New AI Plot Idea

[TechSY730]

Had an idea for an AI plot, but wanted to get feedback here before I stick it on Mantis

After Hearteaterrightfully points out that the current AI beachheads aren't really beachheads (at http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,9906.msg93542.html#msg93542), I got to thinking.

What about an AI plot where sometimes the AI tried to make an actual beachhead? Sometimes, send in some transports (not carriers, transports) and a couple of escort ships (some inside and some outside the transports), move to some "safe-ish" area of the planet. (Of course, the escorting ships would follow the transport, not just go out and attack)
Once there, it unloads the transports. Out pops not only the escorting ships inside the transports, but also a mobile builder or two, and some engineers, and maybe even a mobile repair station.
The mobile builders immediately start building some AI forcefields (numbers and marks of which depending on AI type, AIP, and current Mk. cap for waves), and an AI fortress (similar Mk. and count desicion process). The engineers of course assisting (prioritizing the FFs first, then the fortress(es))
Maybe even a cloaker starship or a scout starship in the transport for counter sniper protection.
As long as the mobile builders are around, the AI will replace lost stuff.

It turns out that the AI can build things just fine, even though they almost never do it now. You used to see it frequently back when the AI used turrets. Sure, they aren't held back by resources or energy, but they can still build. When building, the AI is subject to the same build time rules humans are. (And the same supply rules too, so this would be an adjacent to an AI world only tactic)

What would it accomplish, IDK. It would be annoying to the human to take it out, though, and would make future waves on that planet while the beachhead is still around much more deadly.

Triggering conditions are also TBD. Should it be a percentage of attack waves? Spawned off planet and then moved in (using similar rallying and escorting logic as exo-waves)? Don't know. It should definitely be an AI plot though. The existing beachheads plot should be renamed to something more appropriate.

(This is copied from http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,9906.msg93549.html#msg93549)

[Orelius]

The AI trespassing on your worlds and planting down fortresses?  I'm already scared.

This is an interesting idea, though I think that it's either going to be really really easy to deal with (as in, if you wormhole camp, all the stuff dies pretty much instantly), or really really hard to deal with (as in, the AI is actually able to set things up).

I don't think that there's an easy way to implement this and still make it as strong as any other wave, since a weak wave + a beachhead means one that is dead faster than a strong wave.  A stronger wave + a beachhead may be far too difficult to handle.

[TechSY730]

Yea, the sizes of the escorting fleet (both in and out of the transports) would need some careful tuning to make it hard but not too hard to stop.

Also, I am thinking that it should use a hybrid hive like logic to determine where to strike. (Like, it would be willing to target your back-worlds and try to determine worlds that are valuable to you)

This way, it isn't limited to try to take out your "whipping boy" world, which tends to be so heavily defended, that they will probably always fail.

It won't be easy to implement, as it would basically require a bunch of new logic for the AI. But if the AI could, and does pull it off, you got yourself a situation on your hands.

[Hearteater]

AI Beachheads could also get an instant setup boost to make them practical.  That is, a Beachhead Transport arrives through your Warp Point and drops a Force Field Generator, Mobile Repair Station and possibly a few turrets instantly.  It then proceeds to build additional structures, strengthening the beachhead.  This would allow it at least a small chance to get something going against moderately defended systems, especially if in came in 10-15 seconds after a wave hits and your units are otherwise busy.

It might also be something the AI only used against systems it has no warp gate adjacent to, and one part of it could even count as a warp gate.  With this type of targeting, the instant setup boost is less critical.