Easy Game, but why?

Drago Sinio · May 30, 2002, 19:39

I am playing an SP game right now, as Lal, standard Smac on the Huge Planet map. Dee and I are alone on the big contitnent that has the Monsoon Jungle on it. I have been playing a builder game, expanding. Its 2262 and no other faction than Dee has attacked me in any way, though they are all in "Vendetta" with me.

Dee declared Vendetta on me, so I decided to take her large Monsoon Jungle bases from her, and she would surrender and leave me alone. But no, she just keeps vowing to eliminate my faction to the last man, or whatever. The strange thing is, even with my entire army right in the heart of her territory, taking base after base, she is still working on SP's in three of her remaining large bases? She is making no effort to build troops to stop me, its as if she thinks I will go away if she just ignores me.

The only thing I can think of that might be a factor in this strange behaviour is that I am running "green" SE settings. Is the AI less aggressive in defending itself if you are running ther favored SE choice, even though you are at full war? Very strange.

Level is Transcend, and I have the lead in Military, Population, Territory, and Tech.

RedFred · May 30, 2002, 19:58

Those silly AI base governors. I have observed that the AI will merrily continue along building the SP while the military situation around them deteriorates. You can even attack the base building the SP and it will often still continue to build it until the very last defender is destroyed. Then it will switch to a low cost defender, when it could instabuild a much better one, causing a temporary mass outbreak of red bricks in the base's build screen.

I can't verify that running a faction's agenda will cause them to defend less vigorously. I can confirm that it is one of many factors which increases the chances of a surrender.

Grail Quest · May 31, 2002, 04:42

I've seen Lal do it, racing to get the Citizen's Defense Force. Theoretically, it is viable: if he could have completed the SP, he would instantly have +100% defense on all his bases.

As for the Gaians vowing to crush you... It's hard to say how the AI calculates surrender. Even the Hive goes into chicken mode if you take even one of their bases during a Turn; Yang almost always comes calling for a Truce.

Kataphraktoi · May 31, 2002, 12:08

they just want that truce to have time to get troops in position to retake the base...

Clear Skies · May 31, 2002, 14:18

I've seen Domai surrender after I took his headquarters...even though he had 16 other bases. Weird. I thought the AI was only supposed to surrender after losing 50% of its strength...

I've seen AIs (specifically Lal) building 5 copies of the same SP. Really. 5 times over. If I didn't know the AI was so stupid I'd swear it was stockpiling minerals to use on other things once one Project was finished. Hate the 100% carryover bug...

Maniac · May 31, 2002, 14:39

Yeah well, I've had the Hive surrender to me while I just took one meaningless seabase from them, and while they had more bases and a larger military than me.

Method · May 31, 2002, 15:25

i've had santiago surrender to me when i airdropped something next to sparta command. thats exactly how it happened. she declared war, the next turn i parked a unit there, and before i could even move it she called me up surrendering.

Blake · May 31, 2002, 19:34

Quote:

I've seen AIs (specifically Lal) building 5 copies of the same SP. Really. 5 times over. If I didn't know the AI was so stupid I'd swear it was stockpiling minerals to use on other things once one Project was finished. Hate the 100% carryover bug...

I somehow doubt that's a bug. It's to prevent the AI from wasting it's minerals in incredibly stupid ways.