An AI with a Super Weapon, A crazy idea?

You realize that every faction has a starbase upgrade that can prevent the planet from being bombarded/novalithed to death right?

A lot of people have wanted the AI to use superweapons for a long time now, and as the Novalith can be negated by the mention starbase upgrade (though it will still reduce your credit income), and the AI doesn't use the Deliverance engine or Kostura very effectively, at best its a moderate annoyance.

Still, it would be nice for those of us that would rather not have to mess with superweapons when we game test.

Well if you're testing with the Developer.exe, why would it matter what the AI does?

Sigh, some tests are better run without the dev.exe.

Like what.

Also I haven't checked this, but I wouldn't be surprised if only some AI types built super weapons. Why would an aggressive AI build any for example?

I know that... and I am glad that the AI can now finally use super weapons too.

However, a Super Weapon is just that - a Super Weapon, a game mechanic which has the ability to vastly alter the outcome of a game (I used the TEC Novalith Cannon simply as an example).

So, just like with pirates, fleet size, resources etc.. I think we should have the option to turn super weapons on or off should we wish.

The AI does not know how to use superweapons to its strategic advantage. The TEC superweapon can be defended against with Auxiliary Government or its equivalent, the Advent superweapon is just plain useless, and the Vasari superweapon when used by the AI is almost harmless unless it happens to fire at your front-line planet, in which case it can be somewhat dangerous if you have no fleet protection.

The superweapons can all also be easily countered by sending a small raiding fleet: easiest for TEC, just send a few scouts with Timed Explosives to negate the 8000+ credit superweapon. Or send a fleet composed mainly of LRF or bombers, the superweapon will die easily unless the AI's been lucky enough to have placed phase jump inhibitors in just the right spots (and even then PJIs are easily killed as well).

Sure.

Sounds like you need better strategy, not a handicap :/

Sounds like a turtle defender 

Pull your fleet together and go KICK ASS.

More importantly a turtle defender without Axillary Government or its equivalents on starbases.

It took the devs almost four years to get the ai to build superweapons, now he wants them nerfed?

No he wants a toggle much like you can with Pirates.

For some players, myself included, we play a extreamly slow game style. One that tends to favor grinding it out against the AI.

I dont like Superweapons. I dont use Superweapons. I miss the AI not using Superweapons.

A toggle would be great for us who dont want superweapons in game. Much those who dont like pirates.

The problem with superweapons are that they are not that super. The AI certainly won't be able to use them to the point where you have to worry about the game being done any sooner (unless you don't get auxiliary government like this guy did against Novaliths). Besides you DS guys are modders, it would be pretty for you to remove the super weapons.

I don't know, I just can't see the issue here, so I'd rather the Devs spend time on more important things.

I have modded them out for my personal use.

But not everyone cares to use mods for some reason or wants to bother modding themselves.

While Im not saying this is an problem or an issue, I was just clarifying what I thought the OP meant.

Should the Devs do this, *shrugs* Not my call.

But despite the super weapons not being super, for some having a toggle would be good. It be no different that not having a toggle for pirates. I dont see why people play with them off. They are not that hard to deal with.

Yet there is a toggle for that.

I guess there is a point to the toggle for turtles 

Haha, nice to read everyone’s opinions and input. I'm guessing that a toggle is prob entering more into mod territory anyway.

also

@ myfist0, I prefer the term "Reactionary Defensivist"  

Cheers all.

I agree with OP on having a on/off toggle at the Setup Screen.  I still haven't patched my game yet since this feature came out.

I suppose some see it as butt kicking Big Game Hunters so to make Rushers outta them.  However, I prefer building up my planets and then attacking.  Having fun with all the features not just Spam, Smash, Done rush games.

So I hope Stardock makes a on/off switch soon so I can get back to patching my game with the latest features again.

I suppose you could also ask carbon to upload his mini mod that removes them for you. If anyone with 1.32 has some spare time try setting the AI to something like aggressive, I think researcher and defensive AI are the only ones that actually use super weapons (at least on the non cruel/vicious difficulties).

Vicious AI love building superweapons. I faced a Vasari yesterday that had six Kosturas...

how about an AI that isn't (*^% retarded?  Not everyone has the time to do MP.

Multiplayer games, at least the ones I play, are almost always decided before the time it would take to wipe out an AI or a bunch of AIs. Games of less than an hour are quite common. It doesn't actually take that long.

But I agree, a smarter AI would be a huge improvement...

if u hate super weapons being used by ai, dont do what i did and make 10 star systems with 100 planets each >_> hard TEC ai seem to love relying on them, only to end up with me slowly killing them off 1 by 1 by establishing a beach head in each star (4 argonov starbases) took my whole summer but itt was worth it, didnt help that all my planets were largely unpopulated, tho i did love the challenge

If you want an actual challenge try playing actual humans!

There's quite a lot of strategic depth in the game but you only get to see a tiny bit of it when playing the AI.

but then i cant bs my way thru the game to win

Wait...there are humans!?