Confused about AI reinforcement.

[tigersfan]

Ok, so, I thought that the AI warped in reinforcement ships via the warp gate. But is there another way?

I have a pretty worthless AI planet between two of my own. On the way to capturing the further one of mine, I neutered the worthless one, and I destroyed everything but the command center and two of the Wormhole Guard Posts. I even destroyed the warp gate. This planet is a bit of a throughfare for my ships, so I want to keep it free of AI ships so they don't harass my own, but everytime I destroy them, they keep coming back. Also, I control both planets that ships could possibly be traveling from, so it's not reinforcing from another planet. Where are these ships coming from?

[ShadowOTE]

Maybe cloaked ships slipping past your front lines?

[tigersfan]

Well, the ships are increasing in numbers. I have a scout there and he's reporting the numbers of ships rising constantly. It was 56, then 74, then I went in, killed them all again, now it's up to 48 again.

[ShadowOTE]

Ah, just reread. As long as the AI has a command post, it gets defensive reinforcements. Without the warp gate it can't launch attacks, but guard posts automatically draw from the reinforcement pool until destroyed, either by the player or by the destruction of the CP. If you have enough firepower you can kill the wormhole guard posts, but it takes awhile and generally isnt worth it.

Edit - I originally said supply. Corrected.

[Vinraith]

The command station itself has a reinforcement warp gate, just like special forces posts and a number of other structures. They aren't full warp gates, they can't launch waves, but they do allow the AI to continue reinforcing at that system. The neutering process is designed to limit the number of reinforcements the AI gets to a system (the count is partially determined by the number of guard posts present) but as long as there's a command station there it will still get some.