AI War Beta 6.049 "Release Candidate 2" Released!

[keith.lamothe]

(Crossposted from this blog post)

This one is the second release candidate, and is 7.0, unless some fairly critical bug or other such issue comes to our attention over the rest of the weekend.

The main thing was to fix a bug that could let the Special Forces attack your planets (by choosing one of them as a "staging point", heh).

Also fixed a couple exploits, one old, one new.

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.

[zoutzakje]

I was browsing through my steam list today, wondering what to play. I clicked on a bunch of installed games and decided whether I wanted to play them or not. Eventually I came across AI war. *poof* 60 new achievements. WUT? I had no idea you guys were working on the next expansion already I didn't expect to see one so soon. Awesome job guys ^^ can't wait to see what new nasty stuff the AI will throw at me. In the patch notes I read something about a structure or AI type (forgot which one) that can spawn H/K's ? o,,o
With all the changes to AI logic and mechanics I feel I should be playing on 7/7 now instead of 9/9

btw, is this another expansion that's mainly done by you Keith? You're doing an amazing job with keeping the game alive, stable and more complex than ever, but I kinda miss Chris around here. I guess he's of course busy with his new games, but still. His passion for this game was one of the reasons why I became such a big fan.

[Diazo]

Well.

The RNG is even eviler then ever if possible.

All I'm trying to do is try out these Showdown devices and it won't let me!


Game 1: Dire Guardian lair 2 hops out. It's in my way so I destroy it, its retaliation spawns destroy me rather easily. 

I suppose that's one of the other new mechanics tested......


Game 2: Initial setup is looking good, there's a showdown device 3 hops out, I'm going to make that my first capture. There's a fort in the way but cloak shenanegins get me around it easily. Pop the command station and NUKE TO THE FACE!

Apparently I left my AI types on Random-All and the Scorched Earth AI is laughing at me.

Do Showdown devices require supply? Not that I'm going to continue this game or anything.....

Let's see how Game 3 goes so I can actually test this new mechanic out....

D.

PS: We need a "make the RNG like the player" cheat code, badly.

PSS: Yes, I know leaving it on Random-All is asking for it, but it is stuff like this that keeps this game so interesting......

[keith.lamothe]

Game 1: Dire Guardian lair 2 hops out. It's in my way so I destroy it, its retaliation spawns destroy me rather easily. 

2 hops out on the current version?  If you have the seed and such so that I can reproduce that I'd like to take a look.  It's supposed to be like 4 hops out.

I suppose that's one of the other new mechanics tested......

Getting exterminated for science, it's the Arcen way!

NUKE TO THE FACE!

Is there any other way?  Apply directly to the forehead?

And no, the device doesn't care about supply, so you could still do it... but honestly pulling that off would be very hardcore.

PS: We need a "make the RNG like the player" cheat code, badly.

I could give you one, but remember that all cheats are entered after mapgen, so it doesn't sound like it would help

[keith.lamothe]

I had no idea you guys were working on the next expansion already I didn't expect to see one so soon.

I thought I would have sent you an alpha invite; must have fallen through the cracks with us being so busy, sorry about that.  Anyway, this way you can try the stuff out new without as much of the just-added rough edges   There are still some of those but I think things are in a pretty good state right now.

btw, is this another expansion that's mainly done by you Keith? You're doing an amazing job with keeping the game alive, stable and more complex than ever, but I kinda miss Chris around here. I guess he's of course busy with his new games, but still. His passion for this game was one of the reasons why I became such a big fan.

Chris does mean to come back to it at some point but the current arrangements are working best for everyone, I think.  He's really got to be free to focus on the new stuff to put some more legs under the table, so to speak.  And Skyward's certainly doing that   I can certainly attest that keeping this game going while developing something wholly new as project lead is... hard

[Diazo]

Game 1: Dire Guardian lair 2 hops out. It's in my way so I destroy it, its retaliation spawns destroy me rather easily. 

2 hops out on the current version?  If you have the seed and such so that I can reproduce that I'd like to take a look.  It's supposed to be like 4 hops out.

No, previous version.

It was what made me ask for the more restrictive spawns on the worlds adjacent to the human homeworlds that you put in in patch 6.047.


And on the supply thing, I might just come back to this game once I've actually tried the showdown devices in a more typical setup, that's the sort of crazy that appeals....

 

D.

[zoutzakje]

oh no worries keith. I'm assuming you probably did send the invite, but I'm no longer able to get into the email account I used to register for this forum. I realized just now that this forum still has that old email. Fixed. I believe this expansion is nearly done and ready for release now, according to patch notes, but I'll be sure to join in the alpha for the next one =)

[Diazo]

Nomitation: Zenith Hydra Heads need to get the Immunity Repair trait.

It is perhaps interesting that I can boost my defenses by scattering hydra heads around, but my engineers are never going to forgive me for this.....

More seriously, my understanding of how the unit works is the heads are supposed to last for a few seconds and die, not hang around forever as long as I give them an engineer buddy.

D.

edit: ROFL. Now the Etherjet Tractors are grabbing the Hydra Heads and towing them around for me! 

[keith.lamothe]

Ah, yea, those should probably be immune, yea.  Otherwise it encourages a very odd sort of micro indeed

[Tridus]

Definitely not something that should hold up the release, but I'm noticing that the AI doesn't prioritize attacking Protector Starships relative to their real power. The AI seems to treat them as really low priority targets, and attacks almost anything else first (in fact I don't think I've lost one this entire game).

Considering how much DPS they negate (particularly if you unlock up to mk IV), they should probably be a bigger deal. Granted they're not that easy to kill when they stop so many attacks, but it should probably try.

(Also, Protector Starships can counter Counter Spies. Not a big deal given that they aren't cloaked, but it's pretty handy if you're using cloaked ships in a fleet ball.)

[Aklyon]

That ship is like "PS, I'm also a countercounterspy too  "

[Diazo]

Heh, the Plasma Guardian.

"So the AI took a gun. Then it put engines on that gun. You are looking at that gun."

"If something is unfortunate enough to get hit by this gun it will take a lot of damage. Other things nearby will take some damage too. If it hits a forcefield, stuff under that forcefield also gets hurt."

Nice description. 

However, there is no reference to the Plasma Siege Starship (which shares this mechanic) or how the splash damage actually works.

I like the first line, but maybe the second should get the copy paste from the Plasma Siege Starship on how the mechanic works? What is in there now just seems out of place with how specific and descriptive the descriptions on the other ships are.

D.

edit: Assault Transports qualify as military? I just had one trigger a Core Raid Engine. It was only carrying Scout Mk Is at the time so it had to be one of those two units that did it.

edit2: Ugh. That CRE wave just got me. I'm only at midgame and did not have the defenses to handle a 225 unit Mk IV wave. Not when it is spearheaded by 8 Starships and a bunch of guardians.

[onyhow]

Is Captive Human Settlement using irreplacable-capturable seeding? Because I think it should...(found one near wormhole...)

[keith.lamothe]

Is Captive Human Settlement using irreplacable-capturable seeding? Because I think it should...(found one near wormhole...)

Those are supposed to be defensive liabilities, actually.

[keith.lamothe]

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