AI War Beta 5.064-5.067 "Abilities Unlocked" Released!

[keith.lamothe]

Did you catch my edit about the speed change for the drones?

No, edits don't show up on either way we have of being notified of new stuff on this forum, regrettably.  I see it now and you're right that I didn't intend to change the speed on normal (the actual number in the code goes through a few gyrations before making it to an effective value, and I sometimes mis-predict the result).  I can change it back.

[Cinth]

The allied forces in the nebula encounters might could use about a third of the scaling buff.  8x champ at the 5th encounter (Epsilon) and they can't mount any kind of offense. And if I step out to do offense, I lose buildings.

[Aklyon]

I expect to hear tales of absurd exploits and thus have to nerf it, but have fun figuring them out

You know, this seems like something you guys would say more often.

[Cinth]

The interface for managing the modules has been pretty schizophrenic with both the normal build-queue method and the specialized \"ship design window\" method because the champion's situation is so unique.  So now it just directs you to the ship-design-window method for champions, with a settings toggle for getting the old build-queue method back if you really want it.  Feedback on this would be quite welcome.

The new UI elements are nice. I like them. The build queue I only used at the very beginning when I didn't have any unlocks done.

Ultimately what I would like is to have the Champ ships with their own tab. The ship design tab is already crowded. 9 shadow ships, 9 additions from Fallen Spire, 3 Riot SS (I-III), and 2 forts. Thats 23 buttons for that one tab. And that is only counting what is in game now.

[keith.lamothe]

Update: 5.066 hotfix is out to fix a UI bug when trying to open another player's champion in ship-design.  Would generally only come up in singleplyer games with multiple champions, but it's pretty annoying in that case.

[Ricca]

Had a play with the Railclusters. Think they may be more effective against forts then Bomber Starships are. I'd be genuinely scared if I came across a wave of them at higher levels.

Although one question, do the Railclusters count as sniper shots, in terms of immunity?

[Cinth]

I think there is a Railgun immunity.

[TechSY730]

Hey, is it supposed to be allowed for lower marks to be defenders for higher mark worlds?
Cause I just got a game seed where there are plenty of Mk. I and Mk. II fleet ships defending a Mk. III world.

Not a huge deal, but just wondering.

[Cinth]

Scaling encounters is really nasty at 8 champs. even the first encounter is horrible.

[keith.lamothe]

Scaling encounters is really nasty at 8 champs. even the first encounter is horrible.

Now you have some appreciation for how the AI feels facing 8 champs

But yea, need to tune that down; in general it's easy to balance for 1 champ and I'd figured that would be the normal approach.  8 champs is roughly as easy to balance as a 8 HW game, which is to say: not

[Cinth]

I would just say to give the allied factions a bit of the buff. They really need to assist in winning those encounters. I also need to be able to safely step out to repair or refit. Can't really do that right now.  I'd say half of the scaling buff might be a good place to start.

[doctorfrog]

I think there is a Railgun immunity.

Part of the fun of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri was that every single technology had some sort of progression based on the previous technologies (following the tradition of the Civ II tech tree I think) and meaningful name attached to it. It's a completely unfair thing to apply to a game like AI War, which thrives on dozens and dozens of unique ships and the freedom to make up ship abilities on the spot and have them out the door and in players' (and AIs') sweaty little hands on a near-weekly basis.

Also, AI War takes place after humanity's tech has reached it's peak, such that it is able to strike back, and so it isn't really necessary to speak to the context of individual technologies, and is even appropriate to obscure them, since they've advanced so far that one could probably take them for granted.

Still, it's fun to make up stuff like this.

So: Railgun Immunity. What should we call it? "Instantaneous Predictive Mass Dispersal" is my proposal.

[Cinth]

I think there is a Railgun immunity.

Part of the fun of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri was that every single technology had some sort of progression and meaningful name attached to it. It's a completely unfair thing to apply to a game like AI War, which thrives on dozens and dozens of unique ships and the freedom to make up ship abilities on the spot and have them out the door and in players' (and AIs') sweaty little hands on a near-weekly basis.

Still, it's fun to make up stuff like this.

So: Railgun Immunity. What should we call it? "Instantaneous Predictive Mass Dispersal" is my proposal.

Easy now . I was pretty sure I saw a ship with Railgun Immunities. Or was that a structure  .
Snipers weren't the only Railguns around.

[RCIX]

So: Railgun Immunity. What should we call it? "Instantaneous Predictive Mass Dispersal" is my proposal.

IPMD sounds like something you use to obliterate anything you want with an aimed projectile. So, Ion cannons?

[Ricca]

One minor thing.

Found a Mk V Tackle Drone Spawner Fabricator.

I don't think I've ever seen a unit that has more effect on a battle then that thing, except for a Martyr.

It may not do much damage, but it throws AI units over to the edge of the planet zone and holds them there.

Might combine well with Leeches, tbh. Throw them across and reclaim.