AI ships still sometimes enter player planets with too little numbers

[TechSY730]

Didn't put this on Mantis yet, as here may be a good explanation for this.

I frequently see AI ships come into my system with only a few units or even just one, even when that small batch of units is VASTLY out-powered by the ships stationed there. Any idea what it could be? Special forces perhaps?

Also, when the AI determines whether it has a decent chance to win if it enters a planet with an attack force, does it also consider the firepower of turrets?

[x4000]

Almost definitely, those are special forces.

Depending, there are also some AI ships (raid starships, etc) that don't use the stalking behavior, and just act alone.

And yes, the AI considers turrets, but anything that is immobile gets devalued somewhat since the AI can move around them.

[TechSY730]

Thanks.

Though now that I think back to my current game, I think there was one point where they "out fire-powered" an adjacent planet of mine by more than 2x, even considering my turrets, but they still did not attack, even after I waited quite a bit of time. Would that be considered a bug? (And I had scout intel on that planet, there was no threatening minor faction prompting them to stay there and defend)

[x4000]

I doubt they out-firepowered your stuff if they didn't attack.  Bear in mind it's not all the firepower on their planet, so you have no way of knowing exactly how much of that firepower is stalking you.  They only consider the ships that are free/threat and are waiting at that exact wormhole when deciding whether or not to breach or not.  It could be a very powerful planet with a lot of guards that aren't helpful for breach purposes.

They also value some other internal factors for firepower calculations in these circumstances, so it may not match up exactly with the shown firepower (actually it never will, to be perfectly accurate).

[TechSY730]

Okay thanks. That answers my questions. 

[TechSY730]

Oh wait, I have more.  

If an AI ship retreats from a player planet, is it supposed to "stalk" like normal freed ships before trying to renter a player planet? In my game, it does not appear that they are doing so.

And are younglings exempt from the stalking logic? (Don't worry, I'll be done with my questions soon)

[x4000]

Yes, younglings are exempt.  And yes, the retreating ships should generally try to stalk the player, but there may be some circumstances under which they do not.  If they never do, that would be more of an issue, but not something I intend to investigate pre-5.0 at this stage.

[TechSY730]

Thanks. Looks like all this interesting behavior I'm seeing you actually thought through. The AI is starting to shatter my previous understanding of its strategies, but still sort of following them, and is pulling unpredictable and tricky stuff on me. Scary. 

[x4000]

That's the idea!

[hullu]

And yes, the AI considers turrets, but anything that is immobile gets devalued somewhat since the AI can move around them.

Just got stuck on this sentence. I've never seen AI move around anything, does it actually do this in some circumstances? All I ever see it do is move in a straight line towards the goal.

[x4000]

It goes in a straight line. But that still means that it might miss a lot of the immobile stuff, depending. And it avoids targets in dangerous areas (not devaluing immobile stuff) on the planet.

[Red Spot]

I just love this feature in my current game. I have a hud planet with 3 of my planets adjacent and 4 of the AI.
Before I neutered most they ran into the number they spawned barracks, still over 1k ships on each planet outside the barracks.
None of them attacked, even an 1200ship strong CPA seemed to wait at the enemy gate.

Little later a wave hits me .... all planets release their ships and I have over 2k ships to battle on my planet and more dripping in
Am I glad I just unlocked fortresses and actually placed 2 on that planet as I needed to shed some Rs

They attack, but somehow tend to pick the most painfull moments to do so ... Chris and/or Keith should have become teacher .... 

[TechSY730]

It goes in a straight line. But that still means that it might miss a lot of the immobile stuff, depending. And it avoids targets in dangerous areas (not devaluing immobile stuff) on the planet.

That would explain why they tend to make a beeline for command stations if there are no turrets or force-fields around them, but avoid them if they do have such protection until their good ff and turret killing units weaken the command station's defenses some. Nice.