Topics

16

AI War / Interface Poll: Engineer Autoassist Toggle

« on: August 18, 2009, 12:01:57 PM »

Autoassisting refers to the action of engineers automatically assisting spacedocks with construction. This reduces build times but increases the rate of resource consumption.

Would you prefer that the toggle be set per engineer, so you can choose which engineers will autoassist?

Would you prefer that the toggle be set per spacedock, so you can choose which spacedocks the engineers will autoassist?

Would you prefer that both options were available? (Note this isn't ideal as it creates a probably unacceptable level of complexity, hence it will only be added as a vote option if someone can make a really good case for it.)

I can add other options if people have further suggestions.

17

AI War Technical Support / [Solved] Having trouble installing AI War 1.013?

« on: August 07, 2009, 07:07:57 PM »

When attempting to install AI War: Fleet Command using the version 1.013 installer, you may encounter an error stating that Disk1.cab is corrupt.

UPDATE: To resolve this issue, please download an updated version of the installer from GameTrove.

18

AI War / Allied CPU Players? Yea or Nay?

« on: July 27, 2009, 09:30:51 AM »

Would you like to see Allied CPU Players in AI War?

Would they be subject to the same constraints as the human players, and required to harvest resources and build ships in the same manner as us? Or would they play by their own unique ruleset? If possible, post ideas for this new ruleset.

How much control do you think the player should have over their allies? Should they be relatively independent, or should their actions be largely dictated by player commands?

Are there any interface tweaks or features you'd like to see implemented specifically in relation to Allied CPUs?

How do you feel that Allied CPUs would enhance the gameplay experience?

19

AI War / Exploitative Tactics: The Super Cruiser

« on: July 13, 2009, 04:36:34 PM »

A Space Tug and a Cruiser can cooperate to create an ultra-fast long range attacker.

I have watched this thing fly circles (technically, squares, but you get the point) around the enemy for literally 3 minutes (It started on red health). If any shots finally do catch up they presumably have so little energy left that they're almost guaranteed to miss.

20

AI War / Exploitative Tactics: The Space Snake

« on: July 12, 2009, 08:05:07 PM »

The Munitions Booster allows for the formation of the most fearsome of beasts - The Space Snake.

Born of the tendency for ships to form a line when traveling large distances, the Space Snake provides optimum attack boosting for its comprising ships.

The Space Snake's components may appear few, but be not fooled by the Snake's deception, its power is greater than it seems.

Kept in shape by skillful maneuvering, the Space Snake can spiral around its prey, inflicting terrible damage.

But let the Space Snake stop, and its power fades. Its components disperse into cluster, and the Space Snake is no more.

21

AI War / Feature Request: Tactical Zoning

« on: July 09, 2009, 05:57:42 PM »

The ability to define 1 or more persistent tactical zones on a per system basis.

Being able to drag a selection box around a given area to determine the number of ships in that area is extremely useful, however I often want that data to persist on the screen whilst I manage other issues.

I would like the ability to click and drag to create a persistent zone in which said data continues to be displayed until I manually remove the zone. These zones would only be visible whilst in Far Zoom.

For example, holding <key>+1 and dragging creates zone 1. <key>+1+Right-Click removes the created tactical zone. Similarly, further zones can be created by holding <key>+2,3,4, etc. <key>+A+Right-Click removes all current tactical zones in the system. <key>+H (Hold) temporarily hides all current tactical zones.

Placing these tactical zones around hostile wormholes would allow the player to monitor the number of turrets remaining around each, and enemy ships appearing. Additionally, they could increase tactical awareness in situations where multiple skirmishes are taking place in a system.

Similarly, although distinctly, the ability to designate certain systems as, 'Monitored Systems', would be useful. I'd like to receive text warnings when enemy ships enter those systems, rather than when they just attack the Command Station.

As a sort of serious-if-you-can and joking-if-you-can't request, what's the chance of multiple monitor support? e.g. Galaxy map on screen 1, clicking on a system causes the screen 2 to switch to that planet?

