Major Disappointment

Jason2 · #1 February 8th, 2001, 09:33 PM

Two days ago I began a game set-up: Large, Cluster, not all warp points connect - so the clusters were internally connected but not to other clusters.

I am playing 1.19, non-mod. I made my race and then "upped" 4 of the computer races to use all of the 5000 points they had been given. Then I set it on: High (# of players) no neutrals, High (diff), High (Bonus).

It is now 2420.3 in the game and there are only 5 computer races left. So I decided to see their progress (I had not left my own cluster yet, but had colonized every world in it.) The results were confusing, frustrating and disappointing.

Only 1 race had moved to multiple clusters (the Xiati) and was the #1 player. The Xiati had colonized most of the planets in their own cluster and were currently taking over two more.

However, NONE of the races, including Xiati, had colonized all of the GREEN * planets .... they were just sitting there... Tech had been set to medium at the beginning and all the computer players had all 3 colony types researched... but in system after system the AI had ignored Green * planets ... !?!?!

Further, after the Xiait, only one other race had warped out of its own cluster.... ALL of the others hadn't even colonized all the planets yet!?!?! in their cluster... All of them had incredible huge green * planets sitting around waiting for them to use! Aaaagh.

The AI seems incapable of even routine tasks!

This was a frustrating find for me. I like the thought of being able to build up a bit before facing a technologically superior foe... I will now play on connected systems so I at least have a challenge... but the AI should at least be able to colonize the planets that are the most beneficial to it!!! And be able to warp out of a closed system. It was very frustrating to see such simple things left undone by the computer...

I had the mods installed (mod-pack) but kept getting range and index errors and losing 20-30 turns... even when I saved often, it was frustrating. At some points the game would just hang or crash, which never happened pre-mod.

Please, I would love to hear any suggestions. Including how to install/tweak the mod?? (When I say that, I mean from new downloads... I am not a programmer, couldn't program to save my life).

Just needed to vent... I feel very frustrated after two days spent researching and building up (and watching the AI's tech levels outpace me by about 3 to 1)... but now realize there will be no challenge because the AI didn't even do the PRELIMINARY things right

Jason2

[This message has been edited by Jason2 (edited 08 February 2001).]

Possum · #2 February 8th, 2001, 10:30 PM

Yeah, Jason, the AI can be incredibly brain-dead in anything but a dead-stock situation, and it's not real bright even then.

pathfinder · #3 February 8th, 2001, 11:03 PM

question: are they green from your or their perspective? like what atmosphere do they breath Vs the planets?

just a thought..

DirkHowitzer · #4 February 8th, 2001, 11:09 PM

What Version of the mod pack were you using? 1.00 did have it's problems, but they seem to have been ironed out now in 1.01, so if you don't have the latest Version make sure you get it!

I too find the AI pathetic in the un-modded Version. With mods it still has it's problems but, hey, it's still better and any previous 4x game!

------------------

"He's dead, Jim."-- Lt. Commander Leonard "Bones" McCoy |Chief Medical Officer / USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Atrocities · #5 February 8th, 2001, 11:12 PM

I have to say that even in "anger" the people of this forum are still professional. It is so refreshing to read your Posts and know that they are written by well intending individuals with a lot of talent.

abkaiser · #6 February 8th, 2001, 11:28 PM

Keep in mind, too, that SE4 is different from most all other games out there: We're not used to being able to customize almost anything we want, so we may not realize we can easily fix the thing that's bothering us!

Kudos to MM for a truly unique game.

Nitram Draw · #7 February 8th, 2001, 11:50 PM

Sun Devil,
I understand Jasons frustration. I was initially a little disappointed with the game but it has such potential. But I can't mod.
What I really appreciate is that there are people like you and Tampa and all the other modders out there who are willing to make the mods and give them away to anyone who wants them.THANK YOU ALL from a technically challanged gamer.
Being technically challanged I have lots of questions about installing the mods and which ones can be used with other mods. I don't know which forum to post them in, this one or the mod forum. Searching this forum is very time consuming. This is a big forum for a single game!
If you are offering to teach people how to mod I would give it a go. I may be challanged but I'm stubborn.
Thanks

Mephisto · #8 February 8th, 2001, 11:51 PM

Jason2, could you post a savegame of this on the board? I would love to have a look into why the AI is doing what it does.

SunDevil · #9 February 9th, 2001, 12:01 AM

Nitram Draw,

Let me know what you want to change in the game. I will then tell you what file/s you want to look at and how to do it.

P.S. Don't forget about [K126]Mephisto as one of the modders, he is one of the people who first helped me start to mod.

[This message has been edited by SunDevil (edited 08 February 2001).]

Jason2 · #10 February 9th, 2001, 12:50 AM

Thank you for the feedback.

Mephisto, how do I do that? Lol. I know very little about the computer except how to install/play games and word process

But I'd be happy to if you explain

And thank you for the answer about EA/1.01

Jason2

[This message has been edited by Jason2 (edited 08 February 2001).]