an advantage in war, IF they arent' obliterated in the early-mid game.This is b/c they have spent their time researching, building formers and crawlers and SP's, so when it's time to come out of their builder shell and attack the Big Fish, they are ready. Add to that the most important difference of all. They aren't facing major Support problems (look in a typical Yang Base if you know what I mean) and hence their build queues actually can build things! So I play with passive faction AI's b/c they are more challenging enemies. I do play on large or huge maps, and that makes it easier for them I believe, except in tech-trading.

-Smack