22

AI War / Unit Tactics

« on: July 07, 2009, 10:31:14 AM »

Hi All,

If anyone has any tactical tips regarding any of the units, there is now a page on the community wiki for such discussion.

http://arcengames.com/communitywiki/index.php?title=Unit_Types_and_Tactics

So far it just includes the combat ships and turrets, however, as time goes on it will probably become a comprehensive unit encyclopedia. The data for each unit should hopefully be available soon - I'll generate some nice tables.

My personal thanks to anyone who adds their advice to the wiki.

23

AI War / Unable to Print Relative Strength Analysis

« on: July 04, 2009, 07:01:46 PM »

I'm unable to print the Relative Strength Analysis using Ctrl+Shift+F5.

I'm running Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit, UAC is disabled. The file simply doesn't seem to appear in the AI War directory, nor is there any in game message suggesting that the file has been created.

If anyone happens to have a Relative Strength Analysis handy would they be kind enough to post it? Thanks.

24

AI War / Odd happenings

« on: June 29, 2009, 06:35:16 PM »

A couple of strange things can be observed in the system, Marusur.

Firstly, in the save game, Missiles Disappearing, if you look at the cruisers in attack-move mode at the top right (The ones firing at the friggin' forcefield-protected munitions-boosted special forces command post that I've decided to blockade until I have tech III bombers) their missiles seem to suddenly disappear after only a second of flight. I can't see a counter-missile turret around or any visual indication of something destroying the missiles.

Secondly, in the save game, Odd Spawning 2, If you watch the centre of the system Marusur and wait 30 seconds, you will see a group of AI ships spawn seemingly from nowhere. The command station and all but 1 special forces command post have been destroyed already.

25

AI War / Ship Selection Suggestions

« on: June 29, 2009, 03:42:12 PM »

Would it be possible, assuming that there is a scout in the system, to have an option to display the number of non-cloaked enemy ships that are currently inside a given selection box as a number at the top left/right of the box? Sometimes when attacking a system I'd like to be able to drag a square around an enemy command station and read off how many ships are currently defending it.

Perhaps additionally icons for the enemy ship types that are inside the selection box could be displayed somewhere, although I suppose this might look a tad cluttered.

The same system would also be useful for friendly ships - I'd often like to know just how many ships I'm about to select before I release left-click.

When combined these two features would be a quick way of gauging friendly vs AI strength in a given area of a gravity well, instead of just overall.

Finally, is there a way of selecting just a certain ship type from a given selection? e.g. I select all the ships guarding a particular wormhole, I now decide I just want all the cruisers in that selection.

26

AI War / Possible movement bug

« on: June 29, 2009, 03:22:44 PM »

I've had a couple of instances where a few ships have been unable to move despite displaying 100% engine health. After saving and reloading the game I'm then able to move the affected ships once again.

It seems to happen when ships are dragged off by EtherJets which are then destroyed - it doesn't happen to every ship that's dragged off however.

I'll try and find a reliable way of reproducing it.

27

AI War / Counter-spy turrets malfunction

« on: June 29, 2009, 03:15:57 PM »

Counter-spy turrets seem unable to destroy my cloaked ships. I have a group of 19 autocannon minipods sat right next to a counter-spy turret and despite receiving the message that my ships were being insta-killed the turret was missing every shot.

Interestingly, the turret chooses a different minipod as a target each time, after firing once at all the minipods the turret becomes inactive. If I save the game and reload it the turret ones again fires at each minipod in turn and then stops, without destroying any of them.

This is on 1.008, I've attached a save game, if you quickly swap to Povarra, the planet below my homeworld, you'll see the minipods.

28

AI War / Capturing Planetary Structures

« on: June 25, 2009, 12:12:27 PM »

Currently it is possible to reap the benefits of an Advanced Research Station by quickly targeting the AI's command station and commencing the construction of your own Command Station, even if your station fails to complete construction and your forces are quickly wiped out you still gain access to the new ship type. This leads to Colony Ship suicide runs often being a viable tactic as it is not always necessary to conquer the en-route systems to reach the Research Station.

Similarly, you can often make attacking an AI planet with an Ion Cannon considerably easier by starting construction of a Command Station quickly to take control of the cannon. Only planets where the AI's Command Station is protected by a forcefield are resistant to this.

Would it be better if it were a requirement for your command station to finish construction before planetary structures are transfered under your control? Or perhaps hold the Research Station/Ion Cannon for a certain period of time before it becomes active?