The Rage Collective 1.1 - Page 2

Q · #11 March 26th, 2001, 11:53 AM

Alpha Kodiak wrote:
"If anyone knows how to shift the strategy with the new tech, I would love to hear how to do it."
I don't think you can do it at this moment as well as you can't make a ship design obsolete for the AI in the design file. I proposed to MM to include a line in the design-construction that would make the AI not to use this design any more if a specified technology is available. Remember the problem with supply components and solar collectors in a ship with a quantum reactor? Same situation!

Windborne · #12 March 27th, 2001, 09:14 PM

The changes Q mentions are interesting, I may download the rage just for their AI when the next Version comes out, I wasn't impressed too much by the rage ships on universal shipyards but this AI sounds like a work of art. :0)

Alpha Kodiak · #13 March 28th, 2001, 04:17 PM

I've been playing around with some AI tweaks that address some of the issues mentioned here. I've switched the attack range to optimal firing range, and it seems to be working better. I'm trying to find a good balance point for mine sweepers on attack ships without weakening the attack ship to much, and a few other items.

I have a question on cloaks. For the Rage attack ships, is the cloaking device worth the space it takes? Does it make sense for the Rage to use the cloak at all, or should they just come in, guns blazing?

I'm still at least a few days out from releasing a new Version, but I like what I see so far. Thanks for the suggestions to this point, and please continue to give feedback. There is no way I could go through all the situations that this game throws at you by myself!

Master Belisarius · #14 March 28th, 2001, 05:13 PM

Alpha:
I have noted, that the Cloak device is a lot more weak than the Cloak in SE3, then, in my opinion the Cloak device itself is not very important, because is only good to attack systems without Recon Satellites.

BUT... in my opinion, the Stealth Armor is much better: is fast to research, gives protection to the ship, some defensive bonus, save 1 component space, and gives to you the first level of Cloak.

Also, if the other empire have Recon Satellites with sensors, usually is very easy to research the 3 levels of sensors, then, the stealth armor will be like the Cloak Device 3, in cloak terms...

Then, in the tech tree of the AI race that I'm doing, I put the Cloak Devices at the bottom, and the Cloak armor more early.

Sadly in games with all the tech tree from the start, it not work... because the AI always use the high level, and at this case, is the Cloak Device 3.

Q · #15 March 28th, 2001, 06:03 PM

Alpha Kodiak I strongly recommend you not to use cloaking if you put minesweeping components on the attack ships. They will not work if the ship is cloaked (see separate topic on this forum)! I saw the Rage build quite a few cloaked minesweepers and some of them were lost in the minefields withour sweeping any mines and the others were killed by the enemy because they had sensors that made the cloaking ineffective.
Generally I find cloaking to easy to be countered by recon satellites and I therefore use it seldom, but this is really a matter of taste.

belverus · #16 March 28th, 2001, 06:42 PM

Well I like the Rage. It's a great idea.

They run out of resources fast though because of so many ships. Maybe allowing Trade Treaties could help here. Also, the weapons range (mention below) can be a problem. I wonder, can I change it mid-game? I mean set the Rage as a human player, change the setting and then set them back to computer play?

Master Belisarius · #17 March 28th, 2001, 07:37 PM

Belverus: you can change the combat strategy... but is not easy: you need to change the strategy of the current fleets, but also, modify the _Fleets.txt.

Alpha Kodiak · #18 March 28th, 2001, 08:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Dracus:
I have added Rage as a quick pick for the game and have added it as one of the random races. If anyone wants the modified file to add them as a quick pick let me know.

I just saw your post, somehow my eyes must have missed it before. (I hate getting old, though I guess it beats the alternative!)

Please post the modified file. I need to see what it is you do to make it a quick pick and to make it available as a random race. (I know the info has been posted on the forum before, but I haven't had time to go back and look.

Q · #19 March 30th, 2001, 12:08 PM

Alpha Kodiak another feedback of the Rage in my game:

They have now an attack fleet of over 20 battleships with one mine sweeping component
in every attack ship. They cleared the enemy minefields without problem and wiped out one colony after the other of the Borg. I couldn't have done this better! The Borg are doomed.

[This message has been edited by Q (edited 30 March 2001).]

Alpha Kodiak · #20 March 30th, 2001, 03:55 PM

I have made a lot of the changes that have been mentioned here and put it together in a 1.2 Version that should be ready to go by this weekend. It changes the combat strategy, adds minesweepers to attack ships, and adds medical bays to population transports - an idea mentioned in another thread. It also removes cloaks from most ship classes. There is also now a short ranged Defensive ship class with heavier firepower. I didn't wind up changing any racial traits, as I didn't want to upset the research tree. I feel that, other than needing a few tweaks that I've made, it is working pretty well.

Thanks again for the feedback! It is making the Rage better all the time.