Q for AI Gurus

[Suicide Junkie]

I need to do the following to automatically optimize AIs for P&N:

1) Boost Rads production.
- Less is needed early on, lots are used by phased shields & advanced engines
- I estimate that an even split between minerals & rads would be best, but races who have more shield generators than normal might need more rads

2) Insert a research priority, such that whenever Phased Energy Weapons is researched, a corresponding level in Energy Stream is researched.


I am looking to automate the process if possible, and would include it in my AI Patcher.
In that regard, I need to find some simple, foolproof rules alongthe lines of "add/change/delete this, whenever you have seen that and/or/not that"

[Tampa_Gamer]

quote:

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Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
1) Boost Rads production.
- Less is needed early on, lots are used by phased shields & advanced engines
- I estimate that an even split between minerals & rads would be best, but races who have more shield generators than normal might need more rads

2) Insert a research priority, such that whenever Phased Energy Weapons is researched, a corresponding level in Energy Stream is researched.

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(1) One approach (that I use in my races) is to modify the facilities queue to provide a more balanced queue for each planet (instead of all mineral/organic/rads). For instance, on a farm planet or construction colony, have later queue entries build rads. Another way I boost rad production is to (A) DELETE research Rad/Organic Extraction at all, (B) ADD research mineral extraction up to 3, and (C) move upresearch stellar manipulation earlier (at least to 3). This way the AI will automatically use mineral extract 3's, but everytime you "call" a rad/organic extractor it will build a monolith. This provides a balanced approach to organic/rad production and also boost minerals. To get even distributions of min/org/rad, you could simply modify this approach to DELETE any research for mineral/organic/rad extraction and move up or add researchus on stellar manip instead. Then the AI should build monoliths whenever any extraction facility is called for.

(2) This could be as easy as searching for for a queue entry of "Phased Energy Weapons" and replacing it with 2 queue entries "Phased Energy Weapons" + "Energy Stream Weapons."

Later
-Tampa

[Suicide Junkie]

Good, good.

#2: If there is an order for "Phased level 5", will that method autmoatically handle getting both required techs at the same time? Even if they have different rates (eg: two steps of EStream for each Phased to get one new PPB component?)

#1: Oh, problem: P&N monoliths require tech levels in the extractor techs as well as SM...
I suppose I will add a dummy ability to call for.

Would it be any easier if I made resource extractors upgradable to Monoliths?

[Tampa_Gamer]

quote:

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Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
#2: If there is an order for "Phased level 5", will that method autmoatically handle getting both required techs at the same time? Even if they have different rates (eg: two steps of EStream for each Phased to get one new PPB component?)

#1: Oh, problem: P&N monoliths require tech levels in the extractor techs as well as SM...
I suppose I will add a dummy ability to call for.

Would it be any easier if I made resource extractors upgradable to Monoliths?

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As to Phased Weapons Level 5, no it will not handle prerequisites. If it is not a "legal" research item (i.e. you do not have all of the preq., it will skip it until such time as you do have the preq.). So you still need both calls.

Upgrading extractors could work. I for one think that makes logical sense to know extractor 2/3 tech before I am able to combine them all into one facility. Obviously, they key is to leave the existing facility queues alone (if you can) and tweak the tech levels/facility production stats to get the desired effect.

[Suicide Junkie]

To clarify:
The multiple tech requirements are on the weapon components themselves:
PPB requires Phased weapons tech and Stream Weapons.
Phase Torpedoes require Phased weapons and torpedo weapons
The tech tree structure is unaffected, but teh component requirements are altered.

What I was trying to ask was wether the following would result in a nice spread of research projects:
Phased weapons -> level 5
Energy stream -> level 10

Where you get PPB Y when you have PW level Y and ES level 2Y


Re: upgrades
Will the AI upgrade whenever possible, perhaps replacing its mineral/700 with a monolith 500/500/500 just because it can?