How will fleet AI work?

from GalCiv3 Forums

With it being confirmed that tactical combat is out the window how will our AI fleets react in combat? With ship specialization becoming a more key aspect of the game I worry that ships will  become confused in combat.

Case in point; I have a fleet of a heavy hitting battleship and a cruiser set up for a more support AA role in targeting smaller ships. I end up in combat with another heavy hitting battleship that has a wing of fighters. Will my AI forget their roles and my battleship will be chasing the tiny fighter landing zero hits while my AA cruiser spends forever trying to destroy a battleship that just laughs at its pew pew attacks?

I think this could be fixed by being able to click on your finished ship and selecting what role it is so in combat it automatically tries to best fit that role in combat. Is there any system like this being built in to address this?

20,411 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

All that you just described was tactical combat. And AI questions usually get answered by "The Frog King" himself.

DARCA

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Sorry, had a brain fart. What I meant was since not being able to control the units in the tactical combat screen and since the AI is still going to be doing the job like in the last game if the AI has been tweaked to address specific ship roles.  I'm just worried my ships will be just floating around targeting random ships that cause my well balanced fleet to be destroyed by a fleet that it was specifically built to counter. Might lead to some nerd rage and throwing of computer monitors, lol.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Well depending on what role options you can assign to your ships when you design them in the ship yard.  Assuming the other fleet is comparable to yours both fleets has battleships one cruisers and a carrier with fighters then your fighters would not do much if they were like on Sins of a solar empire  your fighters would attack your cruisers where your cruiser would be helping the battleships take out the enemies battleship. You will assign the roles to the ships in the shipyard, and when the battle engages all you do is watch it. I think you should probably list suggestions in what roles you want your ships to play in combat that you can pick like one I want is to focus on transports first. I think listing different roles with priorities would be nice.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

It's been mentioned that there may be pre-battle orders that you dole out, but little else is known. It also remains to be seen whether there will be "Antifighter" weapons like you describe, but since accuracy is now a thing, I suppose it could factor in.

I also hope that this is handled well; I don't want tactical combat, but I want my ships to be semi-competent.

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I wholeheartedly agree with that please Stardock don't do this unless it is reasonably competent unless you give me an option to shut this off. It sounds like a good idea if they do it right.

Yes little is known except they are not going to have tactics and they are going to keep most things the same. So I'm trying to visualize theese changes based on the assumption that they are based around the current game. We know that the battles will still be done automatically cause thardey said so. We know that ship roles will be assigned in the shipyard when you design your ship. I hope that there will be an option to change the role through the description of the ship also. I have to assume that the roles will be competent. I have no impression on what or how the roles will be. I think if people have ideas they should probably start making lists.

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

yea make a list just remember to blink while typing. Or hire Lucky Jack. :)

DARCA

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting ParagonRenegade, reply 4
It's been mentioned that there may be pre-battle orders that you dole out, but little else is known. It also remains to be seen whether there will be "Antifighter" weapons like you describe, but since accuracy is now a thing, I suppose it could factor in.

I also hope that this is handled well; I don't want tactical combat, but I want my ships to be semi-competent.
End of ParagonRenegade's quote

 


Actually the weapons systems being introduced can best be described as an anti fighter variant of that weapon system. With each weapon system now focusing on brute strength or being slightly weaker for increased accuracy this is well the definition of an antifighter weapon. (well an anti anything that is built to be fast as heck and so tiny that no battleship will hit it with its main guns) This will really bring to the table more balanced fleets. Also fleets with various sized craft. Heck, the tiny and small sized craft can be built with a focus on engines and one powerful weapon to bring hell down on a fleet of slow battleships (more or less small bombers). Just look at our modern navy and how most fleets are formed. You don't see one aircraft carrier alone in peace time, let alone in a time of war. You have anti sub, anti air, intel collection platforms, ships built as logistic platforms, ect. This could make a few ships from even the tiny haul class just as deadly as one battleship at a fraction of the price. At the same time you could make another tiny haul craft focusing on engines and having increased accuracy weapons to take out said bombers. Just a lot of possibilities now compared to GCII.