AI should honour alliances

from Sins Forums
Hey,

I was playing a big FFA earlier today and I was allied with a friend of mine. We had practically won the game, fielding huge fleets of carriers/heavy cruisers against what amounted to tiny fleets of tier 1 units on the enemies' side. In the end there was an alliance of 3 players vs us and we were winning quite clearly, when suddenly my friend had his 24h disconnect and an AI took over for him. Instead of helping me wipe out the enemy, though, the AI suddenly turns against me for no reason at all.

I can't think of any reason why the AI should BREAK an existing alliance. If two players ally, they do so for a reason. The AI only lowers its chances of winning by breaking the alliance, and it really disrupts the game when the AI does so. Therefore I suggest that AIs should honour existing alliances when they take over for a human player.
21,158 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
For some reason, the AI likes to pick on the "top dog" of the map. That's probably you. It would be nice if the AI would sometimes fear the top player on the map, but my experiences haven't shown this at all. What could have happened is that you probably ignored the missions the AI was giving you and they subsequently dumped the alliance. What's worse is during that period of dwindling favorability your AI partner probably "magically" allied itself with your enemies without doing a single mission (seriously, why do we have to do missions but the AI does not?). I can't even count the number of times I've had lame duck AI allies that just sit around and do nothing because they're allies with everyone yet are only sending me missions.

It's unfortunately a fact of the game that you can't get rid of unless you lock teams, or save the game, reload it with your friend, but upon reloading re-confirm the lock/unlock status of teams and their alliances.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
SinS isn't the only game that has this problem, another game known as Sword of the Stars (another great game in 'my' opinion) has this problem. Where if the player suddenly disconnects and it was allied with another player it'll suddenly break the alliance (unless teams are locked)

However, SotS is different in that the AI's actually prefer to pick on the weakest link and will a lot of times allie with the most powerful player in the game. Though it isn't suppose to be common, it always seem's so when my friends and I are playing.

Though, in SinS's case, the allie really does need to honor existing alliances and not break when the player who owns that slot drops out.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
AI should say "Hey it looks like the enemy is heading to your homeworld! I'm sending help" and they send all their ships to your HW, then break alliance, and go "LOLOLOLO JK" and break the alliance after having gone past all your defenses while allied.

It should do things other players do..
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
AI should say "Hey it looks like the enemy is heading to your homeworld! I'm sending help" and they send all their ships to your HW, then break alliance, and go "LOLOLOLO JK" and break the alliance after having gone past all your defenses while allied.
End of quote

The AI did that to me... :(
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
stupid lack of edit.. I didnt' mean to put "break alliance" in two parts of that sentance.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
The AI made fun of my mama as it was beating me to a pulp. :(
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
The AI made fun of my mama as it was beating me to a pulp.
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Haha...

I also have some issues with the alliance system, even (mostly, in fact) in single player.

I'll have a peace treaty with one of the computer players (after completing an appropriate number of missions), planet vision, ship vision, trade alliance - you name it. I'll then ask my computer ally to defend one of my planets, to which it adeptly sends a formidable fleet in compliance. However, once the fleet gets there, it sits around the planet/asteroid in the center of the gravity well, and won't attack the enemy from which my structures/planet are receiving constant barrages from. The enemy also neglects to attack the friendly AI.

Is this because my ally and enemy have formed an alliance as well? If so, why is my ally continuing to issue me missions to attack that very enemy?
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
innociv
AI should say "Hey it looks like the enemy is heading to your homeworld! I'm sending help" and they send all their ships to your HW, then break alliance, and go "LOLOLOLO JK" and break the alliance after having gone past all your defenses while allied.It should do things other players do..
End of quote

I've had this happen to me too actually. What happens is that I'm about to fail a mission that will put my likability low enough to kill off an alliance, the AI breaks ALL deals simultaneously, the countdown timer starts, and I have to either hurry up and call for a cease fire or recall defense forces to my home planet so my former ally doesn't take it out.

cg49me
The AI made fun of my mama as it was beating me to a pulp.Haha...I also have some issues with the alliance system, even (mostly, in fact) in single player.I'll have a peace treaty with one of the computer players (after completing an appropriate number of missions), planet vision, ship vision, trade alliance - you name it. I'll then ask my computer ally to defend one of my planets, to which it adeptly sends a formidable fleet in compliance. However, once the fleet gets there, it sits around the planet/asteroid in the center of the gravity well, and won't attack the enemy from which my structures/planet are receiving constant barrages from. The enemy also neglects to attack the friendly AI.Is this because my ally and enemy have formed an alliance as well? If so, why is my ally continuing to issue me missions to attack that very enemy?
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I absolutely HATE it when that happens! Your AI buddy probably did form some sort of alliance with the enemy. This happens to me pretty often so I don't even rely on the AI to help me out. I've even run into situations where the AI whines that one of its planets is being sieged, I order them to go defend their own planet, they show up there just before it's too late, and then completely fly right past their attacker without firing. I've tried to order them to attack other AI ships but they whine that it's their ally and their ally wouldn't appreciate it.

Another time I was being attacked by 3 different AI's on an unlocked large random map, ordered my AI ally to help me defend a terran planet, the AI buddy shows up, flies right by me and the 3 attackers without firing a shot, parks next to the planet, tells me it's finished its task, and then takes off. 90% of my unlocked games have featured this sort of situation so I only bother with temporary cease fires and go things alone for the most part. The remaining 10% normally ends up with me allied to one or more AI's who are buddies with everyone except for one faction they each don't like. However, because they both dislike a different enemy neither helps each other out.

This can be frustrating.

I'd also like to be able to give AI's missions. If I'm top dog in the game, you better do what I say or I'm going to come wipe you out. The AI doesn't quite understand that, but it acts that way in the early game.
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
This could all be sorted out if you couldn't be allied with someone your allies are at war with, or if the diplomacy was more indepth, rather than do what I want or I'm going to kill you. Also, why isn't there a demand tribute button? The AI can ask for thousands of my resources, but I have no option to get any back, especially when I'm crushing them, or my ally has a huge economy and is safe because I've destroyed my own in order to protect him.
What I'd personally like is the ability to lock teams until I'm happy then declare war as it suits me, so I can have time to build my economy etc.