What AI setting is a "fair game?"

Unfair AI is the only one that currently gets an unfair economic boost (+200% AFAIK). Hard AI has no bonuses whatsoever.

Only the unfair setting gives a bonus to the AI. (resource bonus)

So they originally shipped the game with no setting that gave the AI bonuses? That was an... interesting decision.

Thanks for the answer.

Yes, they wanted to create a non-cheating AI that has no advantages (either global or map-specific).

That's fine, but you always include a cheating AI for the highest end players, because no AI opponent (let alone one as weak as the Sins AI) is going to be a challenge for everyone. This is true of games in any genre. The best RTS AI I've ever seen (Rise of Nations) and the best TBS 4X AI I've ever seen (Gal Civ 2) both still included higher settings (which I've never needed) just for the hardcore gamer set in each genre.

Anyway, the point's moot since they've included one now, it's just a weird release decision IMO. Then again, I don't understand a lot of the decisions that went into this game, so why should I be surprised by that one?

sucks that none of the AIs will build superweapons, even the unfair AI isn't so bad if you just wait it out (park a few capships in between 10+ repair bays ^_^).

So all human players have an unfair advantage over AIs, if thats what your asking. I'm not even quite sure if they use the dark fleet or not (tis hard to tell).

Are you certain about that number ?! You are perhaps confusing DOUBLE (which means +100%) with +200% (which would mean triple!).

If the Unfair A.I. does get triple the economic resources of what the human & non-unfair comps get, that would be a lot of unfairness !

I would rather believe that it is double : +100%.

I don't know : the 1.03 changelog does not give a precise #. Where did you get your « +200% » ?

You may be right. I believe I saw the 200% mentioned somewhere, but I don't remember where. Generally that's when I put stuff in parentheses and not word it as absolute fact

About unfair bonus, the bonus only applies to asteroids, which is nothing like 100% or even 200% on most maps.


from the changelog.



chess?

Maybe in the expansion we'll see a vastly improved AI. With the rather huge percentage of players (IMHO) that go for SP over MP (even then often as co-op), i expect it would be worth the effort for IC to take on such a task.

Indeed it would be worth the effort. Currently the AI needs some buffing for the really hardcore players(maybe a This-Is-Just-Plain-Ridiculous/You-Will-Lose setting that gives the AI 5x normal resource income? for a quick fix?)

As such the AI is actually fairly challenging for most players already, and they've accomplished this through actually attempting to program the thing well, instead of just throwing zounds of money at it so it never runs out of units. Better running away logic seems to mostly be what it needs. I still kill at least 50% of the AI ships while they are attempting to run, theres too much weight on cap ships in that calculation imo, and there should be something in there that says "we can't make it anyways boys. Go out guns blazing!" so that they do at least some damage to my fleet rather than dying horribly getting shot in the back. It should, however, prove to be a very challenging AI once they get the tweakage done.