The AI is cheating on its ship range...

from Stardock Forums
I've seen this in three games in the last two days. The AI seems able to send Colony Ships to good planets outside their range.

One time this happened, the Altarian empire that was supposed to be in an isolated corner managed to colonize a planet on the other side of the galaxy. This wasn't a UP event because I saw the ship colonize it. Later, this empire declaired war on all of the other empires except my own, and since I was between this planet and the rest of the empire, it sent lots of Battle Hammers through my space. I wouldn't have minded this if the Hammers didn't suddeny stop and litter my sectors, making it hard to get around. >:(

Other times, the colony ships go from sectors in their range to stars in the center of sectors just outside their range. I'm really annoyed, because sometimes it ruins my strategy to isolate the near by empires before I pick them off.
1,571 views 31 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
What size galaxy were you playing on? In smaller galaxies, range isn't really a factor since there aren't many sectors to start off with. Couple that with a race that has a range bonus and it'd seem like their cheating. Unless they've found a loophole in the code :\ In which case we'll have to look into it. AI shrugging off ranges on a gigantic galaxy would be most annoying, I have to agree.

~SDC~
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Also the ai will often use starbases to extend their range. Make sure you aren't missing a few starbases laid out so that they can reach that far.

~SDC~
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I just had another encouter with this early (turn 25 or so) in a medium sized galaxy. I had searched through the surrounding areas, but there weren't any starbases or hidden colonies, and the info on the colony ship was that it still had a one sector range.

As for the Altarian one described above, their home world and surrounding star cluster was isolated by two sectors in every direction (medium sized galaxy), and they put up starbases just after I got there.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Bossy, a range of 1 does not mean the colony ship only has a range of 1 sector. I haven't actually counted, but I think it's more like 4-6 sectors.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Arcanum, early game colony ships can't move beyond sectors adjacent to a sector with a colony or starbase. Try it yourself. Click the i button on a colony ship and it says, Range: 1 Sector. Try moving a colony ship out side of this range and you should get a message saying you can't.

What I've been saying is, I'm seeing these colony ships, in the beginning of the game, move to sectors that aren't adjacent to their empire's controlled sectors.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I also think the AI knows where all the resources are without bothering to explore the map.

-TLA-Russian
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
"I also think the AI knows where all the resources are without bothering to explore the map."

I've been assuming that knowledge comes hand in hand with the fact that they know where the good planets are, by virtue of being older spacefaring races.

"What I've been saying is, I'm seeing these colony ships, in the beginning of the game, move to sectors that aren't adjacent to their empire's controlled sectors."

They've probably built a SB to extend their range. You wouldn't see the SB unless you had a unit very close to it, as the fog of war will hide it.

- Ash

~SDC~
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
I once had an Arcean Survey Ship magically appear 2 parsecs from my homeworld on turn 4 of a game... wormhole jump. I watched which way he flew away and figured that to be a direct B-line for home. Poor crew out on their Voyager experience.

~SDC~
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
Bossy, my bad. I should've checked more carefully before posting. The range listed is the actual range of the ship. (BTW, base range is higher in larger galaxies. I've been mostly playing on large and larger, which contributed to my confusion.)
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
The AI could have chosen the range increase and speed increase for its chosen starting abilities.

The AI could have gone straight for the range increasing techs.

The AI could have found anomolies that increase range.

The AI could be cheating.

Or it could just be a bug.
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm talking about early game, where there's no way the AI has built any SBs because of the planet grab, doesn't have the range techs yet (in two cases, the empires in question didn't get propulsion theory for quite a while). Oh, and the case I talked about at the begining of the thread, where the colony in question was FIVE sectors away (medium galaxy) from anything else its empire owned (and don't say it was a UP event, because I was in the UP before them).

And anomolies that increase range? I'd like to see that, along with ones that increase sensors, speed, interest rates, and morale .
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
Well, I don't think it cheats on its ship *speed*, if this is any consolation. I had enemy ships with a speed of 1 harassing one of my favourite sectors last night. I added one of the tractor beam modules to the local starbase, the one that reduces enemy ship speed by 1.

