Expermentalist AI and Hybrids

[TechSY730]

OK. I started a game with the expermentalist AI with hybrids, thinking it would be interesting seeing some experimental units being "hauled around", which actually sounds really dangerous in a fun way, especially that it gives hybrids an indirect way to "support".

However, so far, only the Mk. V engineers have been added as hybrid escorts. Are the others (like decoy drones, speed boosters, etc) ineligible to be hybrid escorts?

If so, how would people feel about making them eligible?

EDIT: And speaking of speed boosters. 10966: AI should not put speed boosters (the unit) into stand down mode (or instead, they should speed boost even in stand down mode)

[keith.lamothe]

I didn't realize it would take engineer drones as escorts.  That could get pretty funny.

The others are excluded from hybrid eligibility by the same flag that excludes them from homogenous waves.  I could split that logic up, but it's a matter of "do you really want that next gang of 30 hybrids you face to have like 150 decoy drones?"

Of course, it's only if you have an experimentalist AI.

[TechSY730]

I didn't realize it would take engineer drones as escorts.  That could get pretty funny.

Yea. Engineers (all marks, including that Mk. V) can be escorts, and they actually do repair the other escorts and the hybrids themselves, follow the standard "try to stay under forcefield" logic (which is almost always the hybrid's forcefields) without trying to fall too far behind the hybrid, as well as doing some repairing of other things that may be nearby (that can be repaired). It was so cool, I thought it was intentional. You mean it isn't?

The others are excluded from hybrid eligibility by the same flag that excludes them from homogenous waves.  I could split that logic up, but it's a matter of "do you really want that next gang of 30 hybrids you face to have like 150 decoy drones?"

Of course, it's only if you have an experimentalist AI.

As long as they had their selection probability shifted downward according to caps as proper (and probably a bit more due to experimentalist unit's unique nature), I'd be fine with it.
Then again, the improbably but still very possible worst case of them choosing like a decoy drones consistently does sound pretty scary. Or a ton of speed boosters for ultra fast hybrids.

But hey, that is kind of what I was looking for when I gave experimentalist the hybrid plot.

[keith.lamothe]

I thought it was intentional. You mean it isn't?

I don't recall intending that behavior.  But it's been a long time, and I'm a jerk, so I may well have meant that to happen, yes

But hey, that is kind of what I was looking for when I gave experimentalist the hybrid plot.

Yea, it would be self-inflicted   As a random AI pick it'd be harsh, but there's a degree of asking for it there too.

[TechSY730]

I thought it was intentional. You mean it isn't?

I don't recall intending that behavior.  But it's been a long time, and I'm a jerk, so I may well have meant that to happen, yes

Well, if it wasn't intentional, I'd say this was a brilliant example of emergent intelligence. (the following assumes you didn't intend this)
You (and Chris) taught the AI how to use engineers, and you taught the AI how to escort. You never intended for the two sets of logic to interact. But thanks to an "oversight" they did. However, the AI "mixed" this logic together well, and put it to brilliant (and deadly) use, all without explicit instruction on how to handle this intersection of two special cases.

But hey, that is kind of what I was looking for when I gave experimentalist the hybrid plot.

Yea, it would be self-inflicted   As a random AI pick it'd be harsh, but there's a degree of asking for it there too.

As has been stated many time, we here on the forums are insane when it comes to asking for crazy difficulty.

[TechSY730]

Oh, and speaking of experimentalist units, I think many of them are good candidates for the next "what needs a buff" poll.

I'll give a better breakdown when that rolls around, but.

Translocator: It traslocates well enough, and does a somewhat low but not pathetic amount of damage (which is fine, their job is a disruption unit, not a damage unit). However, it's cap health is pretty bad for a Mk. III unit (despite it showing no mark symbol, according to the "list all the ships" sidebar thingy, it is a Mk. III)

Speed booster: The boosting effect is a bit small individually, especially when you look at the HORRID cap health. Heck, even laser gattlings Mk. I laugh at how fragile this thing is. (It's a "Mk. III" with only 8800 HP with 98 cap! Good armor though at 7800; it should keep that for "flavor")

The microparasite and the decoy drone have gone through the balance rounds relatively recently, and aren't too bad.

The Mk. V expermental engineers are actually much better than what the standard mark progression would imply. (Just FYI, the Mk. V engineers do not have the "Take 4X damage on enemy planets flag", not sure if intentional or not)

[Winge]

You don't put Speed Boosters in your fleetball.  You hide them under cloak at the edge of the star system, and laugh at how much easier it is to take out the planet.

[Bognor]

I thought it was intentional. You mean it isn't?

I don't recall intending that behavior.  But it's been a long time, and I'm a jerk, so I may well have meant that to happen, yes

Well, if it wasn't intentional, I'd say this was a brilliant example of emergent intelligence. (the following assumes you didn't intend this)
You (and Chris) taught the AI how to use engineers, and you taught the AI how to escort. You never intended for the two sets of logic to interact. But thanks to an "oversight" they did. However, the AI "mixed" this logic together well, and put it to brilliant (and deadly) use, all without explicit instruction on how to handle this intersection of two special cases.

You could record that for posterity in the "This AI is awesome" thread.