No escorts?

from GalCiv2 Forums
I've noticed that a lot of the time, on the "Bright", difficulty setting the AI rarely escorts their troop transports or if it does, it is in a severely inadequat way. Isn't this something I should expect to see on cakewalk or something, but not where most algorithyms are already in place?
16,191 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I rarely see the A.I escort transports on any difficulty setting...not sure why because it can be so damn clever sometimes!
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yeah it can be! As my custom race, I tried to pick off a very weak and Empire-locked Terran Alliance only to have them really effectively use their small fleet against mine. I'm making progress, but they really are making me bleed for every par-sec of space I take.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yeah, that is one of my biggest gripes. All I have to do is keep a cheap little ship at each planet or in some cases each system and their safe. It makes holding on to a planet easy... though once in awhile they'll send in a fleet and clear out the defense around it and attack and take it before I can get another ship there. Hope it gets fixed when we get the big patch later this month


Kyle
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's not that they don't send escorts, it is that they design escorts with half the speed and pitiful weapons that arrive in the sector a few turns after you blew up their transports.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
yes the ai ships are too slow to keep up with transports. I've seen transport with speed of 6 but no war shipw ith speed greater than 3 :/ This will get addressed I'm sure. But I personally don't always escort my transports either. Because my transports tend to be really fast,t hey don't need escort. Hell I can use a transport to drag the AI fleet around :/
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I -always- see the AI escort -most- of their "invasion" fleets. Do know that the AI often makes transport run around even when in time of peace, those are rarely escorted.

These transport, when at war, will often get into your read-end and capture unguarded planets.
The AI's invasion fleets will originate from their territory and will be accompanied by armed forces. Usually very slowly
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I never escort my transports. The AI makes no effort whatsoever to put sensors on its ships. So even if the AI designs ships which are fast enough so intercept my transports (which they don't), they still won't be able to intercept them since they don't see them coming.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In almost all of my games i dont escort my transports simply becuase there too fast. they really dont need an escort once they can move 9pc/wk. ive also noticed in some cases the ai wont even pay attn to my unescorted transport (on painfull btw).
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In almost all of my games i dont escort my transports simply becuase there too fast. they really dont need an escort once they can move 9pc/wk. ive also noticed in some cases the ai wont even pay attn to my unescorted transport (on painfull btw)


Funny you should say that, I like making transport killers. Cargo hull with tons of engines and 1 little weapon. Perfect for taking out unescorted transports.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have a few different variations on the "privateer" idea running around. Basicly a fast ship with the smallest weapon I can find loaded up with engines and a bit of life support. Depending on the game, I use either a cargo ship hull, or a medium/large hull, since an actual combat ship can take out the odd solo fighter it finds as well as the unarmed ships. However, I've started seeing them escort transports now, and there have been a couple nasty suprises lately where I sent my privateer to attack their troop transport icon in the strategic view, only to find out it had escorts that ate my ship for lunch. Judging from the recent patch notes, it might be something fairly new, or it might be my difficulty level (I'm working on painful now), but the AI has learned how to escort its transports, at least some of the time.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Escorting transports seem to be a waste for me. I usually have a strike force barrel in, clear a planet and my escort with 9+ moves just swoops in since it can be far behind my lines.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The AI seems to be wierd in the guarding of it's transports. For the record, I play on Tough.

Sometimes it just sends in a constant stream of unguarded transports towards a planet with no defensive ships.

Other times it piles fleets along the route - the Altarians did this a couple of games back on me - it really surprised me and I lost my first ever planet in Sandbox mode!

Some of the observations above are correct - and maybe part of the reason. The escorts being too slow for one thing. Other times though, they put them in a fleet together.... I don't know what to make of it.... it's like the AI is just plain lazy sometimes.... or too optimistic!