AI Risk Evaluation?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Maybe this is a question for the Devs, but I was wondering how an AI chooses to attack a fleet with a fleet of its own.

Yester day I had a small fleet of medium hulls with a good balance of offense and defense. Because of a mistake on my part, the small single fleet found itself surrounded by a red sea of Drengin super dominators. Because the Drengin had low logistics they were only in fleets of five, but there about thrity fleets.

Now my ships could have ripped through about half of them , but there is no way they could have taken them all on. Then, a miracle happened: The Drengin fleets just swarmed past me . I tired it again just to be sure... The Drengin were avoiding engaging my fleet!

My thought is that the AI looks at it on a fleet by fleet basis. In which case my fleet was the superior one. But thats just a guess based on what I saw. Can anyone explain this?
11,350 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
We've got a similar thread going on about starbase defense. It's hard to code the AI to make suicide attacks and then follow it on with another.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The other question the AI could have been asking itself: would exchanging a large group of fighters for a smaller group of frigates have been worth it? I'd guess not...
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Interesting thoughts... could you link the thread about starbase defenses? Thanks!
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Interesting. They didn't run away from you, though, just ran past you? That sounds less like avoiding your fleet and more like not bothering to issue new orders and just continuing on a previous flight path...
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Starstriker: Yeah that occurred to me also that maybe they had a more important objective to attack and maybe my fleet wasn't worth their time?
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Starstriker: Yeah that occurred to me also that maybe they had a more important objective to attack and maybe my fleet wasn't worth their time?


Most likely a starbase. when you have jucy economic starbases, the AI loves to throw everything at them. Meanwhile your ships not defending the starbases can freely drift around without having to worry about being attacked.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One fleet it should be able to have a really good idea of the outcome (perhaps via simulation). Even a chain of two or three fleets attacking you could expect it to play out. If it takes 10 of their fleets to take out one of your small fleets, that's quite far to look ahead. It starts to hinge on the much more nebulous question of how much it is worth to him to take you out versus other opportunities.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually, no mistik, there were no star bases in the area. There were a few asteroids that I owned, but I have yet to see an AI destroy one.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yeah, the AIs never destroy the asteroid bases (presumably, they're waiting for a culture flip). At least, they never destroy them INTENTIONALLY.

It'd be nice if they considered that an option, though. Its a great way to cut the production of a civilisation that you aren't intending to conquer soon, making it a good defensive strategy.