If the AI can destroy their ships when they wish why can't I

posted on December 22nd, 2010, 7:16 pm

This happened with 3.1.3 aswell and possibly before im sure but everytime the AI sends the next wave there will usually be a number of ships that will just explode for no reason at all. Though its always a badly damaged ship or even ones with no crew at all that just vanish in a fireball.

Like say there are three ships(one with only low shields, one with two of its subsystems destroyed with half of its crew and one with no crew at all in almost perfect condition) sitting around the map together somewhere, when that ai team sends its next of ships the latter two ships will just explode out of the blue.

Whats that all about?

posted on December 22nd, 2010, 8:27 pm

I've encountered this as well, though only in my mods and not FO yet (probably because I rarely play against the AI in FO). The Ai will just have a cluster of ships that randomly explode for no reason in my case. 

posted on December 22nd, 2010, 8:50 pm

never noticed this, and I play ai all the time. I'll look for it.

- - so what is it? they're just somewhere on the screen, with no one firing on them, and they just go boom? interesting.

posted on December 22nd, 2010, 9:02 pm

i've never noticed this either.

posted on December 22nd, 2010, 10:03 pm

I've noticed AI ships blowing up several times, but only when they were derelict for a certain amount of time.

posted on December 22nd, 2010, 11:22 pm

yes i have noticed in the past that derelicts will explode if left for a while. test this on maps with derelicts, they will all explode after a fixed time.

posted on December 22nd, 2010, 11:23 pm

I've noticed AI ships blowing up several times, but only when they were derelict for a certain amount of time.

That's what I've noticed as well. Usually this issue also happens when I have an NPC race on a map (or an AI that's not selected via instant action means). They'll have a nice happy fleet cruising along and then suddenly 90% of what they have will just suddenly explode along with any derelicts on the map.

posted on December 23rd, 2010, 5:12 pm

And I don't remember this happening in stock A2.

posted on December 25th, 2010, 10:44 pm

actually i remember this happening this even in stock armada 1
i haven't looked at that much as i haven't seen that problem in fleet operations for a long time but it seems to be some code that removes vessels which blocks the strategic ai's actions. so for example the ai gives a vessel the order to defend an outpost but that order is not fulfilled within some parameters (for example the ordered vessel is stuck) the strategic ai removes these vessels. it's a way to recover for the ai to prevent it from going into a loop.

posted on December 25th, 2010, 10:45 pm

i managed to replicate this easily a few patches ago, i just created a map and placed loads of derelicts in the middle to capture later. but by the time i made a large fleet to go collect them they all sploded. i think it was a good 20 mins into the game.

posted on December 27th, 2010, 1:49 pm

Derelicts automatically explode after a set amount of time.

I forget off hand the file that control's it, but you can adjust the variable.

There is probably some other stuff at work too, cause if you have a fleet battle (on a mod other than flops mostly) and there are a large number of empty ships, they'll often last until the end of the battle then all explode at once.