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Yl'ta + AI Improvement Mod LP on Youtube - 10/21/2014 1:26:48 AM   
StarLab


Posts: 844
Joined: 8/27/2012
From: Ontario, Canada
Status: offline
Greetings everyone.

I just started a new LP on Youtube featuring one of Haree's new races and Icemania's AI mod. (Extreme series is on hold for the moment). Thought I would do something a little more casual this time around in regard to difficulty.

I was blown away by the home planet I was dealt - 8 resources! First time seeing that! :)

Below are the particulars... Hope to see you there!

==================================

Distant Worlds: Universe (V1.9.5.9 Public Beta)
Get it here: http://www.matrixgames.com/store/515/Distant.Worlds.-.Universe

This time, we play as one of the new Avian races in the Extended Universe mod by Haree78.
Get Haree78's Extended mod here:http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3141149

We also step out of my comfort zone by blindly utilizing Icemania's AI Improvement Mod (1.03) which improves various elements of the game and makes the AI players smarter about their choices. My limited experience this mod is restricted to the very early stages of the game (preWarp and a little beyond) so my first war with it should be quite interesting - to say the least! Watch me fumble! ;-)
Get Icemania's AI mod here: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3647528

I am also using a HUD Icon Set from Blackstork's Alien Immersion Mod
Get it here: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3651979

Game setting are as follows:

Galaxy: Spiral
Stars: 700
Size: 8x8 Sectors
Expansion: preWarp
Aggression: Unstable
Difficulty: Hard (No scaling) (I can just hear Icemania groaning at this "just hard level? pffft!"...)
Research: Expensive (240k)
Space Creatures: Many
Pirates: Few, Weak (Nearby - Respawnable)

Colony Prevalence: Plentiful
Independent Aliens: Plentiful
Colony Influence Range: 80%
Enforce Colonization Range Limits: 0.50

Race: Yl'ta

Galaxy Starting Location: Outer Core
Home System: Normal
Size: Starting
Tech: preWarp
Corruption: Normal
Government: Technocracy

Other Empires: 9 (Alien indies can become Empires)

Victory Conditions: 100% of 100%/100%/100%
Tech Trading: NOT Allowed
Enable: Original DW Story Lines
Disable: Shakturi Story Lines
Enable: Disasters, Race Events, Shadows Story Lines


< Message edited by StarLab -- 10/21/2014 2:27:13 AM >


_____________________________

-Larry Monte

Latest YouTube Series
DW2 Mortalen Preview
DW2 Ackdarian Preview
Post #: 1
RE: Yl'ta + AI Improvement Mod LP on Youtube - 10/21/2014 4:34:54 AM   
Blackstork


Posts: 802
Joined: 7/7/2014
Status: offline
Nice stuff incoming.
Small notice : I be been not updating ALien Immersion for a while - the Beyond package is more updated ( I will update Al.Im. soon tho) and also latest package still don't have Yl'ta design (I simply didn't reached them). I will try to prioritize Yl'ta design and will update separate Al.Im. pack once I return from holidays.
Cheers.

_____________________________


(in reply to StarLab)
Post #: 2
RE: Yl'ta + AI Improvement Mod LP on Youtube - 10/21/2014 12:10:42 PM   
StarLab


Posts: 844
Joined: 8/27/2012
From: Ontario, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Blackstork

Nice stuff incoming.
Small notice : I be been not updating ALien Immersion for a while - the Beyond package is more updated ( I will update Al.Im. soon tho) and also latest package still don't have Yl'ta design (I simply didn't reached them). I will try to prioritize Yl'ta design and will update separate Al.Im. pack once I return from holidays.
Cheers.


No worries. I like the set I'm using now anyway. I may use your Beyond mod in my next series - whenever that will be. I figured I would get my feet wet with the AI Mod first before venturing too far away from Vanilla.

_____________________________

-Larry Monte

Latest YouTube Series
DW2 Mortalen Preview
DW2 Ackdarian Preview

(in reply to Blackstork)
Post #: 3
RE: Yl'ta + AI Improvement Mod LP on Youtube - 11/13/2014 10:55:13 AM   
Icemania


Posts: 1847
Joined: 6/5/2013
From: Australia
Status: offline
I don't watch many Let's Plays but checked it out since the AI Improvement Mod was being used. Now I'm hooked and interested to see what happens next!

Although I still wish it was Extreme difficulty ...

(in reply to StarLab)
Post #: 4
RE: Yl'ta + AI Improvement Mod LP on Youtube - 1/7/2015 2:06:00 PM   
Icemania


Posts: 1847
Joined: 6/5/2013
From: Australia
Status: offline
Looking at your last video I'd say Hard is way too easy for you Larry. The idea with the AI Mod certainly wasn't to lower the difficulty from what you normally play. The AI still struggles against Pirates particularly on lower difficulties and there isn't anything I can Mod to change that (at least without nerfing the Pirates). The AI Mod was designed for higher difficulty levels, partly because that's how I always play, and partly due to the limitations in what can actually be modified. For example, when I mod to make the AI explore more, there is no way I can get the AI to retire those extra explorers once the exploration phase is complete, so they are stuck with the costs.

Apart from difficulty setting I've been watching the whole series and mulling over some changes, your series has heavily influenced the 1.04 release. Since I started playing I've felt too many races are friendly, or can be managed so they rarely declare war, particularly the more aggressive races. That is definitely the case in the game you are playing now. So I've made the following changes:

1. War Willingness generally increased and better aligned with racial characteristics i.e. so passive races still have a low War Willingness, but aggressive races have increased War Willingness.
2. Racial biases are much more often negative for races in other alliance / racial groups.
3. Positive racial biases are now more strongly aligned with racial groups.
4. Racial biases now include a modifier for friendliness of the race to better align with their racial characteristics.

