Units to add for better AI?

[BFG]

As many people know, it's possible to add new default units to the #UNITS section of alpha.txt or alphax.txt, which then gives all the AI players access to those units.

Does anyone have suggestions for units to add to this section to strengthen the AI? Any suggestions on the maximum number of units?

 

[Petek]

Probe Cruisers. Add this line to the #UNITS section of Alpha(x).txt and increment the number of units at the beginning of the section by one:

Probe Cruiser, Cruiser, Probe Team, Scout, 11, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000000

The AI will build them and knows how to use them.

 

[Strategist83]

Trance/Empath units would probably be nice as well. The AI throws so many units away suiciding them on fungal towers.

 

[Darsnan]

Does anyone have suggestions for units to add to this section to strengthen the AI?

Here are some of my favorite units:

The AIs do much better with armored probes:

 Resonance Probe,        Speeder,  Probe Team,   4-Res,     11, 6, 0, FldMod,  -1, 00000000000000000000001000
Probe Bug,              Hovertank,Probe Team,   Photon,    11, 4, 0, DocSec,  -1, 00000100000000000000001000

Moving the hovertank chassis to Superstring Theory gets these units into play much sooner:

 Chaos Battletank Mk1,   Hovertank,Chaos,        4-Res,      0, 4, 0, String,  -1, 00000101000000000000001110

The AI is woeful when it comes to air defense - these units are very good at helping counter this (the AIs will embark the Fighter Escorts onto the Carriers, and they will scramble if a nearby friendly unit is attacked by an aircraft):

 Attack Carrier Mk1,     Cruiser,  Missile,      3-Res,      6, 4, 0, DocAir,  -1, 00100000100000000000010100000
Fighter Escort Mk1,     Needlejet,R-Laser,      3-Res,      1, 4, 0, DocAir,  -1, 00000100000000000000100000
SP-88,                  Speeder,  Missile,      3-Res,      1, 3, 0, DocAir,  -1, 00000100000000000000101000

The AIs do well with subs, so I've moved them to Superconductor:

 Seawolf Mk1,            Cruiser,  R-Laser,      3-Res,      6, 4, 0, Super,   -1, 00100000100000000000001000000

I also aquatize the basic units (such as CPs, Scouts, Unity Rovers, and Formers) by giving them amphibious pods - this assists the AIs (especially Sven) in getting Sea Bases to spread, as the AIs have a nasty habit of building the above listed units in sea bases, then leaving them there because there isn't a transport present.

Any suggestions on the maximum number of units?

I think I used to run around mid 40s. The version I just pulled the units from had 48 in it.

HTH,

D

 

[bhavv]

Trance/Empath units would probably be nice as well. The AI throws so many units away suiciding them on fungal towers.

I've seen AI Morgan using 'Mind Worm Eradicator' - a hand weapons / unarmored rover or hovertank with trance + empath song.

 

[BFG]

Thanks for the suggestions! Any others?

 

[BFG]

Here's a few more I came up with, based on suggestions from here and elsewhere, and my own observations on where the AI seems to be lacking (i.e. mainly in support).
Any feedback is appreciated!

Probe Speeder, Speeder, Probe Team, 3-Res, 11, 0, 0, FldMod, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Probe Infiltrator, Hovertank,Probe Team, Photon, 11, 0, 0, NanoMin, -1, 10000000000000000000000000100
Probe Hoverboat, Foil, Probe Team, Silksteel, 11, 0, 0, SubAt, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Probe Cutter, Cruiser, Probe Team, 3-Res, 11, 0, 0, FldMod, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Probe Penetrator, Gravship, Probe Team, Psi, 11, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Sea Colony Mk2, Cruiser, Colony, Scout, 8, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Copter Colony, Copter, Colony, Scout, 8, 0, 0, MindMac, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Gravship Colony, Gravship, Colony, Psi, 8, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Sea Supply, Foil, Supply, Scout, 10, 0, 0, DocFlex, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Sea Supply Mk2, Cruiser, Supply, 3-Res, 10, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Gravship Supply, Gravship, Supply, Psi, 10, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000010
Sea Formers Mk2, Cruiser, Formers, 3-Res, 9, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000000
Formers Mk2, Hovertank,Formers, Photon, 9, 0, 0, NanoMin, -1, 00000000000000000000000001
Gravship Formers, Gravship, Formers, Psi, 10, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000001
XX Missile, Missile, Conventional, Scout, 0, 0, 0, Orbital, 8, 00000100000000000000000000

 

[Petek]

Regarding your Probe Hoverboat: You should consider that this unit may be built upon discovering DocFlex (even if PlaNets hasn't been researched). For example, the Pirates can build them at turn one! Perhaps the enabling tech should be moved back.

