AI War Beta 5.025, "Balance Beam ," Released!

[x4000]

Original: http://arcengames.blogspot.com/2012/02/ai-war-beta-5025-balance-beam-released.html

As Keith put it, "finally got around to some long-needed rebalancing" with this one.

Enjoy!

This is a standard update that you can download through the in-game updater itself, if you already have 4.000 or later. When you launch the game, you'll see the notice of the update having been found if you're connected to the Internet at the time.  If you don't have 4.000 or later, you can download that here.

[TechSY730]

Woo, finally.

Can't wait to try out the rebalanced starships. They actually seem useful now.

And I thought the heavy beam cannon was serving me well before. But now, YIKES!

[keith.lamothe]

Can't wait to try out the rebalanced starships. They actually seem useful now.

They're still pretty brutal on m+c cost compared to fleet ships, and generally a lot more K cost, too, and they get lower cap-dps than fleet ships, but in exchange they get a lot more survivability so should be nice nonetheless

And I thought the heavy beam cannon was serving me well before. But now, YIKES!

They were pretty seriously slacking off compared to other turret types, and are even now way lower than using each turret type in their hull-bonus cases, but they've caught up a lot

[Minotaar]

Golems-Hard and Spirecraft-Hard exos are now a bit more wily about what their primary objectives.

Lure them in with the changes everyone was waiting for... then they sneak in a little line in the end.
Remember the brave Raid Starships that were sent on suicidal gate-raids. Their sacrifice will not be in vain.
 
Anyways, a little more detail please? Possible targets, maybe the probability of picking them? I feel a little unsafe 

[CodeMichael]

I won't know how good/bad the changes are until I get to test (offhand they look great), but you've at least addressed most of the unit types that I have been complaining about for a while.  Cheers and thanks!

[Shrugging Khan]

Already tested; looking good!

[Nice Save]

I approve of all these changes. Especially the multi-HW buff.

So on a 8-planet start, I can build 8 of each reactor at full efficiency, then what? Do I get 8 at say -40% before reaching the next level of inefficiency, or only 1?

[Spikey00]

Great work.  Did fleet starships always have a dampening range of 8k?

[TechSY730]

Great work.  Did fleet starships always have a dampening range of 8k?

That is a relatively new change. Or at least a post 5.000 change.
It was given that because of their relatively poor durability for star-ships, and it fir one of their intended roles (a fleet booster) decently.
Now that they have been balanced with sane durability figures, do people think it is still needed?

[Spikey00]

Maybe.  They still have less health than the plasma and bomber starships, but as you said they are intended as a firepower buff, not for DPS.  I'm considering this carefully because AI Z bombards absolutely wreck starships.

Also, you may have forgotten to change the HBC modules featured on the Spire ships and structures (http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=5871).

[TechSY730]

Maybe.  They still have less health than the plasma and bomber starships, but as you said they are intended as a firepower buff, not for DPS.  I'm considering this carefully because AI Z bombards absolutely wreck starships.

Also, you may have forgotten to change the HBC modules featured on the Spire ships and structures (http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=5871).

Copied from my comment on that report.

Kieth mentioned in the release notes explicitly that the changes were only for the standalone ones. I'm guessing that means he realized that the modules need to be looked at, but he has something a bit different in mind for them, instead of just merely copying the stats over.

[Spikey00]

(In case anyone can't update from 5.024 to 5.025; had one IRC individual need this:  http://www.mediafire.com/?6pr362aa1fbvs41.  Unzip in your AIWar dir, typically %programfiles(x86)%\aiwar)

While we're on the HBC module thing, are there any future plans to standardize the Spire laser modules to human variants, or change them thematically?  They have different bonuses (multipliers vs close combat, light, ultra-light, heavy) compared with the standard laser modules (polycrystal, heavy, ultra-heavy, refractive); I can see how this might fit better on the Spire units (i.e. so cities can't counter bombers so easily by themselves), so maybe they need their own thematic sprites and a slight name change to avoid the presumption that they are the same without looking at the stats.

[orzelek]

That small thing that makes all cap numbers end in 4/9.. it really hurts on Ultra low caps. Ships with lower counts will have 4 instead of 5 ships which makes quite a difference.
Is it possible to upgrade to try and round up on that calculations?
(And yep you walked right into this one when adding Ultra low cap )

[keith.lamothe]

That small thing that makes all cap numbers end in 4/9.. it really hurts on Ultra low caps. Ships with lower counts will have 4 instead of 5 ships which makes quite a difference.
Is it possible to upgrade to try and round up on that calculations?
(And yep you walked right into this one when adding Ultra low cap )

Saw it coming, but didn't realize so quickly   I was thinking of fighters, where 198 / 8 = 24.5 but 198 >> 3 = 24.  Should have realized it would hit smaller cap stuff even harder.  Will have to investigate; most likely is that the overall "standard cap" will go from 198 => 196 (everything is defined for high caps and shifted down, and 200 would look boring) and I'll check if any of the other scaling ships still have problems at that point.

[dotjd]

I think the exowave logic missed a closing brace somewhere.  Or they're taunting me in interpretive dance.

[edit] oh right, the mantis exists.  i'll up this save over there too