TobiWahn_Ke...

I think the AI needs some help when playing as Minbari.

There's at least two issues that the AI seems to have problems with :- the tech tree and the cost of ships at the start.

These two factors means Minbari AIs tend to dig themselves in at their homeworld and rarely expand & colonize new worlds.

I've just played a large map where all 8-players were Minbari, and only one AI colonized several worlds (6, then 8).

Just two AIs built more than one cap ship, the AI that colonized managed to build 3.

It was very easy for me to expand (30+ planets) into unclaimed territory.

I can see the intent of the Minbari tech tree was to prevent the AI walking over EA, Narn & Centauri neighbours.

However, it seems that it may be a bit too difficult, if the AI makes the mistake of not building any civilian labs it cannot do any research on any of the other trees - civilian tech The Early Years is a prerequisite for everything.

As it very hard for a Minbari AI to colonize at the start, they have a big handicap in developing their economy.

This coupled with the expense of their ships, means they rarely build a decent fleet in the beginning.

I suggest a few tweaks to give the AI at little help.

1) Allow the Minbari to colonize desert worlds without Star Bourne research - like the previous version of SotYR IIRC

2) Make the Tinashi the Minbari's first capital ship, Sharlin would become available after research.

OK, I've suggested this before, but I think the high cost of a subsequent Sharlins deters the AI from building them, especially as the Minbari economy as quite hard to get going.

Starting with the Tinashi would balance the Minbari against EA/Narn etc, while at the same time may make it easier for Minbari AIs to build a decent starting fleet.

3) Maybe also spread the cost of capital ships across the different resources more evenly, less metal, more crystal.

Minbari have several techs that improve crystal extraction rates, plus their ships use polycrystalline armour.

4) Pure conjecture here from a non-modder, but does the AI treat each tree position with different priorities?

If so, it may worth be swapping the Worker Caste and Ruling Body trees so that higher priority is given the latter - as that tree has techs that are prerequisites for techs on the other trees.

It seemed that AIs didn't do much work on Ruling Body (aka Diplomacy tree) which hindered their research opportunities elsewhere.

Hi,

Abilities almost completely implemented in the DataBase, just export missing. After that I will add the current abilities to the database and start concentrating on finishing 0.43

If an AI is having issues, I'd suggest putting in an AI only tech to help them, and particularly one that costs negative resources, which in turn acts as a one time resource boost for the AI.

Once we have 0.43 ready and out the door you could have a look and suggest fixes (with detailed instructions if possible, and best already tested by you )

If it is for sins, it always is

@Davroth

New DatabaseEditor Update imminent. I will give you a link once posted so you can use it to design new abilities (if you so wish)

What do you mean by this?

Will look into this. I do like that idea. Have you considered opening a BitBucket Account to submit your findings in the issue tracker? That way they won't get lost (though there are many issues open atm)

Well, good models take lots of time and I am busy bringing the Database up to snuff. And now that rebellion is out that means after the release of 0.43 I must make the DB compatible with rebellion. So new ships from myself will still take some time.

Will do (sometime) though such "bug" reports are really best reported in the BitBucket Issuetracker

https://bitbucket.org/TobiWahn_Kenobi/sotyr/wiki/Home

Thanks. Done and evaluating.

Good idea, get it in the issue tracker and we'll see to it. You can even give me a sins entity file which includes those bonuses and I'll put them in the repository

Will do.

I've no idea how Sins entity files fit together though - why do I get the sneaky feeling that TobiWahn is trying to make a modder out of me? 

NewHorizons,

'Cause that is how I got involved! I'll look into the faction specific diplomatic bonuses but we had that very idea two years ago and it is still not in game... There are many good SoaSE modding tutorials, though I fear unless your a 20 something or a programmer by trade alot of it is a foreign language.

Darvroth

... well as it happens I am a programmer (C/C++ on Unix & Windows) but it's been a while since I was 20-something, so it may be a case of teaching old dogs & new tricks.

@Davroth

ModDB is now updated and includes abilities and buffs. No Filemaker required. You can send me your files using the Backup function in the settings screen (cogwheel) so I can reimport them into my DB Version

SinsModEditor

If you got questions regarding use, just send me a mail. Requires java to be installed on your machine.