(I deleted your double post.)

 

[BFG]

Heh, good point Petek! I haven't had a chance to test most of these in the game yet and suspected that at least in a couple of cases I had the prerequisite techs too early.
I made these changes (above post changed to reflect):

• Moved the Probe foil unit to Advanced Subatomic Theory (?) and added Silksteel Armor
• Moved the various Hovertank units to Nanominiaturization
• Gave the various Cruiser units, except the Colony, 3-Res armor

(I'm also debating whether it's worthwhile to leave the Gravship units in. I suppose it doesn't hurt, but how often does anyone let the AI opponents progress to the point those could come into play?)

 

[Strategist83]

What I don't understand - and what I believe hurts the AI far more than lacking unit designs - is how it doesn't terraform its terrain. It's just sad seeing Morgan (with his pathetic four bases) working unimproved terrain on turn 200. Yet, I have no idea why it happens because the AI *does* build formers and my own formers put on auto suggests it can use them (despite the fact the farm+mine combo the AI favors makes no sense).

Thus, if you could do something to make the formers themselves better I'm sure the AI would prove more challenging.

 

[civac]

There is an unofficial patch by kyrub(?) on apolyton that improves the AI, in particular their terraforming. I haven't tried it myself but people who have agree that it makes the game far mor challenging. You could give it a try.

 

[BFG]

I was going to add some air defense units to the list as Darsnan suggested, but I recently was impressed by the defense the Hive put up against my University needlejets. First time in years an AI air defense has been successful against me. It's proof enough to me that the unofficial kyrub AI patch (which builds on the original unofficial patch) is working.

 

[Strategist83]

Problem is, kyrub's work is SMAC only. That is a real shame.

 

[BFG]

I've ended up modifying the above list a little, mainly to make units less expensive so the AI is more likely to use them. I also removed a couple units like the Probe Gravship, as I discovered that combo is illegal in SMAC/X.
Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Probe Subversive,       Speeder,  Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, SubAt,   -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Probe Infiltrator,      Hovertank,Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, NanoMin, -1, 10000000000000000000000000000
Probe Hoverboat,        Foil,     Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, SubAt,   -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Probe Cutter,           Cruiser,  Probe Team,   Scout,     11, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Colony Pod Mk2,         Speeder,  Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, SubAt,   -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Colony Pod Mk3,         Hovertank,Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, NanoMin, -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Sea Colony Mk2,         Cruiser,  Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Aero Colony,            Needlejet,Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, DocAir,  -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Aero Colony Mk2,        Copter,   Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, MindMac, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Aero Colony Mk3,        Gravship, Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Speeder Formers,        Speeder,  Formers,      Scout,      9, 0, 0, CentEmp, -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Tank Formers,           Hovertank,Formers,      Scout,      9, 0, 0, NanoMin, -1, 00000000000000000000000000001
Ocean Formers,          Cruiser,  Formers,      Scout,      9, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Gravship Formers,       Gravship, Formers,      Scout,      9, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000000011
Transport Cruiser,      Cruiser,  Transport,    Scout,      7, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Transport Copter,       Copter,   Transport,    Scout,      7, 0, 0, MindMac, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Transport Gravship,     Gravship, Transport,    Scout,      7, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000001000000000000000000010
Sea Supply,             Foil,     Supply,       Scout,     10, 0, 0, DocFlex, -1, 00000000000000000000000000000
Ocean Supply,           Cruiser,  Supply,       Scout,     10, 0, 0, DocInit, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
Gravship Supply,        Gravship, Supply,       Scout,     10, 0, 0, Gravity, -1, 00000000000000000000000000010
XX Missile,             Missile,  Conventional, Scout,      0, 0, 0, Orbital,  7, 00001000100000000000000000000