Prerelease 1.011O (Forcefield Tweaks, More Upper-Level Difficulty Tiers)

[x4000]

Warning:  There are some significant AI shifts in version 1.011A and up, which is likely to make it much harder given the same difficulty level.  So if you are loading older savegames that were close, you might find yourself losing if you are not careful.  Just fair warning!

UPDATE 1:  There was a bug with the timers in J.  K fixes this retroactively.

UPDATE 2:  Version L has a fix to the blobbing exploit.

UPDATE 3:  Version M has a better fix to the blobbing exploit.

UPDATE 4:  Version N fixes a crash bug with the N+5 key combo, and a bug with the collision detection from M causing "pies" of ships.

UPDATE 5:  Version O fixes a bug that was preventing autosave from working, as well as adding Admiral's "idle engineers accelerate queues" logic.


The Latest prerelease is now out: http://www.arcengames.com/share/AIWar1011O.zip

That version is an upgrade from version 1.010, so you have to already have 1.010 (or greater) installed. Just unzip it into your game folder (usually C:\Program Files\Arcen Games\AI War\ unless you specified something else). Please make sure that your unzip process keeps the folder structure from the zip file, rather than just unpacking all of the files into the base target directory.

What's new since 1.010I:
(Cumulative release notes since 1.010 are attached at the bottom)

-------------------

-All of the difficulty levels now have descriptive names, ranging from "sandbox" to "doom."

-Due to all the many performance improvements in this and past releases, the minimum system requirements have been dropped from 2.4Ghz to 1.6Ghz.  2.4Ghz or more is still recommended for the most ideal experience on large maps or heavy battles, but on average a 2.4Ghz can run the game at triple speed with no problem, so the system requirements were clearly set a bit too high given all the enhancements.

-New difficulty levels have now been added: 7.3, 7.6, 8.3, 8.6, 9.3, 9.6, and 9.8.  This allows for greater flexibility for players that prefer something between the upper difficulty levels, but not exactly on one of them.

-Weak force fields can no longer push other ships around.

-Strong force fields can no longer be pushed around by other force fields (so Mark III force fields can no longer be pushed, basically).

-Electric shuttles, lightning turrets, and lightning/armored missiles are no longer immune to force fields.

-There is now a message on force fields that tells players that Snipers, Sniper Turrets, Raid/Leech Starships, Infiltrators, EyeBots, Ion Cannons, and Counter-Spies can all move and fire through force fields as if they are not there.

[x4000]

I had a lot of non-programming-related things to do today (lots goes into a game development business, and right now I have to handle all of it myself), but tomorrow should see a number of other features added in anticipation of an official release of 1.011 on Friday.  So if you are playing these prereleases, please keep a sharp eye out for bugs and let me know if you find anything!  Seems that all of the game-command-related issues, and the issues relating from all the performance improvements, have been sorted at this point (knock on wood), but now we've also got this added-difficulty levels update in here, too.  So far so good with it, though.

[eRe4s3r]

I just started a new game with this Version (just so happens i lost recently ;p) and i get an interesting bug with the wave timer, as always.. an image says more than a thousand words



(direct url so that you don't have to wait for slow imageshack all the time
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/1952/aiwarwavebug.jpg )

Also attached an save game (if that is any use)

Oh yeah, and interestingly, it counts properly down, so in whatever time or so i probably maybe get an invasion - if i am still alive by then

Aside that all works fine

[Revenantus]

I can confirm that this happens to every timer that's created on the new version, but timers that were created on previous versions continue to count down as normal. Has it been caused by converting the AI Difficulty levels to floats?

Also, may I compliment eRe4s3r on his exceedingly tidy spacedock and manufactory formations.

[eRe4s3r]

A good base is one where everything is easy to find and besides - the smaller it is the easier it is for a planned fortress to protect it ;p 

I hope a patch can fix this retroactively, because now i have 3 waves stacked up - i'd rather not have them all come at once ;p

[Revenantus]

Since it's not guaranteed that a patch will fix this retroactively, I'd recommend playing on the previous version until X brings out a fix if you're planning on continuing with this game.

