posted 05-25-99 08:30 PM ET     

AI-
Continue the optimization of the AI. Examples of this: No more AI probe temas going after faction that controls the Hunter-Seeker SP. Giving the AI the wherewithall to lauch an effective attack using naval forces. This is a biggie in my book. I prefer large maps with lots of water. AI invasion consist of one transport without any support, that's it.

Fix the Self-Aware Colony-
This simply does not alter uptake costs as advertised.

Deep pressure hull-
The AI seems to know exactly where these units are. Does the reduced visibilty thing work? I anticipated something like the submarine in Civ but feel that's not the case.

Fix workshop-
Seems that several folks are unhappy with the features of the workshop (as in interface). Perhaps implement so that the numberpad would call up a specific unit of the same number and maybe Ctrl-O would go straight to the obsolete units and so on. Minor, I admit.

Pressure domes-
The AI realizes when it's time to build pressure domes. Fine, but gets a free dome (and forfeits half of base population) when submerged -- unless base is small or submersion is due to rising sea levels. This seems skewed. A better solution, IMHO, would be to make it quite difficult to destroy the pressure dome in the first place. Once it's built you've a tough time destroying it via a probe team (think city wall in capital city in Civ2). However, if a city does not have a dome and gets submerged, tough luck for me and the AI.

SE-
Some folks seem to flip-flop SE choices within a single turn to cook the industrial production for SP's. A bogus cheat. How about limiting SE's changes to once per year. Or, better yet, once per five years as societies don't tolerate wholesale changes in fundamental values that frequently.

Xeno Dome-
Personally, this dome ought to enable the faction to also see into fungus sqaures as well. As in you don't have to try to enter them to see what's there. That would fit in nicely with the overall feel of the SP.

Interface glitches-
The urgent message problem that many have spoke about. The oversized window during the council screen where you ask someone to vote your way. The idea of having a diplomatic prefernces menu with items such as "ignore Lal", "refuse all loans." Also seems like human players can not readily offer to exchange maps with AI players.

Base trading-
The AI can be serious hoodwinked into trading a crappy base for a good one. AI needs to be able to value a base based on improvements, SP's, pop., garrison and so on...

Probe teams-
Keep them totally non-combat. Seems that many folks want a combat ready probe team that can do it all. I tihnk no arrmour whatsoever is a good thing. But this ought to be comprimised by some stealt abilty (treat probe teams as in fungus sqaures for example). So probes loose any vestage of combat unit-ness but get a stealth boost. Also, when there are mutiple probe teams in a city and many enemy probes attack the base, the same probe team always defends, not the freshest (most able, least damaged) one. Should be fixed just like garrison troops.

Psi gates-
The AI goes bonkers over Psi gates and will build them in every base. A bit rich and totally senseless in a base with otherwise no infrastructure.

No more teleporting missles-
Been hit too many times when my nearest base was too far away from nearest enemy or allied base. Perhaps a way to boost the AI?

posted 05-26-99 08:03 AM ET            

I think they should have a section called BUGS as they have "The Game", "Strategies and Tactics" etc.

posted 05-26-99 03:16 PM ET         

A couple of further notes on Probe Teams.
1) I'd like to see a "Break Data Infiltration" mission. It could be run in a home city, once you've started to suspect that an enemy has tapped into your datalinks. You really shouldn't get intelligence for the next 400 years for doing that once.

2) I like the stealth idea. Maybe something where regular combat units can move right through them sometimes and not even see them. An Elite Probe team ought to have some chance of evading the border guards. And if found, at least some chance of returning home instead of instant destruction. May have to lower mission success rates at the same time to keep play-balance if you did this though.

3)Maybe some City Buildings related to Probe Teams. An Intelligence HQ could act the same as a Command Center in improving Probe Teams constructed there. And some sort of Counter-Intelligence HQ could be built in a city to aid in the cities defenses against Probe Teams.

posted 05-27-99 10:38 AM ET         

A lot could be done to improve the diplomatic interface. I would like to see a number of new options here, like being about to choose which tech you offer an AI faction rather than being limited to one or two they demand. Being able to offer loans, offer to cancel a debt or other options would be nice as well (In a tough spot Santiago? We at Morgan Inc. feel your continued business is very important so we've decided to cancel your current debts and extend you a new line of credit. Now what would you like to buy today?) Speaking of buying, how about the option to trade or sell units themselves? Since the game supports diplomatic and economic victories (and it should) to really round out the games options I'd like to see these two elements explored more fully.

