How to keep up with AI Unit Production?

[Grand Deceiver]

Ok here is the question....How do you keep up with the AI in unit production?

I have paid close attention to AI production rates..for example I now have 155 ships and approx 2200 units...while most other AI empires are very close to me in number of ships but average at least 9-13 thousand units. I am in 2-3rd place and KNOW I have more production capacity than #18. It is evem more apparent in the first few turns of a game, AI and Myself can produce the same amount of bases in turns 1-5 (which takes all my production capacity) but the AI can also produce several hundered units at the same time and I can't.

I know that some empires have a Unit Production.txt (not sure of actual file name) that reserves a % of points each turn for the AI to produce units. Does turning on the Troop/Mine Minister, Pruduction Minister, etc..do this for the Human player? If so what combinations of ministers?

Any Ideas?

[Arkcon]

Well, assuming you haven't given the AI a bonus when you set up the game, there are a couple of reasons why they can build more units faster than you can.

If their production rate is higher in their culture setting, or racial characteristics, or hearty industrialists racial trait they'll always have a few more satelites per turn.

As long as it has the income it will build units, it never stops, unlike me for example, who waits for two component techs to advance before I jump into production.

I'm playing against the United Flora, they put 100 satelites, on a dead end warp point, leading to a neutral. Bottom line, the AI wins the units rating, but so what.

[QuarianRex]

Also remember that all units are not created equal. While you might be pumping off 120kt satellites with large mount PPB's or large drones, the AI might be producing light troops, small fighters, or infantry (if you're playing a mod that has those). By mass producing these cheap units (up to hundreds at a time with infantry) an AI can easily produce more units even with an inferior pruduction capacity.

[Cyrien]

Also remember that while you may scrap old and obsolete units the AI as far as I have seen will never ever get rid of an old unit it built.

[Grand Deceiver]

I understand about the scrapping and size difference etc...sure...you can produce INF faster than WP's...still doesn't account for how the AI pumps them out so fast...Even if I produce simple Infantry...the AI can outstrip me at incredible rates..while keeping up with Ship production.

As long as it has the income it will build units, it never stops, unlike me for example, who waits for two component techs to advance before I jump into production.

Exactly....it NEVER stops...

What Im trying to figure out is how? Do I need to use a combination of Ministers so my Empire will produce units in the Background? Do I have to create a *_Construction_Units.txt for my empire? will that automate it?

If you are playing a game and see that the AI for other Empires is pumping out units..and you switch that Empire from Computer to Human to peek at there Construction Queues..you never see troops but they keep appearing.

I just want MORE JARHEADS to feed to Grinder!

[oleg]

Simply set all your idle planets to build troops/units and set "repeat order" on. You may go broke soon