Also, you may already be aware of this, but using engineers to boost docks is not the most efficient method of construction - http://arcengames.com/communitywiki/index.php?title=Strategy:Normal_80-Planet_Game#Engineer_Assistance_at_Space_Docks

It can be a good strategy if you're planning to move the engineers in the future, however they're not efficient as permanent fixtures.

[eRe4s3r]

Good point, but 8 space docks cost a lot of resources (and don't repair anything), and i needed repair drones for knowledge raiding etc.... (and for emergency turret constructions) so if they ain't repairing they can boost, and therefor their cost is 0 in the efficiency calculation ^^ (Unless one builds them to boost construction of course)

Though once my economy has a 2nd income source i will always pack more spacedocks rather than more engineers, but you see - 4 spacedocks with 1 engineer each are much more efficient than 4 spacedocks without boost ;p

I'd rather have another question at you - How can i fortify a wormhole to a III planet properly? How many tractor turrets required, whats the best turret upgrade to choose?

[Revenantus]

Good point, but 8 space docks cost a lot of resources, and i needed repair drones for knowledge raiding etc.... so if they ain't repairing they can boost, and therefor their cost is 0 in the efficiency calculation ^^ (Unless one builds them to boost construction of course)

Though once my economy has a 2nd income source i will always pack more spacedocks rather than more engineers, but you see - 4 spacedocks with 1 engineer each are much more efficient than 4 spacedocks without boost ;p

Exactly, maximizing the use of the engineers is important. I was just pointing out that they're not a good investment if you're building them specifically to attach to the docks.

They are however very useful in speeding up the production of missiles and starships.

[Revenantus]

I'd rather have another question at you - How can i fortify a wormhole to a III planet properly? How many tractor turrets required, whats the best turret upgrade to choose?

It depends a great deal on how many ships are coming through, but I would generally place an absolute minimum of 3 tractor beam and 12 weapon turrets at a such a wormhole, this may have to be increased if the AI progress reaches a very high level, or there are numerous special forces ships using the route in question. If you have it unlocked, also place a tachyon emitter at the wormhole, especially if you are against a stealth master or you are aware of the AI deploying cloaked ships such as raptors.

Lightning Turrets and Electric Shuttles specifically are very effective at high traffic wormholes, while a cluster of small and/or MLRS turrets are generally better value in low traffic areas.

Other tactics you can use involve building a forcefield over the turrets at the wormhole, this will allow your own turrets to use weapons and tractor beams on the enemy but the AI ships will have to defeat your forcefield before they can return fire.

Make sure you have engineers on hand to repair damage to the turrets, either put Tech I engineers in attack-move mode somewhere near the turrets (but not so close that the AI immediately targets them), or place Tech II Engineers in free-roaming defender mode at the edge of the planet, this will cause them to repair everything in the system.

If you anticipate that the engineers will take damage, build more than 1 as they cannot repair themselves.

You can also place mines around the wormhole, or on routes from the wormhole towards valuable structures such as harvesters, in the hope that the AI ships will run into them. Unlock minelayers if you wish to have the mines automatically replaced, although be aware that automatically replacing them will still incur a resource cost.

Finally, you can also station some ships in attack-move mode near the wormhole, this will cause them to chase any AI ships that make it past the tractor beam turrets, such as cutlasses which are immune.

Anyone else have any extra tactics?

[eRe4s3r]

I know its ot - but i don't understand special force posts.. do the forces they spawn patrol between ALL of them or only 2 random points? Because i get sometimes a lot of IV traffic right from the start (at 10 minutes in) and i highly doubt that after 10 minutes someone can defeat 10+ IV ships and 15 teleport stations ;p

My Current plan is the just kill off command posts and spec ops everywhere without touching gates or command stations (keeping progression nice low) I even do deep raids with the sole goal of killing posts and spec-ops , does that do what i think it does (lower reinforcement rates/cap/raids/random patrols because LESS ships are there, and that means less raids with less ships without incurring any progression penalty (except +1 for the specops post ;P)

The thing is - i want to ease the pressure without increasing it (progression) I wonder if killing the spec ops post really does ease the pressure?

