The Orion Nebula

Is it possible to edit the ship build list inside MOO 2 so the computer doesn't build such lousy ships?

Out of curiousity, does anyone know if the AI knows how to 'refit' ships?

Is it possible to edit the ship build list inside MOO 2 so the computer doesn't build such lousy ships?

Actually I have been giving this some thought. It should be possible. I would love to at the very least fix the antarian ships. Make them stronger.

Out of curiousity, does anyone know if the AI knows how to 'refit' ships?

From what I have observed the ships the AI uses are exactly the same ships that you get when you select strategic combat. They are refit automatically (instantly) when you get new technology...and ya they basically suck.

Actually I have been giving this some thought. It should be possible. I would love to at the very least fix the antarian ships. Make them stronger.

I agree. The Antarians are rather weak but the AI is just plain awful. I'm in a game now where 10 of doom stars took on a fleet of 15 doom stars and 20 titans...and the AI STILL LOST! (Love that time warp facilitator)

From what I have observed the ships the AI uses are exactly the same ships that you get when you select strategic combat. They are refit automatically (instantly) when you get new technology...and ya they basically suck.

Ok, I wasn't really sure if the AI ever upgraded or not.

From what I have observed the ships the AI uses are exactly the same ships that you get when you select strategic combat.

I agree that there are similarities and it is probably the same algorithm but of course there are differences. There are missing many techs in strat combat (for example battlepods).

Does the game actually have 'tables' that it draws upon to create ships or does it just contain a limited amount of built-in 'pre-built' ships?

If it's a table of sorts, maybe it can be 'tweaked' a bit to include the techs that are missing.

Out of curiousity, does the AI ever go after Orion and if successful, does it use any of the tech gleaned from there? What about Antaran tech, other than the quantum detonator? I can't recall ever seeing an AI ship with particle beams or death rays, never mind the black hole generator.

Does the game actually have 'tables' that it draws upon to create ships or does it just contain a limited amount of built-in 'pre-built' ships?

OK. Here is just my impression:

the AI has some quotas for different weapons:

hv, normal, pd beam, missile, ship specials

(this quotas are always fixed in starbases but in ships they seem to vary a bit...perhaps adapting the opponents strategy, depending on own tech level etc.)

Then it tries to maximize some damage and defense potentials.

Sadly, in all these calculations the weapon mods (mirv, emg, env, af etc.) are not rated adequately.

Hello everybody, I'm new here. I looked around a bit, but haven't found the answers for my question. So:

Is it posible, to give races starting bonuses, so they would start with some extra stuff, that would make them more unique?
For example:
-Alkari: +2scouts
-Gnolam: +100BC, Spaceport,
-Darlock: 5spies
-Meklar: Android Farmers, A.Workers, A.Scientist
-Cryslon: a Spacecrystal, as their own ship
-Human: a random low-level officer or commander
etc.

(I know, that these ideas are unbalanced, but the question is not that.)

Welcome Sogroon,
there was an editor melting pot for similar AI up tuning. Not sure if your ideas can be realized with that tool (never tried it myself).

Is it posible, to give races starting bonuses, so they would start with some extra stuff, that would make them more unique?
For example:
-Alkari: +2scouts
-Gnolam: +100BC, Spaceport,
-Darlock: 5spies
-Meklar: Android Farmers, A.Workers, A.Scientist
-Cryslon: a Spacecrystal, as their own ship
-Human: a random low-level officer or commander
etc.

(I know, that these ideas are unbalanced, but the question is not that.)

Yes It can be done. U just need to re-edit any save game of Yours with save game editor. U can add scouts, money, even thew Space Crystal to any Race, that already at that save or create a new one, with any of bonuses U like

I know, that it is is possible, to modify any savegame (I'm using Corion already).
But is it possible, to mod an LBX file or something, so the game would always start with those bonuses?

Other question:
Witch LBX file contains the description of races? When you start a new game, and right-click on the name of a race, there is a short story about them, witch I would like to change.

Witch LBX file contains the description of races? When you start a new game, and right-click on the name of a race, there is a short story about them, witch I would like to change.

Just go to that topic at this part of forum - U'll find there what U need to:
"Altering stock races" or "MoO2 Workshop"

Out of curiousity, does the AI ever go after Orion and if successful, does it use any of the tech gleaned from there? What about Antaran tech, other than the quantum detonator? I can't recall ever seeing an AI ship with particle beams or death rays, never mind the black hole generator.

The AI can go after Orion, I have seen it beat me there a few times, but, I haven't seen them use the free Antaren technology (or Loknar).

My AI uses the Orion/Antarean techs if it can get its hands on them and also, in many cases, battlepods (of course with only 2? AI races on creative you never can tell when they're going to research another type of pods and might not get bpods at all). If it does, its battlestations and star forts pwn.

Oh. It's unmodded.

The AI will definatley go for Orion if you leave it alone long enough, and it will definately use the techs as well as Loknar.

I remember the first time I deliberately sat and waited for the AI to go to Orion, a few turns later I was fighting teleporting Titans with Damper Fields and Death Rays.
Loknar was on one of those Titans, not that he did them any good.

Afaik, the AI can and will use ALL of the weapons/equipment with the exception of Fast Missile Racks and HyperX Capacitors.
Its just that some particular techs have such a high 'priority' on them that the AI will almost always choose them in preference to anything else - Security Stations for example...

Better AI would be nice. It would be difficult to do as a game mod since there really aren't any built-in facilities for such modifications. You really need to have scripting capability like in Civilization IV for something like that. If there is ever a MOO4 lets hope the AI is greatly improved.