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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0002186AI War 1 / ClassicSuggestion - AI Behavior And TacticsJan 3, 2011 11:44 am
ReporterTechSY730 Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Status closedResolutionwon't fix 
Product Version4.058 
Summary0002186: Turtle AIs TOO good at their jobs
DescriptionTurtles do a very good job at defending their planets and slowing the player down. A little too good of a job. So good of a job that they seriously throw off the pacing of the game with almost no "fun factors" in return. Even at a mere level 7, the turtle AIs reinforces planets to a strength that brings the game's progression to a crawl.
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TechSY730

Dec 27, 2010 11:24 pm

reporter   ~0007132

Last edited: Dec 27, 2010 11:40 pm

Some possible ways to fix this (I'm posting this in the comments so people don't confuse this report to be about the suggestions, not the base issue)

One concrete suggestion, the extra guard post on every wormhole has got to go. It increases the "maximum reinforcement unit count" for that planet way too much. Just give it a smallish to medium bonus to the maximum number of units each guard post can hold, thus giving a more modest increase to the maximum number of ships per planet.

Here is another suggestion (which would be in addition to the first suggestion)
Make the reinforcement bonus significantly less for Turtle type AIs (but still be the greatest of all the AI types) but allow them to send waves as normal, just at a quarter of the base wave size. This way they can still defend well, but not to a broken degree. Plus, the attacks will allow them to pose a (small) threat. Even in more traditional RTSs, some good turtles will occasionally send out very small attack forces to possibly catch some undefended areas by surprise, but with a small enough force such that they can still focus their resources on defending.
A similar adjustment should be made for the support corps (but since they already contribute to waves indirectly, maybe their wave penalty can be more harsh)

As always, numbers can be adjusted for balance.

Vinraith

Dec 27, 2010 11:32 pm

reporter   ~0007134

Last edited: Dec 27, 2010 11:34 pm

The issue is really that the turtle types lead more to "stalemate" states, rather than "loss" ones.

TechSY730

Dec 27, 2010 11:34 pm

reporter   ~0007135

@Vinraith True, but do you think those small waves I proposed would help with that problem? (Again it doesn't have to be a quarter, it could be a half or something. Just enough to distinguish it from offensively balanced AIs)

Vinraith

Dec 27, 2010 11:36 pm

reporter   ~0007136

Last edited: Dec 27, 2010 11:45 pm

I think it might. Ironically I think your other change (the reduction of wormhole posts) actually takes away the one offensive thing turtles can do: generate border aggression.

TechSY730

Dec 27, 2010 11:39 pm

reporter   ~0007137

Duh, border aggression. I forgot about the "passive aggressive" tendencies that the Turtle AI brings out. Okay, those can stay if we can figure out how to have the Turtle AI encourage border aggression without reinforcing the planet to stupid degrees.

Chris_McElligottPark

Dec 27, 2010 11:59 pm

administrator   ~0007142

Last edited: Dec 28, 2010 12:00 am

If you don't like them, don't play with them -- they can be disabled. But we aim to support a wide variety of player interests and playstyles, and this meansthat not every type will appeal to everyone. If we try to have every type please everyone, everything becomes very homogenous. Instead we opt for having enough options that people can all hopefully find something they like. The turtles are a very specific flavor.

Vinraith

Dec 28, 2010 12:09 am

reporter   ~0007145

Fair enough!

TechSY730

Dec 28, 2010 12:33 am

reporter   ~0007147

Last edited: Dec 28, 2010 12:36 am

Yea, I guess that is good too. It seems the balance of them makes the game slow, but I guess some people like taking down heavy defended planets. From what you seem to be saying, the balance in that regard is good enough right now.
As much as a like the turtling strategy, I am not really skilled enough to deal with them without slowing down to a crawl, or at least not yet. Until then, I'll just add them to the disabled AI list.

Suzera

Dec 28, 2010 9:23 am

reporter   ~0007151

Turtles allow you to go at a crawl though. They don't send waves. The way they were before the fortress buff and so on they were pushovers.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Dec 27, 2010 11:19 pm TechSY730 New Issue
Dec 27, 2010 11:24 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0007132
Dec 27, 2010 11:29 pm TechSY730 Note Edited: 0007132
Dec 27, 2010 11:32 pm TechSY730 Note Edited: 0007132
Dec 27, 2010 11:32 pm Vinraith Note Added: 0007134
Dec 27, 2010 11:34 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0007135
Dec 27, 2010 11:34 pm Vinraith Note Edited: 0007134
Dec 27, 2010 11:36 pm Vinraith Note Added: 0007136
Dec 27, 2010 11:39 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0007137
Dec 27, 2010 11:40 pm TechSY730 Note Edited: 0007132
Dec 27, 2010 11:45 pm Vinraith Note Edited: 0007136
Dec 27, 2010 11:46 pm TechSY730 Description Updated
Dec 27, 2010 11:59 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0007142
Dec 27, 2010 11:59 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status new => resolved
Dec 27, 2010 11:59 pm Chris_McElligottPark Resolution open => won't fix
Dec 27, 2010 11:59 pm Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Dec 28, 2010 12:00 am Chris_McElligottPark Note Edited: 0007142
Dec 28, 2010 12:09 am Vinraith Note Added: 0007145
Dec 28, 2010 12:33 am TechSY730 Note Added: 0007147
Dec 28, 2010 12:36 am TechSY730 Note Edited: 0007147
Dec 28, 2010 9:23 am Suzera Note Added: 0007151
Jan 3, 2011 11:44 am Chris_McElligottPark Status resolved => closed