Tweet
This thread is mainly meant as a help to Brad when it comes to improving the AI. I can say the AI is bad as many times as I want, that won't improve it. Hopefully this is more constructive. It may also help to make you understand some of my critizisms. Finally, it could help you become better at this game, atleats until these flaws are corrected.
1. Transports should be protected better. They mustn't always be protected, but if several of it's transports have been gunned down they should start taking precautions. I've also noticed that even though they have fleets one or two parsecs away they won't use them to cover their transports.
2. They need to utilize speed more. For instance, unprotected transports. Higher speed means fewer turns to intercept it. It also means that it can attack from further away, making it harder to spot it before it's too late. Why use the standard transports when their technology would allow them to add several engines for only a little extra cost? They should also have atleast some fast fleets to catch any of the opponents fast ships that strike at their freighters, defenseless starbases and transports. If atleats a few of the AI's could do this as well it would be nice (Korx seems like a good choice, for instance).
3. They seem to ignore planet square bonuses. I've conquered planets where they've build farms on squares that provide bonus to manufacturing and factories that provides bonus to food production. They seem to ignore these entirely.
4. If they see an unprotected transport approaching their planets, they should send out ships that are defending the planets to destroy it if they have the chance. Sometimes the AI could simply pop out, destroy my transport then go right back to orbit in one turn. Yet it does not.
5. They need to send enough troops to conquer a planet. They know how many people that lives on it. They know what range the advantages will be in. It can easily calculate the odds of success and should base the amount of soldiers sent on that. Different races could have different criteria. Altarians might not send any attack that isn't 100% guaranteed to succeed (don't waste people's life for nothing). Drengin might send troops as long as they'll kill more than dies. Having four civilizations weaken my planet so the fifth can take it with minimal losses is just dumb.
6. Minor races tends to spam influence starbases in areas where they have no influence. I don't know the purpose of this at all.
7. The AI should really care about the planet quality of the planets they colonize. Right now they colonize the closest planet regardless of quality. This lets me get the nicest planets before the AI since their first colony ship often goes to a planet of low quality they encounter on the way instead. It would also be good if they tried to colonize the planets furthest away first and work their way in, but that might be harder to do. Atleast the more peaceful civs should do this, warlike civs would probably prefer a more compact empire.
8. They need to research different techs. Right now they all ignore the same techs, meaning that the player can just research one of those and trade them with every single other civ in the game, including minor races. This lets the player keep up with the others with minimal effort.
9. They almost never build farms. This means it's very easy to conquer their planets and their economy suffers.
10. They are slow to eliminate minor races. Since the minor races don't colonize, they can produce other ships instead. Usually these are constructors, meaning they often control a significant amount of resources. They are very bad at protecting these however, meaning that the first civ to attack them will get these. This is generally me, so I love it every time a minor race nabs a resource. They're holding it until I'm ready to go get it.
These are the ones I could think of up front. I will add more later, hopefully you will do the same.
1. Transports should be protected better. They mustn't always be protected, but if several of it's transports have been gunned down they should start taking precautions. I've also noticed that even though they have fleets one or two parsecs away they won't use them to cover their transports.
2. They need to utilize speed more. For instance, unprotected transports. Higher speed means fewer turns to intercept it. It also means that it can attack from further away, making it harder to spot it before it's too late. Why use the standard transports when their technology would allow them to add several engines for only a little extra cost? They should also have atleast some fast fleets to catch any of the opponents fast ships that strike at their freighters, defenseless starbases and transports. If atleats a few of the AI's could do this as well it would be nice (Korx seems like a good choice, for instance).
3. They seem to ignore planet square bonuses. I've conquered planets where they've build farms on squares that provide bonus to manufacturing and factories that provides bonus to food production. They seem to ignore these entirely.
4. If they see an unprotected transport approaching their planets, they should send out ships that are defending the planets to destroy it if they have the chance. Sometimes the AI could simply pop out, destroy my transport then go right back to orbit in one turn. Yet it does not.
5. They need to send enough troops to conquer a planet. They know how many people that lives on it. They know what range the advantages will be in. It can easily calculate the odds of success and should base the amount of soldiers sent on that. Different races could have different criteria. Altarians might not send any attack that isn't 100% guaranteed to succeed (don't waste people's life for nothing). Drengin might send troops as long as they'll kill more than dies. Having four civilizations weaken my planet so the fifth can take it with minimal losses is just dumb.
6. Minor races tends to spam influence starbases in areas where they have no influence. I don't know the purpose of this at all.
7. The AI should really care about the planet quality of the planets they colonize. Right now they colonize the closest planet regardless of quality. This lets me get the nicest planets before the AI since their first colony ship often goes to a planet of low quality they encounter on the way instead. It would also be good if they tried to colonize the planets furthest away first and work their way in, but that might be harder to do. Atleast the more peaceful civs should do this, warlike civs would probably prefer a more compact empire.
8. They need to research different techs. Right now they all ignore the same techs, meaning that the player can just research one of those and trade them with every single other civ in the game, including minor races. This lets the player keep up with the others with minimal effort.
9. They almost never build farms. This means it's very easy to conquer their planets and their economy suffers.
10. They are slow to eliminate minor races. Since the minor races don't colonize, they can produce other ships instead. Usually these are constructors, meaning they often control a significant amount of resources. They are very bad at protecting these however, meaning that the first civ to attack them will get these. This is generally me, so I love it every time a minor race nabs a resource. They're holding it until I'm ready to go get it.
These are the ones I could think of up front. I will add more later, hopefully you will do the same.
Comment