[Haagenti]

I'd rather have another question at you - How can i fortify a wormhole to a III planet properly? How many tractor turrets required, whats the best turret upgrade to choose?

There is no final answer to this, so I'll give some of my random ideas here:
- I put all my Level I Short-range turrets where the action is. They are fantastic value for money, so they can get killed over and over.
- If I already have III Cruisers, I enhance my turrets with a bunch of Level I Cruisers parked at the extreme end of their range.
- Forcefields are expensive, but they are really good at protecting your turrets.
- Electric shuttles (if you have them) under a forcefield work even better than turrets.
- I can usually get by with 15 tractor turrets

I tend to upgrade towards II Short range and maybe later II MLRS, mostly because I have little experience with the rest, since I try to prevent having to protect many wormholes in the first place and like to spend my Knowledge on offense.

In my current game I've had to conquer a IV world, and this world has three enemy wormholes leading to it (with two IIIs and a II leading to it). Conquering those worlds would lead to even more IV worlds. In that game I'm protecting the wormhole leading to my safe planets (supported by an Ion Cannon and the Spykiller) instead of the three enemy wormholes (with my Orbital Station under a I Forcefield, right next to the wormhole). Note that this "backfield" defense gives up all resources, but requires no tractor turrets, thus saving them up for other wormholes, and isn't affected if the enemy sends in cloaked/tractor-immune stuff: they will still have to come to me.
 

[Revenantus]

As an extra tip, if you destroy the AI's Warp Gate in the system the wormhole leads to this will prevent any waves from entering through that wormhole, and therefore potentially reduce the number of turrets you need to station there. This does raise the AI Progress, but it's often a net gain.

It's not uncommon to have 80+ turrets at wormholes that I expect to be raided through.

[Haagenti]

And in addition: destroy only the Warp Gate (and not the Orbital Station). Then leave the system (destroy any turrets that you may have parasited). This:
- saves 10 AI Progress
- ensures that all AI planets that border this system are repacified (they are no longer aware of your presence, and therefore no longer reinforce at a rapid rate).

[x4000]

I know its ot - but i don't understand special force posts.. do the forces they spawn patrol between ALL of them or only 2 random points? Because i get sometimes a lot of IV traffic right from the start (at 10 minutes in) and i highly doubt that after 10 minutes someone can defeat 10+ IV ships and 15 teleport stations ;p

My Current plan is the just kill off command posts and spec ops everywhere without touching gates or command stations (keeping progression nice low) I even do deep raids with the sole goal of killing posts and spec-ops , does that do what i think it does (lower reinforcement rates/cap/raids/random patrols because LESS ships are there, and that means less raids with less ships without incurring any progression penalty (except +1 for the specops post ;P)

The thing is - i want to ease the pressure without increasing it (progression) I wonder if killing the spec ops post really does ease the pressure?

The spec ops ships go between all the spec ops posts, not just any particular two.  Also, new spec ops ships are only spawned at spec ops posts, so by reducing the number of spec ops posts you eventually are reducing the number of spec ops ships, too.  Doing that sort of "planet neutering" like you are doing should work pretty well, I'd imagine.  It's not a sure-fire easy-victory strategy since you don't get the added resources from those planets, and you don't get any of the added ships in them, but it is interesting for sure.

[x4000]

I just started a new game with this Version (just so happens i lost recently ;p) and i get an interesting bug with the wave timer, as always.. an image says more than a thousand words



(direct url so that you don't have to wait for slow imageshack all the time
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/1952/aiwarwavebug.jpg )

Also attached an save game (if that is any use)

Oh yeah, and interestingly, it counts properly down, so in whatever time or so i probably maybe get an invasion - if i am still alive by then

Aside that all works fine

Thanks for that, I'll definitely take a look at it and see what I can put in as a fix.  I should be able to retroactively fix it from older savegames, too.