Campaign AI Ship Bug

from GalCiv2 Forums
So, I played around with regular games for a while to get a feel for the game before I went to play the campaign.

I've gone through 3 campaign missions and into the 4th after I noticed something funny on the first one. The Drengin weren't building combat ships. They build a few constructors (Though from the picture of them while they were in orbit they "looked" like small sized ships), but no combat ships of any sort. When I played up to where the Yor come in, they, too, do not build any combat ships. The Arceans and the Altarians do however build combat ships. Really no sense in me playing the campaign any further unless the enemy is going to fight back. Difficulty was set to Normal.
1,866 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Then turn it up to tough. Simple. You can't really complain about the AI unless it's working properly.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Uhhh, the whole point is that the AI isn't working properly, hence the complaints. I bought a game that was supposed to be this great game and the AI can't build ships with guns on them . . . I might as well go back to Civ 4 because at least that AI is working.

Ren
Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The campaign on Normal difficulty (not counting the DL), is far too easy, might as well be cakewalk. If you read thru some of the Journal posts where the AI is being tested and modified during the 1.1 betas, they are doing so because it was discovered that on maps with sparsely habitable starsystems, the AI is at a SEVERE disadvantange at ANY difficulty level. Folk were crushing the game at the highest levels because the AI wasn't able keep up. The first 2 campaign missions were super easy because of this deficiency. I stopped there because I became bored with re-Researching all the same techs that I had learned in the previous mission, so I never actually got to see any dread lords, so that may have made the campaign a bit more of a challenge.

In the few games that I have played I get the impression that on any size map, if you don't have an over abundance of AI civs against you, you are essentially crippling the AI, lowering the difficulty level substantially. The Devs have taken steps in 1.1 to give the AI more smarts on the edge case maps, but I still the AI to AI interactions are needed to keep the AI challenging.

When I played the first 2 missions, the Drengies didn't even get a warship into space before I had completed them.

As a side note, the AI uses the unarmed defender ships in orbit as a tactic to prevent 'blitz' invasions of troop transports. Its not a failure in the AI, just points out the weakness of that difficulty level. You, as a person, are 'smart' enough to know that on a tiny map there is no time to waste, the AI at that difficulty can't realize that.

As I said, I got bored with the campaign early, I didn't like having to research all the things I had researched before all over again. I mean, its supposed to be a continuous timeline, right? So I went straight on over to the sandbox mode to try out some strategies and then move on to metaverse games. I don't mind researching it all over again on a fresh new game.

So, either crank up the diff level, or let it go and move on bigger and better alien bashing.

Cheers,
Reaver

Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Noticed the same thing yesterday.

I played the first two missions, setting it to "Tough" both times, and the behaviour was exactly as described here.
What's weird: Before starting the second mission, I set the difficulty to Tough and proceeded to the race customization screen, then went back to the mission description/difficulty screen to review my objectives. After clicking "Back", the difficulty panel showed "Normal" in big, friendly letters.

Are you sure the difficulty level in the campaign missions is adjustable?
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Some of the replays are missing the point.
It has nothing to do with difficulty.

AI builds military ships (defenders, frigates or anything) but without any weapons.
I mean, I see defender with several points in armor, but not a single weapon.

I noticed this too in first 3 missions and stop playing campaign.

P.S.
It only happens with Drengin ships, Altarians build military ship properly.

P.P.S.
In all 3 missions I have not see a sinlge Drengin ship with weapon.
Exempt one military starbase they built.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As for unarmed defenders being a tactic, I doubt that.
Otherwise they would use that in sandbox mode too.

By unarmed defenders I don't mean colony ships and other real unarmed ships, but a ships with battle hull and no weapons.

That's a bug, not tactic.
No reason to give defender several points in armor and not a sinle weapon.