AI Bug

posted on July 14th, 2010, 5:42 pm

Not sure if this is a carry over from Armada II as I barely played it this time around before finding FO or if it is intentional. If I send my fleet to an enemy base and destroy their last/only starbase, they cease to function. If it is intentional I would like an option to change it. They could have a half a dozen shipyards and a dozen construction ships but they cease to function after the starbase (and remaining offensive ships) is destroyed.

posted on July 14th, 2010, 5:45 pm

This is a well known problem. I'm not sure if the next patch has fixed it, though.

posted on July 14th, 2010, 6:12 pm

The AI is designed so that it builds things according to a list, in the order that the list has them, with no exceptions. Killing the last Starbase and construction ship can break the list and send the AI into a loop where it keeps trying to do something it can't do. I have no idea why it stops if it still has a construction ship, though. I don't think it can be fixed without completely rewriting the AI system, which would require rewriting the game's source code.

[Tyler]

posted on July 14th, 2010, 6:19 pm

Last edited by Tyler on July 14th, 2010, 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think the problem is that the Construction ship cannot rebuild the Starbase like a Human can because they try to build the original one, while a Human uses the production version.

The first one is fed_outpostZ, but the Construction ship can only build fed_outpostZA & fed_outpostZ_DDWW. It might be fixed by adding the original to the same hidden list as the fully upgraded one.

posted on July 15th, 2010, 6:16 am

Ok, I did a quick search and didn't find any mention of it, glad to know it is already known.

posted on July 15th, 2010, 7:52 am

yes, that is a general problem with the AI due to the enhancements made with fleet operations. i know how to fix it, but it is quite complicated to patch the code in question.

posted on July 15th, 2010, 1:48 pm

It is a simple problem with what makes the start of their construction tree. When a Race is started with a Starbase and its constructors, it then causes the computer think that this specific unit is needed for any construction, regardless of what the techtree file says. And once you destroy it, then it translates to the computer that it cannot build anymore.

A common solution would be to start off with constructors, have the avatar pick come from the constructors, and then force build the starbase. That would fix the problem because it is no longer a station that is the base of their techtree. And because it is a ship, the computer no longer puts that restriction on itself.

posted on July 16th, 2010, 2:42 am

Hal-joking (it's annoying when they still have heavy expansions w/starbases & shipyards, but don't do anything... but I always figured that the AI was just GG'ing.  What, they aren't allowed to??