Advanced Save Game Six Empires Huge Map and Minor Races

[UesugiKenshin]

This is what the German Wiki says on this.

http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... telligenz)

.From Alpha7 V0.90 on AI terraforms all planets with needed terraform-points less than 8 will get terraformed. Only if no other planet is found which be can colonized in this system and no planet with less terraform-points than 8 -> than a planet with more than 8 terraform-points will be terraformed. (Source: CShipAI::DoTerraform)

Until version 0.81 AI firstly terraformed all planets before colonizing. This wasn't good for AI.

It's still so (V0.90) that AI only bombards systems (no conquering). After eliminating all population AI does a fresh colonization.

At the moment (Alpha7 V0.90) BotE's AI can not handle troops. So AI scraps troops at the beginning, also because some troops have morale values which could be destructively in some case.

Suggestion (not done yet): Minor troops (if defined) build automatically up to a special limit (max 20 troops or better get limit from new minor_troops.data) http://forum.birth-of-the-empires.de/vi ... 335#p34335

[UesugiKenshin]

My guess is most players generate colony ships, grab up all M class planets to establish footholds in colonies, then terraforms the sectors with the fastest terraformable planets, and so on.

BUT the smartest way is to terraform in waves completely, and then automatically 4 of everything you have researched as infrastructure appears. That is the least expensive fastest colonization. This is what I do to rapidly take over large whole sections of giant galactic maps. This is a winning formula.

And that was how it was designed and how the AI used to colonize too.

[UesugiKenshin]

Now what happens is complex when you add the maximum minor races. The computer assigns them spots on the map, and they get the best inhabitable sectors. That is what I meant about "non-traditional terraforming" when I first began playing.

I guessed this was happening so the AI then is largely forced to revert to doing a lot of terraforming to take new colonies.

If the best spots are taken, then when you set out, your best sectors have a lot of other classes of planets and fewer M class. So you got to organize and intensely terraform.

Then it gets even more complex as you can assign a maximal number of nearby minor race neighbors. So major species are not alone but surrounded by minor races and so at first, you have to be very diplomatic as some of them have strong fleets. That can be very good for the Terrans and may be good on the Heyoun, and then okay for the Khaoran and Omega, and not too great for the Rotharians and Cartare.

It is a struggle but there are gaps where no one lives and that is the frontier and it takes real work to terraform it a lot so it ends up a fine place to live.

[UesugiKenshin]

After doing extensive reading of the German wiki and analyzing, I was trying to develop a methodology to reduce the effects of sabotage until I figured out how to mod the buildings for security or intel actions. It was a way to restrict the worst saboteurs of the Cartare and Rotharians.

The only fair way is to build them up equally and then the Cartare, Rotharians, and Omega got to race to gain these security buildings. And the others have the upper hand for the first time, but also then got to race to build these too to protect themselves from saboteurs. And the best way is to attack them...before they get strong and can sabotage.

In my opinion, the galactic war happens, not from scare resources or land. There is plenty of both. The galactic war is us (those who have other abilities and cannot effectively sabotage) versus them (those who can effectively sabotage).

Sabotage brings discord to Eden like bad apples.

If the Khaoran are smart, they know their honorable but merciless warrior ethos has to crush saboteurs or be doomed. The Heyoun are in the same boat and the Terrans are marginally better as their diplomacy gets them existing but weakly armored fleets.

[UesugiKenshin]

The Khaoran never got a balancing attribute to give them a shot, even though as a warrior race, they should be the ones others fear initially.

The genuine threat seems to be the Cartare, but honestly it is the Omega every time if they choose evil.

This is now why the Omega are crushing everyone. But equally, the Omega, if they go against their programmed ethical system, and take negative morale checks, can save everyone as the strongest.

A good ethical Omega leader can save the galaxy.

[UesugiKenshin]

If it happens so the Khaoran get STRONG but learn mercy and can unify everyone, their honor can cause them to protect everyone. That is what I want to develop.

If the Cartare can reject slavery and see it is illogical and choose not to use sabotage, they could unify the others, but this is unlikely.

Whoever chooses sabotage can always win and this is why it so tempts the soul and causes a lust for absolute power. It's like the One Ring in the Tolkien novels. It totally warps you.

Lady Galadriel who is so pure is almost tempted to take the One Ring. Elrond never was tempted. Neither was Aragorn.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WeQDTj1UllA

[UesugiKenshin]

Because sabotage is reviled by the Khaoran, and they are honorable but flawed as they have no mercy in a galaxy where galactic war brings the utmost suffering, the Khaoran are not tempted by sabotage. They still might conquer though.