The ships can't move. My unguarded constructors sailed right past, unharrassed. And the AI sent more ships into the sector ... for all the good it did! Poor thing - they're sitting ducks, for whenever I can be bothered producing a few larger ships to hit them with. (Or, perhaps, whenever the aliens agree to a peace treaty.)

The stationary nature of the ships may or may not be by design; the folly of the AI in sending in more ships probably *is* a bug, and one I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere. However, I *am* using version 1.01 rather than 1.01a.

DragonSister
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
To my knowledge the AI do NOT know where all resources are, I had a tech resource outside my terriotry for about 30 turns (it took that long for me to build a constructor and get it to the resource) and the AI left it alone, I had a scout there to "guard" it and I saw no AI ships near it. This means that the AI had not discovered it and therefor the didnt take it. Simple ;)
I have also seen it on many other occations!

/Andreas
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
The only race I've seen that seemed to break the range limitation was the Altarians as well, so it could be a racial adjustment. I know that when the Drengen started off bottled up in a corner, they stayed there until they managed to conquer a minor race.

Second, you've been missinformed, Asharak. The AI does not know where the good planets are. It only knows where the good stars are, it has to scout for planets just like you or me.

Finally, I'll second the vote on the AI not knowing where resources are, I once started off with three resources adjacent to my home sector, and I beat the Dregnen to one between our homes. The constructor then sat there until a Drengen scout zipped past my home sector.
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
I've noticed the same. The Altarians, on a large loose clusters map, colonized planets WAY out of stadard colony ship ranges.

I'm talking the distance between the target planet and their closest their colony (capital) was 7 sectors. They colonized that planet by turn 20. They went STRAIGHT for those waaaaaay out there planets since they didn't have any near "home". :p
Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
Probably it's just their way of pressing Ctrl-N? ;)

I had a Drengin doing that long-range colonization game today and was a little baffled about it. Do the other races choose (some of) their attributes/abilities - perhaps even based on the map - or is this all hardcoded?

~SDC~
Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top
While I've also seen games whewre their empires languish and die because nothing is in range and I suppose they weren't cheating to settle stars past their range.

~SDC~
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top
I've just seen it again today, with an Arcean colony ship going through two sectors that are out of its range to the closest uncolonized yellow star. Maybe this is a bug in the AI's colonization algorithm?
Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top
OK, now I've managed to see every empire do this. I've saved one game where I've caught it in the act. It's going from 1-4 to 6-1, even though there are decent unclaimed planets in 1-4, and it's very early in the game. Should I e-mail it to Brad as proof?
Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top
Email it to [email protected]. Brad won't be in till later, but I can check I out now.

It's time to get to the bottom of this issue ;)

~SDC~
Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top
"Second, you've been missinformed, Asharak. The AI does not know where the good planets are. It only knows where the good stars are, it has to scout for planets just like you or me."

Nah, I never said I was informed. I said it was an assumption. It was based on the fact that I rarely find 20+ quality worlds (or multiple 15+ systems), yet the AI seemed to do it quite regularly. I've since seen the AI miss some good planets, and decided my statistical sample for that assumption was a little too small. :)

One thing the AI DOES do, though, is colonize the wrong planet in a system. I played a game last night in which a system had a class-26 planet and a class-18. The first colony the AI established was on the class-18. Not a bug, just a stupid decision.

- Ash

~SDC~
Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top
Well, last night I found a system quite a bit into the game (I had contacted all races on a large map, had probably 7 or 8 starbases, most systems were occupied, etc) when I found a lone system near the fringe. It was pretty darn close to the Arcean empire to. It harbored the following planets (and it was yellow): 2 class 26, 1 class 17, and 1 class 15. So the AI does not always rush and nab the best planets, that's for certain! As soon as 4 of my colony ships made beelines for this system, HIS colony ships were enroute. Mine were 1 turn ahead. But my corvette took out his colony ships before they could close on the system. They *gasp* declared war on me for this! Thankfully I was evil, muwahaha.

But if ships are doing this, it must be a bug. Brad clearly stated that enemy ships do not get extra 'moves', and they can't move illegaly.. so do send an email!

fleabitfox
Reply #25 from Stardock Forums Top
Got it done. I did notice the AI getting lower class planets first, because it checks which planets are 15 or greater based on numerical order, not planet quality.