Some observations

posted on December 21st, 2009, 9:43 pm

After playing a few games against the AI over the weekend and getting totally hammered in the first ten or twenty minutes (one time playing as Borg against the Federation) by "AI Normal", I decided to play one with the map completely exposed (Fog Off, Mist Off). I noticed a few things, first the Borg AI appears to build Resource Nodes (the mining stations) with the Assembly Node (the round constructor). Second it appears to build only one Collective Uplink (the cross beam station) and can use it like a repair yard. I also noticed, in general, that the AI seems to be able to produce twice or perhaps thrice as many vessels as the player in the same amount of time.

So I have a few questions.
1) Has anyone else noticed this?
2) Does the AI "choose" an avatar? If yes, does it just pick the first one?
3) Does the AI start with the same amount of resources as the player?
4) Is the AI allowed to build faster or collect more resources at a time?
5) What exactly do the sliders in the "Advanced" dialog for Instant Action Setup titled "AI Build Cost Handicap" and "AI Build Time Handicap" do and does the "Easy" and "Hard" settings on these sliders refer to easier or harder for the player or the AI?
6) Does the AI play by special rules or get special treatment, and if yes, does this constitute cheating on the part of the AI?

I realize I've probably opened a large can of worms, but it's bugging me because at least twice, while playing against an AI Normal, I was completely swamped and out gunned, and it didn't seem right. So, your thoughts.

posted on December 21st, 2009, 9:48 pm

1) yes its been mentioned before
2) i think that the ai always plays as the same avatar, i'm not sure which tho
3) dont noe
4) & 6)sometimes it can build faster on harder difficulties, its allowed to cheat because of limitations in the ai, it will never be as clever as a human so its just allowed to spam.
5) build cost handicap and time handicap are multipliers i believe. so if the multiplier is 1 it costs the same for the ai as for you. if its set to the easiest it will cost the ai more, if its set to hard it will cost the ai less, the same as with time. easier means the ai builds each unit slower.

play against AI borg merciless and u will see the cheating clearly

and the borg using the collective uplink like a non borg yard is known, its a limitation they hope to fix. so for now that is not a malfunction. im pretty sure they cant repair anything there tho, not that the ai repairs much.

posted on December 21st, 2009, 10:03 pm

myleswolfers answered your questions, except nr 3

For the Federation it's Mayson, Klingon TaQ'Roja, Romulan Mijurl, Dominion Breen, Borg Assimilate.

For the upcoming patch if my information is correct you will see all ships from both avatars. And yes in order for the AI to be somewhat effective it cheats. Currently it's just imitating mining, as far as i know.

[Atlantisbase]

posted on December 21st, 2009, 10:20 pm

Last edited by Atlantisbase on December 21st, 2009, 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

By "imitating mining" do you mean it mines simply for the sake of mining and technically has unlimited resources? If that's true, it would explain why they seem to be able to produce twice as many ships as me and simply come at me in a continuous stream.

If this is the case, it seems pointless to play the AI. For example, in the game I mentioned above where I played as the Borg and the AI was the Federation, they were somehow able to destroy every one of my ships and cripple my mining in less than twenty minutes, and there was no way for me to recover. I just quit the game, rather than wait twenty more minutes for them to take down my stations.

posted on December 21st, 2009, 10:23 pm

Well, it has a set build order it must complete in the AIP files, which includes building mining outposts in order to increase shipyards. If you prevent the AI from building any mining facilities, it will not expand I think, and will not build nearly as many vessels. I believe that all the AI levels get severe cost decreases for everything (they can build whole fleets without any moons at all), with Merciless getting a very nice cost decrease and I think a ship building time decrease.

posted on December 21st, 2009, 10:28 pm

Was going to answer .. but the Lord of the Night .. oh sorry .. MR Domninus Noctis beat me 

posted on December 21st, 2009, 10:42 pm

It's the way of the warrior