Very Hard is now the recommended minimum.

Some other setting suggestions for an even more interesting series:

1. You had only 9 empires. It is always tough with Pirates for some of the AI's to get going, so if you play with more empires then more of them will get going. It also limits your own expansion. I normally play with about double that on maps of this size.

2. You may want to consider Pirates not being respawnable to help the AI, or even better, consider an Empire only game and take a break from Pirates. Faster game and less of the same old same old.

3. You may want to consider not allowing indies to become Empires as they are just cannon fodder for any competent player.

4. Consider starting the AI's with Excellent Homeworlds ... it really does help them get rolling and a lot less will struggle. It will obviously help you as well but on Extreme difficulty this helps avoid a slow start.

5. Consider enabling the Shakturi. In Patch 1.9.5.10 the upgraded Shakturi templates that I've had in the AI Mod all along are now used in the game. The first time I tried a game with this arrangement I got hammered when the Shakturi arrived. Even if you get ahead once again on the leaderboard that looming threat gives the situation an ominous vibe ... have you done enough to hold them off? I know they can be beaten though but it was tough and would make an awesome Let's Play.



< Message edited by Icemania -- 1/7/2015 3:14:56 PM >

(in reply to Icemania)
Post #: 5
RE: Yl'ta + AI Improvement Mod LP on Youtube - 1/8/2015 4:04:39 AM   
StarLab


Posts: 844
Joined: 8/27/2012
From: Ontario, Canada
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Icemania

Looking at your last video I'd say Hard is way too easy for you Larry.


I was looking over the game after my last recording session. Yes, it is a cake walk, unfortunately. I just wasn't sure what to expect from the mod, so I cranked back a bit (too far). I'm thinking the next time I fire it up, I'm going to just get reckless and start a few wars with the larger empires regardless whether I'm ready or not. I just don't feel the game is worth too many more episodes at this difficulty. Even if I shoot myself in the foot by doing it... so be it.

quote:

Apart from difficulty setting I've been watching the whole series and mulling over some changes, your series has heavily influenced the 1.04 release.

Since I started playing I've felt too many races are friendly, or can be managed so they rarely declare war, particularly the more aggressive races. That is definitely the case in the game you are playing now. So I've made the following changes:

1. War Willingness generally increased and better aligned with racial characteristics i.e. so passive races still have a low War Willingness, but aggressive races have increased War Willingness.
2. Racial biases are much more often negative for races in other alliance / racial groups.
3. Positive racial biases are now more strongly aligned with racial groups.
4. Racial biases now include a modifier for friendliness of the race to better align with their racial characteristics.

Very Hard is now the recommended minimum.


Glad the series helped. The changes look good!

quote:

Some other setting suggestions for an even more interesting series:

1. You had only 9 empires. It is always tough with Pirates for some of the AI's to get going, so if you play with more empires then more of them will get going. It also limits your own expansion. I normally play with about double that on maps of this size.


The 9 empires was more of a limitation of my computer than anything. Any more than that I would never be able to play to end game. I just upgraded to a half decent quad core (from a dual core) so I look forward to playing bigger games now!

quote:

2. You may want to consider Pirates not being respawnable to help the AI, or even better, consider an Empire only game and take a break from Pirates. Faster game and less of the same old same old.


I used to hate pirates (and space creatures too!) but now can't imagine a game without them. But yeah, that would be a different game. Not sure if I've ever played with them turned off...

quote:

3. You may want to consider not allowing indies to become Empires as they are just cannon fodder for any competent player.


Again, a setting I've always used but am will to try without...

quote:

4. Consider starting the AI's with Excellent Homeworlds ... it really does help them get rolling and a lot less will struggle. It will obviously help you as well but on Extreme difficulty this helps avoid a slow start.


I think you just want to watch me die!

quote:

5. Consider enabling the Shakturi. In Patch 1.9.5.10 the upgraded Shakturi templates that I've had in the AI Mod all along are now used in the game. The first time I tried a game with this arrangement I got hammered when the Shakturi arrived. Even if you get ahead once again on the leaderboard that looming threat gives the situation an ominous vibe ... have you done enough to hold them off? I know they can be beaten though but it was tough and would make an awesome Let's Play.


Confirmed! You DO want to watch me die! Shakturi are just a nasty nightmare! Although, I have had several requests to play with them enabled again.

You've provided some good food for thought regarding what to do next on my channel. Extreme game with no Pirates has a nice ring to it. My other Extreme game has been 70 Episodes of nothing but fighting Pirates. (I think I was at was at war with actual empires for like one or two episodes - the rest has been nothing but Pirate pounding).

Now that I have a better computer, I should be able to set up more interesting games. Thanks for the input.


_____________________________

-Larry Monte

Latest YouTube Series
DW2 Mortalen Preview
DW2 Ackdarian Preview

(in reply to Icemania)
Post #: 6
RE: Yl'ta + AI Improvement Mod LP on Youtube - 1/8/2015 7:41:39 AM   
Icemania


Posts: 1847
Joined: 6/5/2013
From: Australia
Status: offline
Look forward to watching more videos Larry! It's not so much wanting to see you die, it's that a much harder game would be more competitive. An epic battle with the upgraded Shakturi at the end would be great fun to watch either way!

< Message edited by Icemania -- 1/8/2015 8:42:33 AM >

(in reply to StarLab)
Post #: 7
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