What is wrong with combat AI

How I killed 45 cobalts with 2

from Sins Forums
Using 2 cobalts, one Kol, and 6 light carriers I decimated a fleet of 45 cobalts without incurring one lost ship. The battle took place on a dead asteroid I owned. The enemy slowly built up his fleet after a larger battle in which I sustained many lost ships but took his Kol. He sat all his ships at the edge of the farside grav well, with a lane to his desert. I jumped in my small fleet together from the north and immediately moved the cobalts to east and west. I allowed my bombers and Kol to do what they wanted. The enemy split his force to chase my cobalts, but I move my kol toward west as a distraction for the west cobalt to move to the south.
At this point, I had bombers bombing together, carriers at top north, one cobalt on the east edge, the other turning from near the west edge to go south, with my Kol in the middle of the 20 or so enemy fleet trailing my south bound cobalt. I then move the east cobalt through the enemy to the south to meet the other. So now there is a diamond formation with my cobalts at south, two enemy fleets moving south from east and west and my Kol at north (a lil off center) all the while with my bombers bombing.
Next I move my two cobalt together in a continuous triangle (moving east to west to south) all the while under the asteroid to stay away from the carriers. My Kol runs a circle inside the triangle to attack without my help. The only manual move I make it to move my cobalts. For some reason, the enemy forms a long line to follow, but never cuts me off or traps me.
So, I won. I want to discuss how better AI movement and maneuvering will be needed to combat such advantages that are gained with such micro-management, but I know not how to facilitate such a discussion. So here is my problem with the AI and what I see as "dumb" behavior. enjoy
3,165 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
The carriers are what help you win that battle, I think the AI should make carriers a high priority target.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
There are many topics in which the AI is being discussed. The dev's are well aware of the AI's shortcomings, and are working to improve it.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
The carriers are what help you win that battle, I think the AI should make carriers a high priority target.

Yes and no. I don't think it is so simple. It's not which ship is a higher priority target, as that changes, but rather which is currently of high value to attack. You're right, to win my enemy could have forget my cobalts and attack the carriers, but if it always attacks carriers first it creates other problems. Moreover, they needed to be able to kill the cobalts, not chase indefinitely.

Major- I know, but the dev's have also commented that they wish for us to post examples of such shortcomings for them to better improve. Moreover, my post more than simply to show said shortcomings, but rather illuminate the large problem of the advantages of micro-managing battles, which I guess is partly a function of the AI. So, yes, as the AI improves, this advantage will decrease, but I doubt it will diminish completely.

So far as I can tell, based on watching my own fleets' AI, the ship AI and tactics are those of individual ships performing individual tasks, often with individual goals in mind. This is what leads to my advantage when I manage my battles. I can use the individuals to perform group goals: defensive positions, focus fire, and flanking maneuvers. It is my opinion, these types of goals need to be recognized with respect to how to improve AI. So yes, there are many other threads, but none that are currently actively talking about this.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Good post. I think they are not being talked about for the very reason above.

I think it should be and thanks for that tactical AI insight. It will help the devs to make the AI smarter. That is better than "We're aware and working on it!"  

There are many topics in which the AI is being discussed. The dev's are well aware of the AI's shortcomings, and are working to improve it.


Well, I think it does not hurt to give more detail, and really you cannot have enough feedback.

I am getting bored until a new AI beta 3 or whatever comes about. I like a good AI (who does not?)