AI War 1.014V (Harvester penalty removal)

[x4000]

The Latest prerelease is now out: http://www.arcengames.com/share/AIWar1014V.zip

That version is an upgrade from version 1.013, so you have to already have 1.013 (or greater) installed. Just unzip it into your game folder (usually C:\Program Files\Arcen Games\AI War\ unless you specified something else). Please make sure that your unzip process keeps the folder structure from the zip file, rather than just unpacking all of the files into the base target directory.

What's new since 1.014U:
(Cumulative release notes since 1.013 are attached at the bottom)

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-The planet notes textbox has been increased in size, and no longer has scrollbars.  The use of the scrollbars would cause a "waiting for players" message in multiplayer games.

-The scrollbars in the View Controls window would previously hang the game while being dragged.  Replaced with new scrollbars that fix this.

-The bonuses to metal/crystal production in mutliplayer, and the harvester efficiency penalties for holding too many harvesters in any game, have both now been removed in light of the new ongoing metal/crystal costs of energy reactors.

CHANGES FROM PAST PRERELEASES
--------------

-The amount of energy generated by home planet command stations has been increased from 20,000 in the past release to 30,000 in the new release.

[Echo35]

-The bonuses to metal/crystal production in mutliplayer, and the harvester efficiency penalties for holding too many harvesters in any game, have both now been removed in light of the new ongoing metal/crystal costs of energy reactors.

That should help IMMENSELY thank you! I unfortunately have been awake since much earlier than usual and lack the awakeness to play, but I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

[x4000]

-The bonuses to metal/crystal production in mutliplayer, and the harvester efficiency penalties for holding too many harvesters in any game, have both now been removed in light of the new ongoing metal/crystal costs of energy reactors.

That should help IMMENSELY thank you! I unfortunately have been awake since much earlier than usual and lack the awakeness to play, but I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

No problem!  I'm not trying to make this unpleasant for anyone, you know!  But sometimes the rebalancing can be a bit painful in transition.  I took a look at your game in V, and put my thoughts on that in the other thread.  I think it's not too bad a situation there, but that may be partly colored by my looking at it in V rather than U.  I look forward to hearing what you think of the new version tomorrow.

[eRe4s3r]

Just wondering, is it intended that Handicap +100% doubles the resource usage penalty of power generators?

This might be the main reason why my current save is so bad, but i guess there is some logic to this?

[x4000]

Just wondering, is it intended that Handicap +100% doubles the resource usage penalty of power generators?

This might be the main reason why my current save is so bad, but i guess there is some logic to this?

The penalties are percentage based.  So basically the penalty for Mark II reactors is 40% of whatever the total is, times the number of extra reactors.  And for Mark III reactors the penalty is 60%.  So the percentage is not scaling, but since your total is scaling that also really scales up the total amount that is being cut off.  I would imagine that would keep around the same balance as the main game, unless I'm missing something, since the energy costs of all your ships are no higher when a handicap is present.

[eRe4s3r]

No i mean ongoing resource costs - not the scaling of efficiency

The actual cost( rate) generators use, the "maintenance" rate, doubles as well. But i guess this is intended?

I just think its not really in-lieu of the current system, Conversions are boosted x2 but prices shouldn't be boosted, after all you boost Metal Extractors *2 but not all metal costs.

What i am saying is this, the energy usage rate is a maintenance price, so it shouldn't be doubled but left unaffected by a 100% boost)

[x4000]

No i mean ongoing resource costs - not the scaling of efficiency

The actual cost( rate) generators use, the rate, doubles as well. But i guess this is intended.

Oh -- I see.  Yes, all of the income/outflow rates scale proportionately, so you see that with the costs of the manufactories, too.  Percentage-wise, everything is equivalent regardless of handicap.

[darke]

Random notes:

When placing things in pause mode, the numbers at the top of the screen should probably update. Otherwise you unpause to discover you're in massive negative energy.

Science Labs still research at full speed, despite the fact I've got no power. Unsure if it's intended or not, but I guess it makes sense since resource producers still function at negative power.

[x4000]

When placing things in pause mode, the numbers at the top of the screen should probably update. Otherwise you unpause to discover you're in massive negative energy.

Great point!   Added to my list: http://arcengames.com/forums/index.php/board,11.0.html

Science Labs still research at full speed, despite the fact I've got no power. Unsure if it's intended or not, but I guess it makes sense since resource producers still function at negative power.

This is by design, yeah.  I feel like it's unpleasantly limiting if players get entirely shut down when the energy is negative.  The engineers now even function with negative power, actually, for similar reasons.

[Bleek]

I'm sure something as 'technilogically advanced' as a space exploring Science Station could generate it's own source of power!

[x4000]

I'm sure something as 'technilogically advanced' as a space exploring Science Station could generate it's own source of power!

Or at least have sufficient batteries to survive in these cases!

[eRe4s3r]

Mhh, now that i have cooled really all the way down i actually sort of like these changes, so back to daily business

- Eye Bots... they are, hugely annoying to have, they are downright useless in large battles
- they should attack with the fleet they are in (if they are), not wait for a separate attack command
- they should auto attack when given an attack order until players hits END, not stop attacking anything after their target is gone. Since they are so effective against turrets they are a nice strike asset - not a nice scout

- Attack move does not work for this because units disperse in all directions, they don't stay as a formation, so eye bots move forward and get smashes after first salvo, instead of firing from the formation itself.

- Shield bearers are not attacked by the fleet

[Bleek]

I'm sure something as 'technilogically advanced' as a space exploring Science Station could generate it's own source of power!

Or at least have sufficient batteries to survive in these cases!

Solar Power!



*all we need now is a sun. 

[x4000]

- Eye Bots... they are, hugely annoying to have, they are downright useless in large battles
- they should attack with the fleet they are in (if they are), not wait for a separate attack command
- they should auto attack when given an attack order until players hits END, not stop attacking anything after their target is gone. Since they are so effective against turrets they are a nice strike asset - not a nice scout

- Attack move does not work for this because units disperse in all directions, they don't stay as a formation, so eye bots move forward and get smashes after first salvo, instead of firing from the formation itself.

This is not really limited to Eye Bots, but rather all of the cloaked ship types.  Not having them auto-attack is hugely annoying, I agree -- I just had a cool idea on how to handle that, so I'll work on that now for the next release. Thanks for bringing it up!

[eRe4s3r]

Ah, can't wait for that!  

In the PM i said that start is slow, but i take it back, the start of the game is actually pretty fun now. For the first time one has to plan expansion and raids well in advance. But the high energy costs of shipyards still pain me, this rewards micro management and destruction of shipyards till you have 1 left (when you hit the limits) though playing at 100% boost and the lack of efficiency drop of harvesters means the problem is very very small if not minuscule

So far i guess the change has indeed be for the better.

But man, are eye bots useful outside of fleets... ;p I didn't know that, first time i ever see what they can do (kill of warp gates very quickly for one) - guess i shouldn't consider them fleet assets after all, more like commando assets ;p