Question for AI Modders on troops

Alpha Kodiak · #1 May 15th, 2001, 05:05 PM

Has anyone managed to get the AI to use troops to capture planets? I gave it a shot when I was designing the Rage and had no success. I decided that it was Ok for the Rage to just glass planets anyway, so I didn't worry about it then. Now I am working on a race that I want to be less violent. For them, it would make more sense to try to capture planets. If anyone has had any success, or have seen an AI use troops, please let me know.

Thanks!

Q · #2 May 15th, 2001, 06:36 PM

I didn't see it myself but IIRC someone in this forum saw the AI use troop to capture planets. But it is certainly a rare event. The main problem is that the AI does not include troop transports into fleets (Again how useful would be a fleet design file for the AI!!!). And a lonely troop transport will be destroyed if there is any decent defense of the planet.
However if you have a fleet with a troop transport and give them the order "capture planet" and "fire till all weapons gone" the strategic combat works very well. So it should be possible someday to make the AI conquer planets.

[This message has been edited by Q (edited 15 May 2001).]

Deathstalker · #3 May 15th, 2001, 06:58 PM

possible idea....A few people have modded attack ships to carry minesweepers (and the other way around). How hard would it be to have an attack ship with a few cargo bays for troops?? Set the Optimal Firing range 2ndary attack to 'capture planet'. Now the only problem would be to get the AI to load troops and not just population or something else.

Will have to try this myself later......

Anyone else have pros/cons/impossibility of this idea??

------------------
"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

Master Belisarius · #4 May 15th, 2001, 07:03 PM

Alpha: for this reason, the Pyrochette never use troops...
As said Q, the main problem is because the AI doesn't include the troop transports into the fleets.

Deathstalker · #5 May 15th, 2001, 08:09 PM

What we need is a 'flag' in the Design creations text that has fields like: Scout(not included in fleets), Homefleet(dosn't leave sector), AttackFleet(attack only), FleetOnly(never seen without escorts/fleet) etc. This would greatly improve AI. Enuf talk and hopefully we can get it.

.......Listening MM???(

)

------------------
"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

Q · #6 May 15th, 2001, 08:24 PM

Deathstalker the idea of a "AI design fleet file" would be more flexible than just a flag, because you could control the composition of the fleet as much as you can control the design of a ship; e.g. attack fleet of minimum 10 ships must have 1 minesweeper, 1 repair ship , 1 supply ship. You could create different fleet types with different composition according to the fleet size.

Atraikius · #7 May 15th, 2001, 09:08 PM

Deathstalker-

The Version of the zorians I posted this morning uses the cargo bases on attack ships, havn't been able to see if they try dropping troops yet though.

Deathstalker · #8 May 15th, 2001, 09:46 PM

Zorians: will definitly have to try a new game with them!

Q: now THAT is a great idea, if this is based on the available ships right now (ie when building a ship it is attack/def/colony/attack base etc) it could have blank lines for inclusion of 'custom' ship designs (like scout) for fleets.

------------------
"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

Deathstalker · #9 May 15th, 2001, 09:59 PM

Q: sudden brain burst

, this fleet.txt idea of yours. Have you thought of including fleet strategies??? ie, set different styles of fleets with goals in mind (guard wormhole<pick target>, attack target<enemy homeworld>, defend target, colonize target etc), that way there could be a specialized 'attack homeworld fleet' or 'capture planet' fleet that will use the appropriate strategy from the files and upload troops/pop etc to achieve that goal.

Food for thought........

------------------
"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

PvK · #10 May 16th, 2001, 12:44 AM

I think the "Drop Troops If Carrying" tactic has to be the primary one - the tactic for the non-troop ships should be the secondary one - I think.

PvK

quote:
Originally posted by Deathstalker:
possible idea....A few people have modded attack ships to carry minesweepers (and the other way around). How hard would it be to have an attack ship with a few cargo bays for troops?? Set the Optimal Firing range 2ndary attack to 'capture planet'. Now the only problem would be to get the AI to load troops and not just population or something else.

Will have to try this myself later......

Anyone else have pros/cons/impossibility of this idea??