Probe teams could definitely use some tweaking. No armor... they're spies not commandos. They should have a higher than normal chance of disengaging when attacked by combat units (say 75% * damage%) but lower chances when attacked by another probe team <insert spy vs spy flashback> and no chance to disengage if attacked while in a base. Probe teams should automatically be cloaked (as per the special option, especially since they can't use that option).

-- Other bugs I'd like to see fixed...
* Someone confirm this. In two seperate games I've built a transport on a cruiser hull, given it the deep pressure hull and aircraft deck (in short I built a missile firing sub), then renamed it Sub Carrier. When I APPLIED the design I ended up with two designs in the workshop, the renamed version and another one. Neither worked properly (the renamed version didn't have the air deck) and I could not delete either design from the work shop. If I tried it would delete one of my *other* designs. I've also had a few problems when using the rename feature, names getting applied to other units.

* The standard batch of complaints others have posted (teleporting missiles, pesky urgent messages, stuttering sound files, etc.).

* I would like to see gravship formers actually be able to raise land out of water.

* The scroll bars in various windows seem to occassionally get "stuck" so that they continue to scroll even though you're not clicking on them. This is worst in the workshop but I've seen it happen most windows with scroll bars.

* Units set on patrol do not stop when they spot an enemy unit regardless of automation settings. I've watched my destroyer or hovertank on patrol detour around an enemy unit incursion and keep right on going rather than stopping and or attacking, even when the enemy unit is directly in the patrol path. This seems ridiculous, what is the point of a patrol if it doesn't challenge the enemy it's patrolling for? Then again, after reading this forum a bit, the patrol feature in general seems to need some work.

* Why can the AI build transports with AAA and I can't? I don't mind transports having AAA, but if they can have it, I'd like to be able to build it as well.

-- Things I'd like to see tweaked...
* Additional information frames. This should be easy to add. In the lower center window where random info (who's the dominant faction, etc.) is displayed I'd like to see some new frames of info. Such as current diplomatic status with known factions, levels of ecological damage being done by each faction (who's the biggest polluter and hence causing the oceans to rise and planet to go nuts?) Frames giving more specific dominance, relative levels of energy reserves, technology, # bases and population, etc.

* Added diplomatic options (more choices on trades, more choices to buy and sell maps, units, tech, etc.) Expand the economic and diplomatic options of the game.

* New special equipment option, SENSOR PACKAGE, replaces weapon mount, provides same benefits as a sensor terrain improvement. Nice on a gravship chasis, add clean reactor and cloaking and you have a handy stealth AWACS.

* Cloaked units should not be viewable in an enemy stack or base unless they have been detected by a unit *after* an attack, a sensor or the above mentioned sensor package. This would add a whole new dimension... cloaked AAA batteries just waiting for that first bomber, cloaked PBs... surprise!

* Missiles should have some special option choices... Nerve Gas comes to mind (useless on PBs but nasty on conventional missles, can you say SCUD?), Air superiority (REAL SAMs), cloaking (hidden misslles / silos). I'm sure others can think of more.

* Why can't you put a missile warhead on another vehicle chasis... can you say kamikazi? Gravship PBs next to my bases... oh my! Secondly, self destructing a missle should cause it to detonate with full effect. (an easy way to provide that option we've all wanted to blow up a PB in an empty square.)

* The option to enter the map / senario editor directly from the main menu would be nice. Not to mention more documentation on it, some help files would be nice.

* It's been said before, I'll say it here again, a custom faction editor would be nice. As well as being able to load those custom factions as AI opponents.

The one major change I'd love to see would be a complete overhaul of the AI engine. I really think it could be done a lot better than it has. From what I can tell it is still the same cheating AI it was in Civ, still acting on the same tired logic and still using the same tired tricks and cheats. It could be fixed, it would take some serious work, but it would very much be worth it. (Would I be willing to help with such a project, yes... for the right money)

That's my two bits,