Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => The Theory of Everything => Topic started by: Dio on February 27, 2016, 09:12:27 pm

Title: A few effects of Secret Projects, Special Abilities, and Faction Powers
Post by: Dio on February 27, 2016, 09:12:27 pm

I have recently found a few interesting things about the secret projects and Faction Powers that influence the AI Production of certain units and facilites.
1. A postive PSI (Gaian Psi) score causes the AI to place a higher emphasis on the production of Biology Labs, Bioenhancement Centers, Centauri Preserves, and Temples of Planet.
1. The presence of the Cloning Vats Secret Project causes the AI to value the production of Recreation Commons, Hologram Theaters, Hab Complexs, Habitation Domes and Satellites more. This same secret project also causes the AI to value Children's Creches less.
2. The Ascetic Virtues secret project causes the AI to value Hab Complexes and Habitation Domes slightly less.
3. The Virtual World secret project causes the AI to value the production of Network Nodes significantly more than without the project under the control of this faction.
I also discovered an interesting effect of the Anti-Grav struts on melee Elevation non-psi combat bonuses (these bonuses remain at zero in the default version of SMAC and SMAX)
1. The Anti Grav Struts allow a defending unit to ignore the "Downhill" attack bonus that occurs when anon-psi  unit attacks another non-psi unit in a square at least 1000 or more meters below it.
2. The Anti-Grav Struts allow an attacking non-psi unit to ignore the "Uphill" defense bonus that occurs when a non-psi unit attacks another non-psi unit in a square at least 1000 meters above it.

Title: Re: Gaian Psi Effects
Post by: Dio on February 28, 2016, 07:41:54 pm

I continue to experience conflicting feelings with the effects of the Gaian Psi faction bonus on the AI. I know PSI influences the production of PSI Units and related facilites while PLANET only influences the production of Tree Farms and Hybrid Forests. This difference in the effects makes me want the Gaian Psi ability without breaking the power of the Gaians relative with the other factions. I also know that the tendency of AI selection towards higher PLANET scores in Social Models, frankly, remains horrendous.

Title: Re: A few effects of Secret Projects, Special Abilities, and Faction Powers
Post by: Nexii on February 29, 2016, 02:26:24 am

Yea even if you mod ecodamage to be extremely high, or PSI per rank to be higher, the AI doesn't really go for PLANET very much.  I suspect its just some kind of binary check (do my bases have some ecodamage?)

Title: Re: A few effects of Secret Projects, Special Abilities, and Faction Powers
Post by: Dio on March 01, 2016, 07:13:14 pm

Quote from: Nexii on February 29, 2016, 02:26:24 am

Yea even if you mod ecodamage to be extremely high, or PSI per rank to be higher, the AI doesn't really go for PLANET very much.  I suspect its just some kind of binary check (do my bases have some ecodamage?)

The value is not binary, but the formula to determine the value (memory address 0096D1DC) takes the sum of the quotinent from each base a faction controls. The formula to determine this value appears as follows: Base Eco-damage * 4 / 4 - Faction Planet Score (min. 1; Max. 99). The portion of the procedure that determines the initial value of PLANET for the AI in social model selection appears as follows: {[(4 - PLANET Value of Social Model) * value in 0096D1DC] * 4} + 1 for every multiple of 3 of the value that results from 4 - PLANET value of Social Model / 4. This partially explains the lack of interest in Planet from the AI because the Planet Value sum from the social model decreases as the bonus increases.