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Author Topic:   Dodgy AI?

Transcendent posted 06-07-99 07:34 AM ET
I've been playing SMAC for a couple of months now and I've noticed a few annoying glitches with the AI. Most work in my favour, but this does not make for a very challenging game (I've caned it on Transcend level using CIV2 strategies).
For example, in one game I was at war with the Peacekeepers. They built a ridiculous number of Needlejets, enough to wipe me off the face of Alpha Centauri! Unfortunately (for them) they just flew around aimlessly and never actually attacked any of my units for some reason.
I have also noticed that the AI sometimes doesn't bother to terraform a factions terrain. I probably don't need to explain the importance of terraforming for a faction's survival in terms of growth, production, research etc. Needless to say, these factions don't last long, but you would expect more of them at the higher levels of play.
I also took advantage of a faction who had just surrendered to me. I spent thousands of energy credits buying off his bases and then I aggresively demanded some energy credits from him afterwards. He gave me back ALL his energy credits, so I got all those bases for free plus extra energy! Is this a glitch in the AI or just skillful diplomacy?
There are more AI inconsistencies but I won't bore you with the details. Anyone else experience any glitches? Does the patch sort them out?

Darkstar posted 06-07-99 02:23 PM ET
Yes, we have seen these glitches. Think a super stack of needle jets that just sit in a base. If the AI used it, you'd lose your whole front to it. While it might not be nice for it to do so on Citizen, it certainly would be fitting on Transcend. But it does it all the time on any level. The AI only likes to shoot at non-combats with Air units.
I have disappointing news... the patch does not sort this things out. It does fix some minor bugs, limits a few others, and ignores the majority. But its an improvement.
-Darkstar
jimmytrick posted 06-07-99 03:26 PM ET
Darkstar, I hope you are referring to v3 and not v4. I hope for something better in the next patch (yes, I know, I will be disappointed).
Anyway, isn't it lame that when I attack bombers with my fighters, it is attack vs armor? This is a guaranteed kill.
On the other hand, if my fighters scramble, it is the bomber's attack vs. the fighter's attack. If my fighter is defeated, the non-combat unit originally attacked is also killed. That means I lose two units.
So I am better off to post my fighters at bases behind my front line, let the bombers have a quick kill, and then clip them.
Is this the best they could do?????
Darkstar posted 06-07-99 04:19 PM ET
Jimmy - Apparently, yes. That is the best they can do. That is why I think Civ3 will be a pain as it is the same crew that did SMAC. It will work well in the part the wrote early and tested, but suck everywhere else. Bug after bug after bug.
I also hope Patch 4 makes SMAC better... and less buggy. But we won't know until it is released. However, with SMACX being the main SMAC project, I doubt it will fix very much. But it will have the enhancement of the first drone rioted quieted in a base with a network node and Virtual World project, an interlude will pop up that is an ad for "Drone riot quelled with the release of the new Sid Meier's Brian Reynold's Screw The Customer and Give Us The Money Civ 3, coming to a store near you in March 2001! This game features... [yadda yadda yadda]". Hey, its the only thing the can do, isn't it? The last enhancement, they added the whorehole as a teaser for SMACX...
-Darkstar
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Author	Topic: Dodgy AI?
Transcendent	posted 06-07-99 07:34 AM ET I've been playing SMAC for a couple of months now and I've noticed a few annoying glitches with the AI. Most work in my favour, but this does not make for a very challenging game (I've caned it on Transcend level using CIV2 strategies). For example, in one game I was at war with the Peacekeepers. They built a ridiculous number of Needlejets, enough to wipe me off the face of Alpha Centauri! Unfortunately (for them) they just flew around aimlessly and never actually attacked any of my units for some reason. I have also noticed that the AI sometimes doesn't bother to terraform a factions terrain. I probably don't need to explain the importance of terraforming for a faction's survival in terms of growth, production, research etc. Needless to say, these factions don't last long, but you would expect more of them at the higher levels of play. I also took advantage of a faction who had just surrendered to me. I spent thousands of energy credits buying off his bases and then I aggresively demanded some energy credits from him afterwards. He gave me back ALL his energy credits, so I got all those bases for free plus extra energy! Is this a glitch in the AI or just skillful diplomacy? There are more AI inconsistencies but I won't bore you with the details. Anyone else experience any glitches? Does the patch sort them out?
Darkstar	posted 06-07-99 02:23 PM ET Yes, we have seen these glitches. Think a super stack of needle jets that just sit in a base. If the AI used it, you'd lose your whole front to it. While it might not be nice for it to do so on Citizen, it certainly would be fitting on Transcend. But it does it all the time on any level. The AI only likes to shoot at non-combats with Air units. I have disappointing news... the patch does not sort this things out. It does fix some minor bugs, limits a few others, and ignores the majority. But its an improvement. -Darkstar
jimmytrick	posted 06-07-99 03:26 PM ET Darkstar, I hope you are referring to v3 and not v4. I hope for something better in the next patch (yes, I know, I will be disappointed). Anyway, isn't it lame that when I attack bombers with my fighters, it is attack vs armor? This is a guaranteed kill. On the other hand, if my fighters scramble, it is the bomber's attack vs. the fighter's attack. If my fighter is defeated, the non-combat unit originally attacked is also killed. That means I lose two units. So I am better off to post my fighters at bases behind my front line, let the bombers have a quick kill, and then clip them. Is this the best they could do?????
Darkstar	posted 06-07-99 04:19 PM ET Jimmy - Apparently, yes. That is the best they can do. That is why I think Civ3 will be a pain as it is the same crew that did SMAC. It will work well in the part the wrote early and tested, but suck everywhere else. Bug after bug after bug. I also hope Patch 4 makes SMAC better... and less buggy. But we won't know until it is released. However, with SMACX being the main SMAC project, I doubt it will fix very much. But it will have the enhancement of the first drone rioted quieted in a base with a network node and Virtual World project, an interlude will pop up that is an ad for "Drone riot quelled with the release of the new Sid Meier's Brian Reynold's Screw The Customer and Give Us The Money Civ 3, coming to a store near you in March 2001! This game features... [yadda yadda yadda]". Hey, its the only thing the can do, isn't it? The last enhancement, they added the whorehole as a teaser for SMACX... -Darkstar