Hybrid woes 3.189

[keith.lamothe]

Right now advanced just enables the highest tier of hybrid class, so having it disabled will prevent them from building their highest tier of stuff (because they never get the highest builder class), but not from building in general.

[Ozymandiaz]

Ah, ty.

I am not agaisnt them building. Just not expereinced it this much before since its has been a long game and I had not checked up on that particular planet in hours

Still, my fleet is more then capable to wipe em out. The core polerizer constructor will help a bit as well I suspect .

(regarding the constructors, will the NRCs use warhead on them?)

[Ozymandiaz]

The Hybrids got 70 force fields around the AI command center now... 30 Mk I, 30 MK III, and a few MK II.

As well as 22 Neinzul Clusters (that would cost me 44 AIP to take down ).

Granted this has been a long game, but still a lot considering only one AI has the hybrid plot;)

[keith.lamothe]

The Hybrids got 70 force fields around the AI command center now... 30 Mk I, 30 MK III, and a few MK II.

As well as 22 Neinzul Clusters (that would cost me 44 AIP to take down ).

Granted this has been a long game, but still a lot considering only one AI has the hybrid plot;)

Ah, yea, that's pretty intense   Need to have it respect some kind of sanity cap on forcefields, since the humans can't just plop down 70 of them.  But multi-layering them on top of a command station is certainly fair game

I'll also need to do something about the AIP cost of the hybrid-built clusters, as that's not intended (ones seeded by the Neinzul Cluster-Bomber AI Type should have that AIP cost, but not these).

[Rustayne]

The ones in my game already got 169 of their facilities up, and and 146 shields, 118 of them being mk1 shields.  At the moment I'm just letting him build up, as I want to see how insane he gets.  Also got 42 clusters, which I do imagine will be a bit painful to clean up.  I figure by the time I'm ready to take that out, there will be easily 300 shields up.  Think I might need to unlock mk2 and mk3 bombers before too long.

[keith.lamothe]

Haha, wow, yea, I'm going to have some kind of limiter on how much they do that, or at least really expand the logic for planet eligibility... right now they focus exclusively on border systems, which while effective is being a little bit silly

"Hmm, it looks like the human may attack us, what should we do?"
"Build 300 forcefields!"

[Rustayne]

rofl keith.  They seem to only do that where the bulk of the hybrids are stationed.  Right now most of them are on the left side of the map, and there is maybe 20 on the bottom, right, and bottom right side of it.  The 3 that only have a few each haven't really been doing this, and there is a few builders in each of them.  I think when they get 129 of them in a system, they decide to throw a forcefield party.  

[Ozymandiaz]

The Hybrids got 70 force fields around the AI command center now... 30 Mk I, 30 MK III, and a few MK II.

As well as 22 Neinzul Clusters (that would cost me 44 AIP to take down ).

Granted this has been a long game, but still a lot considering only one AI has the hybrid plot;)

Ah, yea, that's pretty intense   Need to have it respect some kind of sanity cap on forcefields, since the humans can't just plop down 70 of them.  But multi-layering them on top of a command station is certainly fair game

I'll also need to do something about the AIP cost of the hybrid-built clusters, as that's not intended (ones seeded by the Neinzul Cluster-Bomber AI Type should have that AIP cost, but not these).

That sounds good, the AIP cost is quite steep when the hybrids build a lot of em

[Rustayne]

Wanted to post an update for ya.  I've been busy the last week testing/betaing FFXIV, so I haven't played much AI war.  I resumed my game and after about 6-7 hours, I captured and colonized about 14 planets.  Low and behold, the Hybrids were well at work to make my life interesting when I decided to move forward.  The provided screenshot should provide all that is needed to understand the blight I'm about to face.  

As a note, in case your lazy and don't want to do the math, if I want to capture this planet, which sadly I'm going to have to, as I don't want to leave a massive line like this behind me, it is going to cost me 595 AP to take, before any type of missiles or other fancy ideas that might incur AIP.  Talk about insane.  

This post is more of a comical thing, as I know this isn't exactly intended behavior.  I'm posting a save as well, if anyone wants to take a crack at breaking this system.  Call it a challenge, as I'm sure I'm going to have fun trying.

[keith.lamothe]

Good grief!   That made me laugh out loud... yea, that's definitely the advanced hybrids kicking in with their ability to build additional hybrid spawning facilities, because their starting population-cap is waaaaaay lower than 408.

AIP costs aside, the task of cracking that system is probably pretty close to impossible.  Even with a nuke to clear out everything non-core, however many emps necessary to keep stuff locked down, dozens of lightning warheads.  From the looks of it even an Avenger would die rapidly to the wrath of all those defenses (all those n. clusters... ouch).

Definitely need to teach these guys to switch to offensive tasks at some point, and to diversify where they build stuff

[Diazo]

Heh.

I'm actually going to take a try or two at that system, just to see.

The hybrids actually cluster at the command station, as long as they are at least a little ways away from my entry warppoint, I think I have a chance.

We'll see.

I was looking for something different after finishing my game off the other day. 

D.

[Rustayne]

Definitely.  When I saved and went to bed last night, we were over 17k.  I'm thinking that as long as I can pop the station, I might be ok.  

The AI progress is going to be insane yes, but their logic at this moment is retreat when the station is popped.  So that is my plan.  Take up to the center X, and clear it out, and then pop the station with them on it.  Hopefully it will split in 3, (Down each arm of the X), and i can corner them and deal with them at a later time.  Cleaning up the mess though, well that will be the painstaking task I think.  Over 800 shields to take care of, with about a 1/3 of that mk3's.  I plan on trying to take this later today, so I'll drop a report on it if I can succeed.

[Diazo]

Hmmm.

The hybrids actually have range on the warp point from the command station, this will be interesting.....

D.

[keith.lamothe]

Is it just their lasers?  Have any laser reducers?

[keith.lamothe]

My guess would be to flood the system with tons of stuff to draw fire, then bumrush the hybrids with lightning warheads.  If that doesn't work Armored warheads may be in order, though those have a much higher AIP, etc.