How can I make things more interesting for 2 v 2 AI?

from Sins Forums

Hi guys,

I just recently got into the game. I started off playing against medium comps and got trounced badly. However, after I started getting the hang of things, I found it pretty easy to win. After all, the comp likes to run away a lot. I can also usually beat hard AI as well now. I started playing with a friend over LAN with just one copy and I discovered that the game was worth it to spend another $10 to get entrenchment. I want to get the most I can out of this game.

Does anyone have any tips for how to make the game more of a toss up? Or should I expect that every game will hold different challenges? So far, it does seem that the comp just sends constant stream of capital ships to get obliterated or they waste money on starbases. Sure the comp is more than an annoyance and can be a serious threat sometimes, but I feel that if I just focus on defense and produce a steady number of capital ships and cruisers, eventually the comp is going to lose one sector at a time.

Is there some way for example to have player placement so me and my friend are right next to each other guarding a single choke point? Sometimes I hardly feel like me and my partner are even in the same game since we're seperated by each other by such a large distance.

Would it be a good idea to throw in some neutral comps and enter into a contest with the hard AI's to see who can get them to join their side? Maybe a 3rd group of AI's for a free for all? Is suicide difficulty too crazy? I would like the comp to be smarter but I don't know if I want him to win b/c of a resource handicap.

6,494 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

You've basically summed up the problems with the current AI.  Once you have a good defense set up, the AI really isn't smart enough to break it.  This is only compounded by the fact that the AI itself builds its own defenses quite inadequately but still manages to waste copious amounts of cash doing so. The "unfair" difficulty doesn't solve the problem.  The AI just gets more cash which it wastes in exactly the same manner.  If you survive long enough to put up your big strong starbases you'll have exactly the same issues.  A free for all wouldn't be much better; once again as soon as your starbases go up you can pick off each AI at your own leisure.

You might get by with playing smaller scenarios where highly upgraded starbases are not common, but this will only do so much to help you.  The only real solution is to come online and play against human opponents.

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

You can mod the gameplay.constants file to make the AI build more ships, or research more etc.

Here are the defaults:

playerAISharedDef
        table-Aggressive
            BuildShip 10
            BuildModuleTactical 2
            BuildModuleCivilian 1
            BuildModuleResearch 1
            UpgradeResearch 2
            UpgradePlanetArtifactLevel 1
            UpgradePlanetPopulation 1
            UpgradePlanetInfastructure 1
            MaxBountyBidCount 5
        table-Defensive
            BuildShip 5
            BuildModuleTactical 5
            BuildModuleCivilian 1
            BuildModuleResearch 1
            UpgradeResearch 2
            UpgradePlanetArtifactLevel 1
            UpgradePlanetPopulation 1
            UpgradePlanetInfastructure 3
            MaxBountyBidCount 5
        table-Research
            BuildShip 5
            BuildModuleTactical 2
            BuildModuleCivilian 2
            BuildModuleResearch 2
            UpgradeResearch 5
            UpgradePlanetArtifactLevel 2
            UpgradePlanetPopulation 1
            UpgradePlanetInfastructure 2
            MaxBountyBidCount 10
        table-Economic
            BuildShip 5
            BuildModuleTactical 2
            BuildModuleCivilian 5
            BuildModuleResearch 1
            UpgradeResearch 2
            UpgradePlanetArtifactLevel 2
            UpgradePlanetPopulation 5
            UpgradePlanetInfastructure 2
            MaxBountyBidCount 15

Try changing the values, see what you get.

A 'BuildShip' of 20 or more makes the AI go mental ;)

Change this:

fleetSupplyData-Large
        fleetSupplyScalar 1.25

To 2.5 and you will double fleet sizes.

Put the AI on Unfair and see how you get on.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

ROFL fuzzy... r. o. f. l...

i will have to try that.... ill call it "fuzzy mental ai mod"

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

 

You might consider increasing the number of AI opponents and setting the game to Locked Teams, forcing them to all work together with you and your friend on the same team.  You might also scour the Map Downloads database for interesting maps or create your own using Galaxy Forge.  If you make your own maps you can insure that you and your friend start off near one another.

As others mentioned, ultimately you'll want to come try it online and I think that now is an unusually good time because for some reason an unusual number of new people have been playing on Ironclad Online (ICO) in the past week or two.  (I don't know why that is other than that pehaps a Game of the Year Edition was released recently, putting it back up on store shelves.)  You could also play comp stomps with other people when your friend isn't around.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

A 'BuildShip' of 20 or more makes the AI go mental
End of quote

You should try 50 for everything. :-"

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

just play unlocked teams in large maps n it will bring CHAOS lol

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

You should try 50 for everything.
End of quote

Having the AI chuck 200+ Illuminators at me is quite enough... *_*

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Hahaha, that is true. But add 100 HC, 50-60 Carriers to that mix. All reserach maxed out too. 15 mins into the game. A true unfair AI right there.