Bingeling
Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010 Status: offline
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Goal oriented R&D for the AI Create technology preference for each empire. More or less random. This should of course be modable. One can create many pre-defined sets of technologies for the AI to choose among. This will enable the AI to mix weapons that work together, and to research for the wanted technology. I am not sure if this is actually already done for design, but research is not well connected... Lets pick examples from primary weapons. You need to decide if you. 1: Want to stay at maxos blasters. In that case "Efficient Blasters" is relevant, otherwise not. 2: Want to focus primary on Beam Superflow, Extreme Energy Beams, Massive Missile Assaults, or Plasma Hardening. 3: In going for the primary target, it should also know which secondary targets its want. All of these have "two requirement techs". The AI should know which one is to be used, and which is only researched to reach the next tier. A titan beam AI with Veolocity Shard priority should head for Total Energy Acceleration, and only start High Energy Cohesion once it decides it is time to get "Advanced Plasma Physics". Pre defined profiles can make sure the AI has a good mix of primary, secondary and ship default attitudes (hug enemy or keep distance). For instance a "hugger" tactic may also want faster ships... Even if it focuses its research it still needs to balance its primary and secondary weapons, ion weapons, fighters, shields, point defenses... But it won't waste early time on obsolete tech. The AI should of course have a secondary weapon. There is exactly the same decision to make for: 1: Reactors 2: Shields 3: Hyper drives 4: Engines If the AI was more focused, the human would have less to gain from manual research, and it would more about "getting what you want" rather than "becoming more powerful". And again, what it wants to research should be linked to what it wants to design. Have the r and d in r&d work as a unit. This can be created as many sets of pre-set choices, and a race can specify one of them or pick one at random. And of course, some things are less connected, like engines and primary weapons, and a pre-set choice can decide something is random. But do pick one. I am a sad camper. My AI has research prerequisites for Fusion Balance, Advanced Shields, and advanced hyperdrives, but does not research any of them currently... And really, advanced shields when the first it research was Pure Energy Discharge?
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