Strategic problems with AI

from Sins Forums

Hello all,


Recently I started playing sins again after a 6 month break so I decided to play an SP game on a random large map with max players slots HARD AI. First off my starting position was really bad relative to my neighbors since I only got 4 dinky asteroids and dwarfs with my capital fully exposed to the enemy with only a junkyard planet separating it and the enemy position and the all of them were advent with good nearby planets. Suffice to say all 3 allied with each other since I was TL and forced me to defend a 4 planet front with a small eco while getting culture bombed.


It took me 4 hours to scratch up a decent fleet large enough to tackle the smallest advent ai while they continued to nail me with hundred ship fleets supported by a titan. After another 3 hours of fighting I was able to double my planet count and finally got a trade route going for me. Things were still bad however since it I just took down the smallest advent AI that was beside me and both advent AI's are allied with each other and still surrounds me while trying to culture bomb me. Suffice to say it took me 5 hours to finally beat the largest of the 2 advent players since apparently they decided to spam SB's on every planet and go full social.

 

Now on to my current conundrum of my 18th hour of gameplay. I'm now the largest empire in the system spanning 35 planets with the largest income and defense(4th in terms of fleet strength). Thing is my ally is just a 3 planet VR AI and I finally encountered the strongest AI which is  a TR allied with 2 smaller TR all of which have level 10 titans. My neighboring single AL neighbor that has tortured me for the past 18 hours and have destroyed more than 20 starbase of mine on the same asteroid now serve as a buffer state so that the 2nd TR has someone else to fight. While I as finishing up the VL AI the 3 TR AI and the single  advent AI decided to attack me on 4 different places at the same time there 3of them are important places. I managed to take down the advent fleet with the help of my SB while loosing over 1200 fleet supply of LF's and loosing yet my 2 SB's to starfishes over the course of an hour(I was able to keep LF spam from nearby planets up until the titan died) but the 2 of the 3 TR offensive threatens to split me in two. The largest of the TR managed to take my desert planet that I use to as a cultural hub for the area and also connects to 3 planets that are part of my trade chain (by the time I sent a scout he already has an SB on it but not yet colonized).

 

The second TR has secured the wormhole in the middle of my empire which I fortified with dual SB's and is gathering a large fleet with around 30 orgovs to try and take my ice planet which is fully fortified and makes around 5 metal and crystal from refineries alone. The 3rd TR I intercepted with my main fleet and I've mostly wiped him off the map and allowed me to finally have a secure phase lane with my VR ally but my main fleet is kinda stranded since the largest TR decided to block me on every planet while I hammer his thousand strong fleet supply armada(he has around 3 mil credits in savings and 500k in minerals) on every planet I jump to whether it belongs to me or his he sends a large fleet to meet up with my main fleet.

 

By my estimate the largest AI will colonize the desert planet he captured and fully fortify(max mines, hangars, turrets, etc.) by the time my main fleet arrives and I will still have to deal with the other TR massing to attack an important ice planet  which is several jumps away. Now I'm thinking of how I should approach this problem?

strategy
3,843 views 2 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

      IMO The best thing you could do against anyone attacking your starbase planets is to research the dual fortresses tech and place two star bases on your front lines planets with upgrades to weapons (probably upgrade that twice), hull (i even upgrade hull twice to get 9,000 hp), and possibly trade bays if your economy isn't the best, then put the self destruct tech on at least one of them as a last resort if you think they'll still be able to destroy the SB, so you can take them down with you. (trust me i've seen self destructing starbases take out 2 cap ships with at least 1,600 hull and a couple hundred shield each, and it managed to take a good chunk off of an advent rebel titan, maybe 650-700)  I assume you already have, but if not then research and build the Ankylon Titan (you did say you were TL right?) and put that titan on one of the "front line" planets that you're sure the troublesome AI's will attack. Put it right between the 2 starbases, or at least near them, along with a good sized fleet and it'll turn your planet into The Great Wall of TEC :hot:        

 

        As far as offense the only thing you can do is either out fleet them by producing more/better ships, research broadcast centers or diplomacy to try and weaken the enemy with culture and/or win over any of the left over AI's that don't absolutely hate you as allies, or out-think the enemy by Novalith nuking any enemy planets without upgraded star bases to keep them busy fixing or re-colonizing planets thus killing their economy. Or lastly maneuvering around their fleets to get to their important structures without fighting them while letting the star bases and a second defensive fleet stay behind in case they catch on and decide to strike your home while you hit theirs. It's a really tough situation and I don't really have a good strategy to tell you, but I'm not the best player out there when it comes to 3 on 1 or higher battles, I'm pretty good at 1 on 1 or 2 on 1 though. I'm sure that some of the really good players on here could help you more than me, but I can tell you for sure that the strategy of dual star bases an Ankylon Titan and a few dozen sturdy hulled frigates will probably protect any planet no matter how strong the enemy is long enough for your main fleet can get there, and give you a much higher chance of winning once your fleet does get there.

         

 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

If I would attack a fortified world, I would use a group of Ogrov cruisers. I would also add a few scouts to detect and destabilize the mines. Also I would keep my fleet close to the Titan and use its max group shield (with other abilities disabled if antimatter runs low). And lots of flak units against bombers. And an Akkan for increased range. And a few Kols because they last long and can soak up a lot of enemy fire. For those I'd disable the Gauss gun, so that they use their antimatter only for durability. Maybe even 3 or 4 Dunovs if there's also an enemy Titan. For those I'd disable all abilities except the antimatter drain. And for the rest heavy cruisers and repair cruisers.

If there is a large and powerful enemy fleet present in that gravity well, then also bring in 2 heavy constructors and build 2 starbases. If needed, use the Akkan armistice to buy the starbases some time to get built: you place 2 or 3 level 6 Akkans near your starbase, disable all autocast and just press armistice one after the other. The enemy can't attack the starbases then and you can keep doing that until they have full hull and weapon upgrades. I would add level 2 repair bay upgrades as well.

For the other planet... well you need 2 starbases against the enemy Titan and lighter ships and you need bombers against enemy torpedo cruisers and fighters against enemy bombers. So send in a few light carriers? And/or add hangar bays upgrades to your starbases? Also add lots of turrets and repair bays close to the starbases if you can, the AI will crush its fleet on them and your starbases. Perhaps also 2 or 3 hangars close to your starbase, since they also provide some flak cover. But I've never really fought on 2 front lines so I'm not sure.

You could also just attack the desert world and in case the enemy attacks your ice world, retreat and defend that world. And when the enemy is defeated, go back on the offensive.

Elemental: Reforged