First time player questions |
I just got done playing my first 2 games of space empires (version 1.20) and have the following questions:
1. If I have a really high sensor level, and a ship of mine is in a solar system, I can see all the sectors (green outlines). Shouldn't my colonies automatically have this capability? or do I need to build a weapon platform with a sensor for my colony to get the benefit of the new sensors?
2. Is there anyway to get a domed planet to have its atmosphere changed? I think I've researched all up and down the planetary engineering tree and all I found was a climate changer and value enhancer.
3. I have lots of combats that are basically the computer player ships outrunning mine and combat ending. I am using mostly battleships with highest engines and solar sails. How are they out running me?
4. Is there anyway to tell from the sector map which sectors have enemy ships in them? Or some way to move between systems with enemy ships? Very cumbersome to do this if you have alot of systems explored....
5. Does the computer ever surrender? Am I missing something?
6. Is the computer really such a push over? I basically start my colonizing as many planets as possible and building only research centers and pouring initial research into the other 2 missing colonization types. That further allows me to expand and I pour research into applied research. When read to go offensive, I massive bump up resource mining and storage, ship yeard constructions, and important ship components. I then build 3-4 small fleets of 3-5 battleships and just go around methodically demoloshing the computer players. Often I am up against destroyers since I out researched them. My colony ships at that stage of the game are taking out their planets! Seems pretty sad computer AI.
7. Does the computer ever actually launch fighters from his carriers. MANY times, I enter a combat against a ton of the computer carriers and all he does is run away without launching a single fighter.
8. Are there mods out there which make the computer player a bit more aggressive? I'd have to say that's the problem. I can sit back and just accept treaties until my fleets of uber high tech components rampage through the galaxy. I've actually gone an entire game without having a single planet attacked and never losing a ship in battle....
To answer your AI questions
If you want to play using the stock (i.e. unchanged/unmodded) weapons, etc - go find Tarsus AI on the Mod forum here and use that. If you want weapons to be properly balanced (i.e. Meson Blasters aren't the only viable weapon) as well as somewhat decent AI, go find Balance Mod.
SE V is about the mods - IMO the stock version is there as a code example. The AI is fully code/scriptable by the modders so give them some time and they'll produce mean things.
Oh and yes, currently the AI has no concept of Surrender.
For Atmosphere changing, go to /Data/Facilities.txt and search "Atmosphere" and you'll find the facility that changes it - then you can read off exactly how high you need to go in Planetary Engineering to get it.
Researching planetary
Researching planetary engineering won't help with the atmospheric modification plants. They are under planetary utilisation (lvl 20 required).
in order
1. No, colonies have no sensor capability. Go figure. You need to build and launch a satellite with a sensor.
2. Its there. Can't remember where offhand
3. They just have to get to the edge of the combat, so if you're only a few movement points faster, they can still outrun you. Also, if they're using smaller ships their ships will be faster.
4. Not exactly. There's a button to highlight enemy systems, but its a bit buggy and highlights ANY system that has a ship. By the way, SEV uses "quadrant" for the large scale map, "system" for a solar system, and "sector" for an individual hex within a system. Be careful not to mix them up or you'll be rather confused about the effect of some items.
5. Not usually.
6. ..you have guns on colony ships? Make sure you're on high difficulty. The stock AI isn't terribly bright, either, you might try the balance mod.
7. Those carriers are usually empty. The stock AI kind of forgets to load them..
8. See Balance Mod, and I think there's a few others.