I think all that horror of death by trillions would teach them mercy for others, but perhaps not for themselves.

Khaoran leader "Mercy is not our way. But you are people who are not Khaoran and we cannot expect you to reject mercy. You need mercy."

[UesugiKenshin]

In their heart of hearts, the Rotharians are soloists and choose cloaking to attack by ambushing. They reject honor as foolishness. Only order can unify the galaxy to a Rotharian who is true to their ethics. They don't want to collaborate as it will never last and they can never trust others. It is unrealistic to trust them. They are true fascists. All submit their will to the State.

[UesugiKenshin]

Right now the Omega have limitless power and wealth. If that happened to the Heyoun, I don't know how they could cope with that? If wealth is infinite it has no power as desire is wanting and not having.

If you have everything, there is nothing left to desire.

If you give an American celebrity their heart's desire it destroys their relationships, they get drunk and addicted, and become wretches. That has happened over and over again.

[UesugiKenshin]

Merely leaving a colony ship over another sector within an allies' sphere of influence will inhibit them from colonizing it. The AI does not want a territory dispute. Eventually with starbases being constructed, you push back and then colonize it.
...
When taking over the enemies' inhabited sectors, you see how poorly the AI builds. Say it is cheaper to build type 1 factories, so instead of building 10 and upgrading, they might be build 26 level 1...just crazy things like that as it's cheaper so the AI thinks it is a bargain. You scrap a lot of what the AI thinks are bargains.

Late in the game, whatever you used to construct changes, as you know certain infrastructure like research buildings or security buildings have no use, then you alter your construction methodology. You have so many soldiers, you might just build a token amount, but if your enemies are powerless and prone to not do ground invasions, then it is rather pointless. It would be different in a multiplayer game, right?

[UesugiKenshin]

I prioritize tetroin as I am playing as the Omega and I want compliance and food.
Then level up agriculture and factories.
Then titanium is used for everything so 10 mines, leveling them up.
Then 4 usually of every other mine, though 5 deuterium is useful, then level them up.
Making 4 energy cells, but total terraforming does this automatically. Level them up. Sometimes you need 6, but it could be 7,8, even 9 for all planetary defenses.

I build all scanning levels, bunkers, and extra defenses to enhance bunkers.

Then no troops at first, but as all shield, minefields, and original batteries complete, then start building 20 troops for later ground invasions.

Fleet composition is a whole other topic.

[UesugiKenshin]

Building is generalized based on raw materials, not having a tunnel vision to complete a specific task, but building based on having the raw materials available so construction priority is sensible. If I can build, I shift to what is practical and so have diverse mining supply caches.

At first you are broke and have no cashflow, so you have to do resource routes. Later you buy what you need and rush production and use interstellar resources to tide you over with new colonies. Then sell down your inflated supply caches, and make millions. It is that simple.

The AI buys what it cannot mine, but does no profit taking really with commodities. It has to have income boosts instead. It isn't clever about capitalism.

[UesugiKenshin]

Say it's turn#300 and I build everything up to all empires as I am playing the beta multiplayer. The AI each have 2 million, infrastructure looks great, terraforming is paying off, they have a mixed composition of ships and some troops.

If I turn over control to them, they likely rush all production as they have millions. So all inhabited sectors, all 200 rush production. This inflates raw material prices. The smart play is sell large caches of raw materials. Does the AI do this so raw material prices normalize? I doubt it.

The next AI plays and raw material prices are ten times normal. The prior AI having not sold then doomed the next AI, but they don't care as they have 2 million in the treasury and rush all 200 inhabited sector's production. Now the raw materials are 20 times normal prices.

[UesugiKenshin]

The smart way to mod this is make a turn #400 beta multiplayer and let humans play it. They would do profit taking and normalize raw material prices and be delighted.

Or maybe I set up everything to turn#480, turn it over to AI control to all but one empire, and the AI is super strong, but so is whatever empire the single player wants to play, and they play defensively or sabotage or try to conquer.

At no point can I fix it so the AI doesn't trash the finely tuned economy.

[UesugiKenshin]

What probably happens is the AI let's the raw materials get incredibly high and the human player sells and makes even more millions. Over and over.

The way to fix that is the AI has trigger thresholds and never tries to catch the highest profit, just a reasonable level, and so makes a profit.

But with the difficulty level on the hardest setting, maybe the AI makes enough profit that it works okay at that point as they have tremendous cashflow and have large supply caches so can perpetually build and even rush all production every turn, just like the human player.

The AI will be tough though, but so will human players. You will have complete infrastructure and want for nothing. The better saboteurs will still get those buildings, just delayed so there is a combat phase...finally.