It's Only One Avatar, Never The Other

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:06 pm

This is something I've noticed every time I play FleetOps:
The AI only uses one Avatar for every fight. Here is how it goes:
Every time I've had the Feds as my enemy, it's always the Mason Avatar I face.  >:D
The Klingons always use that... who was it... TaQ'Roja is the Avatar I fight every time.  >:(
The Dominion always fight with the Breen Avatar.  :2guns:
The Romulans always use the Mijural Avatar. 
The Borg always use the Assimilate Avatar.

Is the game supposed to do this, or it is a possible bug? I ask because the Hitchhiker's Guide gives you strategy tips for the AI using either Avatar, and I found that odd since I was always fighting the same Avatar every time.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:11 pm

The AI files tell it what units/stations to use. It can only use one avatar because the game only includes AI files for one avatar, usually the Z-extention one.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:16 pm

Only AI files for one Avatar? Why don't they have them for both? It'd make sense so the AI would mix it up a little each time

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:18 pm

Most likely there isn't a way to get it to randomly vary or they were to busy with other features (like improving the AI itself) to make two for each race.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:25 pm

Well thats a kind off a let-down.  I hope that maybe this will be changed in the future. It'd be nice to battle that occasional Phalanx or Prime Module Sphere..... 

Wait a minute, that reminds me. Another thing that I've noticed is that the AI NEVER EVER builds mixed-tech shipyards, no matter what race you set as you ally, or what race you set as your enemy's ally. Is the reason you said the same reason for this? That they don't have AI files for these?

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:29 pm

Another thing that is a problem. Adding them to the AI would screw them up when they are not allied to the race in question.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:32 pm

Really? I didn't think it'd be all that difficult. I mean, thay already have the function coded for the players themselves. Considering other things, I don't think it would be all that much of a hassle. Then again, I probably couldn't begin to fathom how much coding can go into even the simplest of things...

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:36 pm

It would be quite tough... unless done yourself without getting it to switch AI itself when you set an ally.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 9:55 pm

just chalk it up to one of those odd little things,  we all know about it, nothing much can be done without hella lot o work so we just deal with it.

kinda like when i enemy Ai retreted through a wormhole, once it gets to the other side, it will just sit there, not going to a repair yard, just sit there till you shoot at it.  and even then, sometimes, it will just sit there till it gets blown up. 

posted on September 14th, 2009, 10:00 pm

Adding mixed tech and the other avatar is easy; just make a seperate AI file for each avatar/alliance and switch which one is in the main AI folder when you need to (before the game).

Annoying, but easy (providing you can edit the AI without making a CTD, at least).

posted on September 14th, 2009, 10:07 pm

This does give me an idea though; Can the AI be made to ignore build commands that it can't execute? if so, all you need to do is issue a few build commands, one for each race then it will only build the one it can.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 11:13 pm

Two things to note here. '

One, that AI cannot "choose" by using the replaceweapon we hit at the very beginning of the game (likewise, I'm not sure if a random function can even be made).

Two, the AI for next patch is getting a large redo, so that the AI will always be a mix of both avatars (aka, getting the units and bonuses of both).

posted on September 14th, 2009, 11:24 pm

What!? Does that mean that another avatar has to be made for the AI? Its definitly not a bad idea, but its something of a small detail for all that

posted on September 15th, 2009, 12:24 am

I think that's the only way the Devs knew how to "fix" the problem at the moment 

I bet in the future randomized avatars will be possible, but for now we get a "harder" mixed AI

posted on September 15th, 2009, 2:09 am

Prime Spheres AND Pyramids...

Both spammed.  Jeebus.

And Breen Battleships backed up by S-7 Defenders.  UGH.

I'm much less afraid of the Klingon, Romulan, and Federation blendings.  Nothing really too broken, other than stat-adds that the AI would put into use effectively.  Though I suppose Cehlear holding you motionless inside a Radiation Field might actually make the Rad Field do something worthy of attention.