UsefulnessInAIWaveMultiplier

[TechSY730]

The new ship type stat, UsefulnessInAIWaveMultiplier, for AI use in 5.002 seems very similar to the already present AIWaveMultiplier stat, based on the description in the release notes.

I'm just curious, what is the difference? Are they applied in different circumstances or something?

[keith.lamothe]

What "AIWaveMultiplier" stat?  I don't see it anywhere in the code, including the strings used in the log files.

[TechSY730]

Or whatever it is called. Whatever makes Spire stealth battleships spawn in smaller numbers and laser gattlings spawn in higher numbers for AI waves and reinforcements.

Sorry if I got the wrong term.

[keith.lamothe]

Oh, that's the ship cap multiplier that's used for both humans and AIs.

This is an AI-only thing as an experiment in dealing with the fact that some ships are abnormally more or less useful in the role of a wave ship.  It may or may not stick around.

[TechSY730]

Oh, that's the ship cap multiplier that's used for both humans and AIs.

This is an AI-only thing as an experiment in dealing with the fact that some ships are abnormally more or less useful in the role of a wave ship.  It may or may not stick around.

So my suspicion that the AI ratios of units in waves and human ship caps being tied was right. Cool!

Nice you are trying this logic for exceptions for specific ship types, though.

[chemical_art]

Oh, that's the ship cap multiplier that's used for both humans and AIs.

This is an AI-only thing as an experiment in dealing with the fact that some ships are abnormally more or less useful in the role of a wave ship.  It may or may not stick around.

That sounds very cool in fine tuning difficulty. You want ships to be equally useful for both the AI and Humans, but there are many cases that the AI, due to both its much higher caps and tactics, "feels" like its better then humans with certain ships. Conversely, some ships in the AI hands are not so useful.

[keith.lamothe]

Well, it's slightly different than that: the usefulness of a ship in the single role of "part of an attack wave against the humans" is only one of quite a few possible roles.  Some (like bombers) are considerably higher than average at that particular role.  Compare the danger of 1000 fighters and 1000 bombers to a normal human defense (i.e. layered ffs).

On defense, even the AI's usefulness for bombers and fighters is much closer together.

[chemical_art]

Well, it's slightly different than that: the usefulness of a ship in the single role of "part of an attack wave against the humans" is only one of quite a few possible roles.  Some (like bombers) are considerably higher than average at that particular role.  Compare the danger of 1000 fighters and 1000 bombers to a normal human defense (i.e. layered ffs).

On defense, even the AI's usefulness for bombers and fighters is much closer together.

Well, you just took my vague approval and clarified it much more. Waves are a special case of use: They are offensive, they are big, they are announced, etc...they make a special set of circumstances that deserve special attention due to their importance.