Custom base units to help AI?

[BFG]

I'm getting back into SMACX, again, after a lengthy hiatus.  One of the first things I'm trying to do (in addition to adding the latest patches) is modified alpha(x).txt to bolster AI.

As I tend to go for Builder type games I'd prefer any thoughts on custom units that can help improve the AI.  Here's what I have so far.  I'm doubtful several of them would ever show up in a game but you never know.  The Gravship Formers are problematic, at least, because AI thinks they can only terraform land squares, even though they're able to terraform sea as well.

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Enhanced Probe,         Infantry, Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, NanoMin, -1, 10000000000000000000000000000
Probe Runner,           Foil,     Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, SubAt,   -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Enhanced Probe Runner,  Foil,     Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, NanoMin, -1, 10000000000000000000000000010
Aero Colony,            Needlejet,Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, DocAir,  -1, 00000100000000000000000000010
Gravship Formers,       Gravship, Formers,      Scout,      9, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000010000000000000001
Sea Supply,             Foil,     Supply,       Scout,     10, 0, 0, DocFlex, -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Gravship Supply,        Gravship, Supply,       Scout,     10, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
XX Missile,             Missile,  Conventional, Scout,      0, 0, 0, Orbital,  7, 00001000100000000000000000000

[BFG]

Well that conversation went nowhere. 

[Buster's Uncle]

It got bumped down quick.  Personally, this is over my tech-head.

[MercantileInterest]

Binary Dawn uses these, mostly inherited from Smaniac:

Colony Pod,             Infantry, Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 3, 0, None,    -1, 00000000000000000000001000
AI Formers,             Infantry, Formers,      Scout,      9, 1, 0, None,    -1, 00000000000010000000000001
Scout Patrol,           Infantry, Gun,          Scout,      3, 0, 0, None,    -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Transport Foil,         Foil,     Transport,    Scout,      7, 0, 0, Mobile,  -1, 00000000000000000000000000
AI Sea Formers,         Foil,     Formers,      Scout,      9, 4, 0, Mobile,  -1, 00000000000010000000000001
Supply Crawler,         Infantry, Supply,       Scout,     10, 0, 0, IndAuto, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Probe Team,             Speeder,  Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, InfNet,  -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Alien Artifact,         Infantry, Artifact,     Scout,     12,10, 0, Disable,  2, 00000000000000000000000000
Mind Worms,             Infantry, Psi,          Psi,        1, 2, 0, AlphCen,  3, 00000000000000000000000000
Isle of the Deep,       Foil,     Psi,          Psi,        7, 5, 4, AlphCen, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Locusts of Chiron,      Gravship, Psi,          Psi,        4, 8, 0, CentGen, -1, 00000000000000000000100000
Unity Rover,            Speeder,  Gun,          Scout,      3, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Unity Scout Chopper,    Copter,   Gun,          Scout,      4, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 01000000000000000010000000000
Unity Foil,             Foil,     Transport,    Scout,      7, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 00100000000000000000000000
Sealurk,                Cruiser,  Psi,          Psi,        6, 4, 0, Alloys,   4, 00000000000000000001000000
Spore Launcher,         Infantry, Psi,          Psi,        0, 2, 0, AlphCen,  5, 00000000001000000000000000
Battle Ogre MK1,        Infantry, R-Laser,      Alloy,      0,10, 0, Disable,  6, 00010001000000000000000000
Battle Ogre MK2,        Infantry, R-Bolt,       Neutronium, 0,15, 0, Disable,  6, 10010000000000000000000000
Battle Ogre MK3,        Speeder,  String,       Stasis,     0,20, 0, Disable,  6, 10010000000000000000000000
Fungal Tower,           Infantry, Psi,          Psi,        3, 0, 0, Disable,  1, 00000000000000000000000000
Unity Mining Laser,     Infantry, Laser,        Scout,      0, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Sea Escape Pod,         Foil,     Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Unity Gunship,          Foil,     Gun,          Scout,     -1, 0, 0, Disable, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Gravlev Transport,      Infantry, Transport,    Scout,      7, 0, 0, AGrav,   -1, 00000000000000000010000000
AI Probe Foil,          Foil,     Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, Mobile,  -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Havoc Rocket,           Missile,  Gun,          Scout,      0, 0, 0, Chaos,   -1, 00000000000000000000000000
AI Probe,               Infantry, Probe Team,   Psi,       11, 4, 0, InfNet,  -1, 00000000000000010000000000

[BFG]

Hmm, a couple of interesting ideas there; I'll have to give them a try.  Thanks.

[MercantileInterest]

What do you think of custom rovers with psi defense? The only strategy the AI understands is rover rush but some defenses could actually make it more formidable. Also considering custom AI Needlejets which show up before air power tech.

By the way, do you have any idea what the gravlev transport is supposed to do?

[BFG]

In general, I don't like giving AI access to units their technology doesn't allow them to design yet, even if that does give them an edge.  It just spoils the game a bit too much, I think.

Rovers with Psi Defense could be interesting, but I'd have to experiment with that unit first to see if the AI would make effective use of them.

Looks like the Gravlev Transport attempts to give the AI a better supply crawler option.  Grav Supplies aren't limited by a land mass and can also pull resources from the sea (though the AI usually doesn't realize this).  The antigrav struts give it an extra 2 moves (10 per turn instead of 8 with a Fission Reactor) so it also has a lot more range.

One of the early successes in my testing has been the Aero Colony - that has allowed the AI to spread more rapidly, particularly to foreign continents/islands.  The downside is that it's not possible to assign higher reactors to custom units, so the AI usually goes with the fission reactor, making the unit more expensive.

One thing I wish I understood better: how the AI makes decisions on how to "improve" older unit designs.  Clearly, they do just fine with tacking on upgraded weapons and armor, but I'm less clear on how they make decisions regarding extra abilities, or non-combat designs.  There must be SOME logic - for example, they are able to build Super Fungicidal Formers just fine - but other viable combinations like Aero Colonies are never created, and still others, like Enhanced Probe Teams or Drop Rovers, are only rarely.  And if you do add them (or others like Gravship Formers) to the base units list, the AI might create them then not know what to do with them, meaning they actually weaken the AI.  In short, trial and error is the only way to find good units for the AI, unless Yitzi or someone wants to take a shot at AI reprogramming

[MercantileInterest]

Wondering about adding 4/3/2, 6/4,2 and 8/5/2 AA rovers with the appropriate technologies. After all, the AI doesn't bother with mixed arms forces or air defenses, so this would work around that a bit. Just not sure whether the AI would actually build the units.