Two problems I'm experiencing |
1) How can I increase the computer AI difficulty further? Are there any mods that do this?
Right now I have it set for the highest difficulty and the highest computer bonus and I'm still stomping them. The problem the computer has is that it does not make a serious effort to expand. I always leave "View all players scores" on and by the time I colonized my 40th planet, my largest rival only had 8, the rest of the empires were around 2 or 3. I checked out their space and many of the empires had available planets (Right type of planet material, but wrong atmosphere) to colonize but simply had not. The one empire was even setup in a beautiful chokepoint guarding the only access to 8 systems, which would have had numerous green asterisk planets for them.
2) Each turn a couple of the empires send me a message saying they caught my spies and demand I stop. However, at the time I'm never conducting intelligence against them. Infact, I've gone entire games without conducting any offensive intelligence and they still continue to spam me with the demands (2-3 messages per turn). Is this a bug or just something I'm not getting? Is an AI empire doing something to 'set me up'?
General opinion:
I like the polished interface and the new stuff added (Alliances, real-time combat, fleeing from combat, much more research) but the game seems to lack that grand feeling that SEIV had. The AI feels dumb. It seems to make as many ships as possible and try to throw them at you. This is normally a good strategy but the designs of their ships are always awful. And I do like all the tech levels you can research, but sometimes they feel worthless for all the effort and time it takes to reach them.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
I would reccomend a few mods with better AI's:
Balance Mod - (Closer to stock)
Gideon Mod - (a real good mod with a lot of work in the AI)
Unamaed Mod - Another good AI
Devnull Mod - AI is in the works
Follow my link below also for downloads.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Do any of these mods remove those annoying messages aethe mentioned? As i'm playing a game with 19 computer opponents and i'm receiving the same messages, people telling me to leave a system or to stop attacking a system i've never even been in! I get a lot about spies, intelligence and sabotage a turn as well, even though i'm not doing any of that sort of stuff, my peace treaties won't let me - which is another point, the person i'm in a treaty with is sending me such messages, when one of the main points in the treaty is that I don't use intelligence! My turnly news report is filled with these messages.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
I don't know, if they remove them, but I don't remember seeing them often in Balance Mod or unnamed Mod. But I also don't remember to have seen them this often in stock. Maybee one of the recent AI changes (since 1.44 
) made the AI more likely to use intelligence to decline your relations with other empires.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Its not that, i have 250k intelligence points, all spent on defense, while having only 20,000 points being used against me, i've blocked every attack so far, which is about 500.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Related to the Original Posters question - what Mod should I get if I want the best AI play, not really caring about all the other stuff? I know several have been listed above, but I'm wondering if anyone can suggest the best for AI.
Semi-related note - I don't much care for the "Intelligence" part of the game, so I self-modded the intel centres to produces 10x more research than the regular research centres of the same level. I don't build them myself (no need), but the AI does and yet I still have over 10x the RP, but I figure it's a start. :-/
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
bloodything, i do the same thing with intelligence, i have lots of it but never wish to use it, its purely for self defense, i get enough so that my enemies can't harm my empire. But still i get accused of sabotaging people for some reason.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Someone observed this in another post. I don't remember a solution but I do remember them mentioning that they kept getting "stop intelling me" messages from people that they weren't attacking. The cause was that they had...at some point...selected that empire as an intel target, and even though they had never actually attacked them, the AI caught wind of this and NEVER let it go (even after the targetting had been removed and treaties established). It seems to be a quirk with the AI...possibly fixable.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
I don't use intel myself. I've thought of the intel system as hopelessly broken. Despite any defenses I had too many annoying attacks get through. Way too unrealistic.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Thing is i never use intel on anyone, i always keep it as 100% defense. I installed unnamed's improved AI mod and that seems to have done the trick.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
No-one able to suggest the best AI mod? :-/
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Best way is to try them out for yourself probably.
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Bloodything,
I personally recommend my mod (linked below), if you want a better AI with a normal game. The balanced mod is excellent with a decent AI and a more balanced version of SEV (some changes but same general feel). I've heard good things about some other mods but never had the chance to play them.
-Unnamed
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Unnamed Mod is probably the best for pure AI development and, as he mentioned, Captain Kwok's Balance Mod is pretty darn good too (decent AI with alot of nice balances/changes to stock). Devnull's mod is my personal favorite as far as techs and changes to stock goes but the AI is rather lacking, its mostly for PBW games, I think. I have downloaded the BSG mod but haven't played it so I won't comment on that one
Re: Two problems I'm experiencing
Apparently the stock AI *is* stupid, lol. Yes, there are mods that make them better - UnnamedMOD is one, I'm not sure if Kwok's Balance Mod changes the AI or not, same for DevNull's (though I like his mod alot) but you are right, the AI just can't compete. Take a look at the downloads section and read about the various mod offerings, they will list what they change/improve.