Can I disable AI Eyes from spawning?

[chemical_art]

I don't care much myself, I like the eyes. They make sure I actually have to think twice before taking or attacking a planet, just how it's supposed to be in my opinion. I'm really happy with all the new eyes and I would love to have different types of "engines" as well. I wouldn't say no to a "change AI eyes into some other nasty AI structure" option though.
That reminds me, I want a new red AI type that always uses 2 or more (depending on difficulty) nasty structures on most of it's planets. I'd like to see a raid engine with a grav dril for example.

A porcupine ai? It's a turtle, but it stings you for just getting close.

[zoutzakje]

I was thinking about naming it Doomsday AI, but sure porcupine works too
we do in fact need a doomsday AI

[LaughingThesaurus]

"Okay, now we need suggestions for new Raid Engine types to keep things varied".

If you turn down the variety of the game, you have no right to complain that things aren't varied.

[keith.lamothe]

Is it possible to have a 'disable Eyes' feature on the ships tab in the lobby?

Possible?  Yes.  Quite easy, in fact.

But a good thing for the game?  Not really.  All balance kinda goes out the window if you can just turn everything on and off (the requests would not stop here; no-counterattack-posts is another common one, for example).  Not because it'd be too terribly hard to find some way of counterbalancing the lack of a specific unit, but because there'd then be that many different "scenarios" which have to be kept balanced.  As it is, the game isn't really balanced with CSGs off; it's substantially easier.

Still, for those of you who would rather play an unbalanced game without eyes/ca-posts than a balanced game with them, for 6.003 :

* Added two new cheat codes (entered during the game via the chatline, if cheats are enabled) :
** running with scissors
*** Removes all AI Eyes (sentry/ion/parasite/nuclear/etc) from the game.
** revenge is best not served
*** Removes all Counterattack Guard Posts from the game.
**** Note, this will result in the ships guarding those posts being freed as threat.  Not generally a big deal if done early in the game after you have some defenses, however.

[Cinth]

But a good thing for the game?  Not really.  All balance kinda goes out the window if you can just turn everything on and off (the requests would not stop here; no-counterattack-posts is another common one, for example)

* Added two new cheat codes (entered during the game via the chatline, if cheats are enabled) :
** running with scissors
*** Removes all AI Eyes (sentry/ion/parasite/nuclear/etc) from the game.
** revenge is best not served
*** Removes all Counterattack Guard Posts from the game.
**** Note, this will result in the ships guarding those posts being freed as threat.  Not generally a big deal if done early in the game after you have some defenses, however.

Hey, I only asked once and accepted what I was told 
CAGP weren't a big deal anyway. Just more of a hassle to visit every planet in the galaxy to get rid of them before I can do anything else.
Eyes mostly fall into the same group... Is it a nasty one? Kill it with fire before I get going. Can I ignore it for the most part? Yep. Just poke it with a stick when I'm back in the neighborhood.

[Mánagarmr]

Good choice to put it as a cheat though. As the balance without them goes completely whack it makes sense.

[zoutzakje]

yeah indeed. You want achievements? The eyes and counter guard posts are ready for you.

[LaughingThesaurus]

Cheat's a brilliant idea actually. You have a point in how impossible it would be to counterbalance the removal of the AI's nastier things.

[Wanderer]

Personally was kind of surprised CSG removal is/wasn't a cheat at this point.  I understand when it was first issued and was a massive game changer, but so are the new Spec Forces.

[Winge]

Actually, I believe you need to build your own Command Station to remove the Eye, which does require removing the enemy CS of course.

Also triggerman602, which Eye is causing you trouble?  Starships plus a small fleet ship selection to screen the Starships while they clean up Guard Posts works in quite a few cases.  Fighters are excellent because they are so cheap to replace.

I haven't gotten that to work.  I've always had to raid Guard Posts.  Which is really annoying if the RNG decides it also likes Spire Shield or Stealth Guard Posts.

I hate AI Eyes, but I've learned to deal with them.  They were, by far, the greatest difficulty increase when going from 5 to 6.  I love the cheat code though, that's hilarious.

(Do people really have a problem with CA Guard Posts?)

[Mánagarmr]

Personally was kind of surprised CSG removal is/wasn't a cheat at this point.  I understand when it was first issued and was a massive game changer, but so are the new Spec Forces.

That's...a rather touchy subject

[chemical_art]

Personally was kind of surprised CSG removal is/wasn't a cheat at this point.  I understand when it was first issued and was a massive game changer, but so are the new Spec Forces.

I won't start the screaming till I hear it actually changing.

[keith.lamothe]

Personally was kind of surprised CSG removal is/wasn't a cheat at this point.  I understand when it was first issued and was a massive game changer, but so are the new Spec Forces.

I would have made it a cheat when I was adding those other two cheats, but I don't want to deal with the fallout here

And with CSGs off the game is still more or less balanced as long as you capture at least 8 planets during the game.  Granted, it's easier in that you have a wider selection of which 8, but your overall AIP levels will be similar to a minimal-capture CSG game.

The problem is when someone only captures 1 or 2 planets before attacking the AI homeworlds.  We can't really balance for that without making the early game even harder, because AIP-wise they're in endgame in the early game.  Which is kind of funny.   Although I dunno if you can properly assault an AI homeworld nowadays with that little.

Alternatively you could turn on 1AIP/5min autoprogress and just go for 1 or 2 captures and that would probably be close to balanced because that kind of game typically takes a while.