AI Building Destroyers?

[SayHayKid]

Have you seen the AI build Destroyers without the help of auto-production? With changes I made to my mod and changes in my playstyle, I am playing into the Modern era on test games. However, it seems the AI doesn't build many Destroyers. They will build Ironclads. If I have Ironclads upgrade to Destroyers, the AI will upgrade them. However, since I removed the ability for Ironclads to upgrade to Destroyers it seems that I never see them. Have you seen the AI build them from scratch? Or do I need to make a Modern Shipyard to auto-produce them?

 

[tjs282]

In the base-game at least (usually playing at DG, usually on Std/Lg Arch/Cont maps), I see plenty of AI Destroyers. And though I can't be sure whether those are hand-builds or upgrades, I suspect the former, because the AIs still seem to be quite slow to go for the Ironclads tech.

That said, the time-window for the AI to build Destroyers (and Cruisers) is still relatively short, since they also usually go for Combustion, Flight, and then Mass Production, in succession. (RepParts is usually already known, because I've usually sold Electricity around after locking up SciMeth + ToE).

So while they will certainly start building Destroyers after Combustion, since Oil is the only required Resource (for all 3 ships), and the Battleship's A/D values are the highest of the three, it's not really surprising that they'd switch to building those instead, once they can.

If you want to see more AI Destroyers in-game, it might rather be preferable to limit the production of Battleships (and Cruisers?), e.g. make them auto produced (from an SWonder?), and or require more/other Resources or a specific Improvement(s) (if using Flintlock's patch), leaving the Destroyers (and Subs) as the 'best' options for hand-built ships in most coastal towns...?

 

[Predator145]

The AI will always favor attack, defense and bombard value over speed. That's why in stock game, the AI will mostly build swords instead of horsemen if they have access to both. Same goes for destroyers. Since most of the time they will have access to both cruisers and battleships.

If you want to see more of destroyers outside of auto production, maybe add something like "detect invisible" or perfume them with C3X. Also, being able to stealth attack units helps too. The AI builds subs after all. You could inflate a unit's value in the AI's eyes by giving a dummy list of stealth attack targets.

 

[SayHayKid]

If you want to see more AI Destroyers in-game, it might rather be preferable to limit the production of Battleships (and Cruisers?), e.g. make them auto produced (from an SWonder?), and or require more/other Resources or a specific Improvement(s) (if using Flintlock's patch), leaving the Destroyers (and Subs) as the 'best' options for hand-built ships in most coastal towns...?

I do have the Battleships being auto-produced. Also, I just made the change to limit them based on X number of cities via the new version of the Flintlock patch. However, I haven't played a game with that change, yet. Maybe, I'll try having the Cruiser auto-produced, too. Then AI should build Destroyers on their own and have a nice mixed fleet.

 

[Ares de Borg]

I solved it by having most of the upgrade chains leading to DDs and putting large population penalties on BBs. For example, building a WW2 BB will cost 15-18 population.

 

[Civinator]

For example, building a WW2 BB will cost 15-18 population.

This is brutal. When a city falls below 15 population, does the AI still try to build WW2 BBs as - if remembering well - it can be the case with settlers when a town is below the population limit for building them?

 

[timerover51]

I solved it by having most of the upgrade chains leading to DDs and putting large population penalties on BBs. For example, building a WW2 BB will cost 15-18 population.

Now that is an interesting idea, although I do like to build battleships. I do have Marines costing 2 population to make. I have Ironclads upgrading to battleships, would that also apply, or only to new builds?

 

[tjs282]

AFAIK, units that cost pop-points don't incur that 'penalty' when they're upgraded from their precursor unit (or when they're set to be auto-produced), only when they're built from scratch.

 

[timerover51]

AFAIK, units that cost pop-points don't incur that 'penalty' when they're upgraded from their precursor unit (or when they're set to be auto-produced), only when they're built from scratch.

Thanks for the quick reply. I will need to give this some thought.

 

[timerover51]

By the way, in my recent Play the World Test of Time scenario on a custom map, I did spot an AI produced Destroyer.

 

[timerover51]

I should add that in the scenario I was playing, I was playing as Regent and did not realize that the Default setting for the AI was Deity. That was a shock when I checked the initial .bic file. It did explain why the AI was breathing down my neck despite all of my Wonders giving me extra Techs. Also, aside from the Destroyer, I saw AI Ironclads and Frigates, along with a ton of Privateers, which I had modified to carry two passengers. The AI was using them a lot for sneak invasions. I had done a save just prior to the turn when I found myself at war with three civilizations at once, and discovered that the AI was building bombers like mad, and also using Armies, which it could create with a couple of Wonders set for that, as well as having the ability to build Leaders when desired. Overall, the game turned into a very unenjoyable slog, and it is presently on hiatus until I decide what to do. The turns were also running about an hour apiece, which did not help matters.