The other bits N bops

TeddyBar · Space Emperor Joined: Apr 19, 2008

I am new to SE V and trying to get my teeth into a juicy game of expand and conquer. But to date the games have been shallow.

From the little I know this mod, yet to play it, it seems to be the most comprehensive regarding making great AI.

But how does the bigger game fit in?

That is, things that would make for a good old fashioned 4x, where one's has to work for your expansion. No disrespect meant but so far with the other mod I am using I can spam the universe putting colonies any and everywhere with no regard for, well, anything.

There is no strategy, no having to decide if I should colonise this planet or hold out for a better one.

Cheers,

Teddy Bär

LordZsar1 · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

Well, with version 1.10 of this "mod", you should get what you want.
After an initial expansion phase, it becomes pretty troublesome to gain foothold in additional, computer dominated systems.
With the following settings at startup, you may find it quite a challenge to win:
- Technology Cost: High
- Generate random computer controlled Empires: true
- Generate random computer controlled neutral Empires: false
- Computer Player Difficulty: High
- Computer Player Bonus: Low (or Medium or High... None is indeed much enough for me)

If defending yourself will be as much a challenge, I cannot say. Depends on your style of play. And on the AIs, that the computer chooses to put against you. Beware Norak and Drushocka.

... Oh, in order to guard against disappointment, you should still look into the bug reports for 1.10, to get an impression about what not to await.

TeddyBar · Space Emperor Joined: Apr 19, 2008

LordZsar1,
Thanks for the reply.

I had/am playing the 'Proportions' mod which has really given the early game, once one uses the bonus points so that one can start with a basic spaceship, a real feel of having to crawl before you walk and will be interesting to see how it plays out.

The research has a nice feel to it in that you tend to see a 5 year research for something as OK. I think that this is set up by the basic space flight where your ship cannot zoom around the galaxy like a race car.

With my brief, very brief I will stress, look at the Unnamed AI Mod it is for me, missing this feel. No offence meant!

I am certain that it is no easy task to combine the 2 elements of these mods?

Cheers,

Teddy Bär

LordZsar1 · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject:

I did not look much at the AI, but out of feeling, I would say it is not.
Components, projects, ship sizes and the like apparently have to be declared explicitely for SE5-AI and thus, well, one had to do this.
So, it is a work of not so very much difficulty but of a decently large scale.

Without having had a single look onto this part, I also estimate that ship design, fleet composition, orders of planetary build and research had to be adjusted (which includes determining the most efficient proportions by testing).

Just my guesses from experience with some other games (and from reading through the script updates sometimes contained in a patch). ^^