AI settings

posted on May 29th, 2009, 11:33 pm

Just out of curiosity, what settings does everyone else use when playing the AI for a relatively "fair" match.

I like how hard AIs are more aggressive, but they also cheat like no other and are nearly impossible to beat 1v1 as they out-build you easily.

Medium AIs are a little easier, but they don't rush, and get a little stale.

I've tried tweaking the hard AIs build times to find a balance, but I'm curious if there's a certain level that people prefer to make hard AIs build like medium AIs (that is, not cheat so much) and still maintain their improved AI (rushing and etc)?

[Tyler]

posted on May 29th, 2009, 11:57 pm

Last edited by Tyler on May 29th, 2009, 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I just put AI build time & costs to max. They keep the spamming and monster battleship fleet, but build slow enough for me to keep up (most of the time).

posted on May 30th, 2009, 12:47 am

I usually stick with default settings, with double resources.  This works well, because the AI doesn't really use them any way.  Also the AI hard is much harder then the medium.  IMO there is too much of a gap there but that is just me.  It is best to stick with standard settings, because that is what every one uses online.

posted on May 30th, 2009, 3:17 am

I always play against 1 hard dominion AI with default settings except for turning off shroud and fog. Somehow i cant manage a battle AND not be able to know where his fleet is at the same time.

posted on May 30th, 2009, 6:33 am

i do one hard with shroud off. trying to work up to 2 but i can do it if depending on the race of the other 2.

posted on May 30th, 2009, 9:27 am

For those that play 1v1 against hard AIs with default settings - How do you keep up with the AI's cheating?

By time I'm even able to start building cruisers (and have a few destroyers for skirmishing), the AI already has a full mixed fleet of cruisers/destroyers and is devastating my forward mining outposts.


I guess I should clarify what I'm looking for:


What settings do you think, provides the most challenging "smart" AI with less of the cheating (a little bit is fine as it compensates for the AI being inherently dumb)?

posted on May 31st, 2009, 12:53 am

What i reccomend is playing as Klingons against a Dominion hard AI with shroud/fog off on my Wormhole Passage map (you can get it in the map exchange forum subsection of mapediting, really should add a link to that in my sig). In my experience, if you dont let the AI capture secondary moonsets, then you can usually keep them from spamming stuff at you. I reccomend wormhole passage because there seems to be a quirk of the map design that makes the AI not quite as good on it, so start there. If klingons arent your thing then federation or romulan oughta work too!

posted on May 31st, 2009, 1:32 am

Klingons are not the easiest race to start off as. i would recommend playing as the federation or romulans first.

posted on May 31st, 2009, 3:00 am

For those that play 1v1 against hard AIs with default settings - How do you keep up with the AI's cheating?

If you're having trouble fighting the Hard AI I recommend adjusting the AI build time handicap to an easier setting.  Set it to say, 1.15 and play on that level.  Then once you get comfortable with that you can keep adjusting it back toward the normal setting.  Eventually you'll beat the default Hard AI, get bored with it, and come have fun doing multiplayer with the rest of us.

posted on May 31st, 2009, 1:27 pm

I finally beat the hard Borg AI, after 14 hours. I was asleep for about 8 of those hours though, after I set up my insane torpedo platform defence grid and left it going. Apparently I killed 4444 ships total.

I eventually won by taking a bunch of Excelsior-II into their base and doing the old "fly around in circles with cubes chasing" tactic.

My grid : http://www.secretundergroundbase.com/dump/images/FOScreenShot_090531_141617.png

posted on June 6th, 2009, 2:32 am

Megadroid, how the hell did you manage to keep the game running? whenever i try that i it crashes out after like 3 or 4 hours.

posted on June 6th, 2009, 2:45 am

Megadroid, how the hell did you manage to keep the game running? whenever i try that i it crashes out after like 3 or 4 hours.

3-4 hours? How do you manage that? I'm lucky if the game lets me play for half an hour.

posted on June 7th, 2009, 5:11 pm

Megadroid, how the hell did you manage to keep the game running? whenever i try that i it crashes out after like 3 or 4 hours.

I have 8GB of RAM ( I thought it would be fun ), so that probably helps somewhat. I also have a good processor + graphics card. The wormhole entrance was a bit laggy though, probably the explosions bug, but after the grid was setup I only had to look at it to send ships through.

I may have also just got lucky!

posted on June 8th, 2009, 6:49 am

Dear god that grid is insane.

Also, I guess I should edit my original post to reference "Merciless" AI now instead of Hard, lol.

posted on June 8th, 2009, 7:32 am

nice work on the turret grid