AI limitations

[GregSum]

I've been re-introduced to the world of CIV4 recently with FF+.
I like it a lot but I'm wondering where things ended up in the last update with respect to AI use of units and technologies.

I'm playing FF+ 1.84 on top of BtS 3.19.

- AI building Starbase: Does this happen? I'm in Expansion Era, have explored most of the galaxy and don't see any computer player civ starbases. They don't protect any of their routes/warp lanes by expanding their boarders around them with starbases (Influence of AI civs seems to be limited to star systems they hold). I've seen a couple of posts that seem to indicate AI does build starbases, but I haven't seen it myself yet.

- AI use of Cruisers, Carriers, BattleCarriers BattleCruisers: I've seen a lot of posts early on that state pretty clearly that AI doesn't know how load these ships with spacecraft and missiles. I have seen a lot of AI cruisers but no indication they have any missiles on them (could it be that they are carrying them, but the player just doesn't have insight to cargo of enemy transports?). I haven't seen Carriers used at all. But I have seen BattleCarriers used... and I have had a star system attacked by AI bombers/fighters with an enemy BattleCarrier near by, and no enemy star system within range of the starsystem that was attacked. I didn't think to look closely at the BattleCarrier stack to see if I could find fighters/bombers stationed there. So, bottom line question is: Did FF+ evolve to the point of AI supported use of transports?

I love the mod... but I don't know if I want to continue playing if the AI is stuck at such disadvantages.

 

[DarkLunaPhantom]

AI building Starbase

This happens regularly.

AI use of Cruisers, Carriers, BattleCarriers BattleCruisers

The AI has serious problems with this. In BtS such units are water units and some of the AI code related to those doesn't behave well in FFP where there are no water tiles. Some of the most egregious problems were fixed in FFP, but many remain.



You could use chipotle cheats to check the number of starbases or what cargo AI transports contain. (You could even run AI autoplay for a couple hundred turns using those cheats so that you don't have to ruin your games to check these.)

 

[GregSum]

yeah, I take it back on the AI not building Starbases. It appears they do... in the game I 'm running right now though, I'll say they build very few, and it appears that Halis is the only civ building them. but it is what it is.

Also, I have now seen AI BattleCruisers with fighter squadrons hovering for Intercept missions... so at AI at least seems to know how to use BattleCruisers to some degree.