Quick Minister Question |
I have a quick question about ministers. For some reason, when I learn new technologies (such as plasma weapons or organic weapons) my ministers never arm my ships with them! Is this yet another bug or is there something I need to do? (It only seems to use depleted urainium cannons no matter what). Is there some way to set it to chose only certain weapon types?

Need an option to use AI from race...
There needs to be a choice to select use "AI" from race as there was in SE:IV, this will allow you to use the AI files from the shipset you're using - which will have the ministers design with the racial components.
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Or make a good Default AI
Or we could actually develop a default AI to do it anyway. i mean, if they ever get the EmpireGainedAbilities to work, you would need something like that in place so the AI can actually utilize the stuff, right?
Dragagon
Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.
-- Robert Heinlein
There's really only one
There's really only one fundamental way to pick weapons, given your availability and exclusion of weapons that do neglible damage and therefore are not weapons: Best damage over time / space at engagement range. The circumstances in which to choose them is similarly straightforward: Determine who decides the range of combat, based on who is faster. Then pick the weapon that works the best for the range of combat you're going to be fighting at. If none of your weapons do meaningful damage at the range you're going to end up fighting at, you = screwed, like if you're up against an opponent that can simultaneously outrun you and outrange you. This situation means you are screwed and there is no way to win.
There are ways
There are ways, but they all involve messy, bloody death. The only practical way is to hit your opponent from every side at once, but in SEV that's almost impossible to pull off..

It takes more thought than that
You have to be careful here, espically in mods. Picking the "best weapon" as damage over time/range you can run into supply problems. Your designer then has to think about how to outfit itself to give it enough supplies/ordinance in order to fire the weapon. For instance if I were to create an AI for Golden Eclipse mod I'd have to make sure to put in supplies if i use laser technology, or supplies AND ordinance if i use missiles, projectile weapons and any of that mess. It makes more sense in Golden Eclipse but things get dangerously expensive and you don't have enough room on your starter ships to just put anything on there. You as a player have to really think about the design just to get it to do anything. Otherwise you will run out of supplies or you will only get 3 shots out of a weapon.
also faster+grater range does not always = a win. I was in a game with Pujal where he had frigates with 2 cap missiles. while i only had one cap missile and one PD. the PD isn't a "weapon" by your standards yet i could negate his weapons with it and still kill him. It takes more thought that just "more damage + better range = win"
Dragagon
Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.
-- Robert Heinlein




Player ministers are default ones
The ministers for player races are the default ones and are programed to use the normal weapons.
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Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod