cost of mind control?

[bvanevery]

I can't find a formula for the cost of mind controlling a base.  I've found probe team success rate formulas but that's it.  I think the cost of taking over a base is absurdly low and I want to verify this.  In my mod I've already jacked it to +50% cost for most factions, but it doesn't seem to be enough in practice.  The AI keeps taking over bases too cheaply IMO.

[Nexii]

Anecdotal but I believe AI may not actually pay the cost to use MC. I want to say I've seen the AI use it when low on credits...anyways here's an old thread about it

https://apolyton.net/forum/other-games/alpha-centauri/147933-how-to-calculate-the-cost-of-city-mind-control/page2

[bvanevery]

I've spot checked recent games in my mod, and the AI has actually paid mind control costs for bases.  I've seen it drop 400 credits on a takeover, for instance.  To me the question has been, have they paid enough, for the distance from my capitol?  Last time around the answer was "no", so I raised the cost yet again.  Instead of factions being charged a 50% increase in cost, now it's 100%, with exceptions for my 3 probe team oriented factions who still pay 'only' a 50% increase.  In my new version 1.41, I haven't explicitly verified the AI money spent.  However anecdotally, the AI hasn't been bothering me with early base takeovers, and that's the metric I really go by.  Does the game suck, is it annoying?  If it stops being annoying, then I've done my job.

This all implies that I do believe the AI pays for stuff, and that PROBECOST affects it.  But I haven't proven it.

[Bearu]

The formula from Nexii's link missed many different points on mind control costs. The exact modifiers for the cost to mind control a base for a human appear below. The AI receives a few more less significant modifiers from mandate and energy reserve modifiers.

The mind control cost of a base includes (in the order appeared in the code):

d = distance from HQ (13 with no HQ)
Base Cost equals Base Distance from HQ

f = Facility modifiers (Genejack Factory, Children's Creche, and Punishment Sphere in that order)
Distance Value from HQ X 2  for Genejack Factory
Distance Value from HQ X .5 for Children's Creche
Distance Value from HQ X .5 for Punishment Sphere
Distance Value from HQ X .5 if base is nerve stapled

HQ Distance Value = d + f in next section.

u = units in base with a modifier: I think Unit Mineral cost
Special modifiers for Polymorphic Encryption and Assault and Combat AI Plan units.
Overall Mind control Cost X 2 for each unit with Assault AI Plan (Weapon > Armor) and Combat AI Plan (Weapon = Armor) in base + Overall Cost X 2 for each unit with Polymorphic Encryption.
Polymorphic encryption on a Combat unit or Assault unit quadruples the cost to mind control a base for each of these units in the base plus the unit mineral cost.

b = Add Base Size to Mind control cost modifier.

t = modifier for previous subversion and mind control events from the same faction.
Value + 1 per your successful subversion of target faction's units
Value + 4 per your successful mind control of target faction's base

Multiple Value X 2 for every 4 points of the value.
Every 4 subversions of the targeted faction's units doubles your cost. You double the cost for every of your successful mind control operation on the targeted faction. Each faction maintains a separate value for each other.


Mind Control Cost = m
m = Units in base with mineral cost + special modifiers (up to X 4 per unit) + Base Size + Modifier from previous probe actions on faction from your faction / 4.
or
m= u + t + b

e = Energy Credit Reserve modifier
Mind Control Modifier * ((Targeted Faction's Energy Credit Reserve + Targeted Faction's Cost to Corner Global Market (0-1000)  + 1200) / (Modified Distance from HQ value (d+f) + 4))

e * m = Base Mind control cost = M

AI Only: Only on difficulty of Transcend and Level below transcend
Cost * 3/5 for Transcend
Cost * 3/4 for difficulty below transcend

x = diplomatic statuses part 1
If in a Pact
Cost X 2

Base status part 2:
If the base remains one of your previously owned bases with an assimilation counter active:
Cost X .5

Golden Age active:
Cost X 2

Drone riots Active:
Cost X .5

Diplomatic Statuses:
EITHER
Unknown diplomatic flag: Something with atrocities
Cost X 2

OR

Target faction "I want revenge" status on:
Cost X 1.5

PROBECOST Special ability:
Value of PROBECOST X Cost

Nethack Terminus:
Cost X .75

PROBE Cost Modifiers:
PROBE Score Modifiers:
-1 PROBE for Genejack Factory
+2 PROBE for Covert Ops Center

This means a regular probe team can subvert a base of a faction with +3 PROBE and a Genejack Factory at the same cost as a faction with +2 PROBE.

Cost * modified base PROBE value


Edit 1:
Reworked the values. Distance from HQ and Unit Cost operate separately until after the enemy energy credit reserve. The function for the division of the large value of energy credits + Cost of enemy corner the global energy market remains the start of the actual cost process.

[Bearu]

I would recommend bvanevery try placing Combat and Assault units with Polymorphic Encryption in a problem base. Two of those units increase the cost to mind control the base by approximately 8. This alleviates the problem of cheap mind control costs.

The modifiers for mind control cost in the code suggests the developers' thought the placement of Assault and Combat troops with polymorphic encryption on newly captured bases and your frontier bases remained a viable strategy.

[bvanevery]

I think for that kind of expenditure, one might as well burden oneself with putting probe teams in bases.  Good info regardless.  This one confuses me though:

Multiple Value X 2 for every 4 points of the value.
Every 4 subversions of the targeted faction's units doubles your cost. You double the cost for every of your successful mind control operation on the targeted faction. Each faction maintains a separate value for each other.

Is that per unit and per base?  Or is it per game?  If the latter, it would not be long before it's absurdly difficult to take over another faction's stuff.

[Bearu]

I think for that kind of expenditure, one might as well burden oneself with putting probe teams in bases.  Good info regardless.  This one confuses me though:

Multiple Value X 2 for every 4 points of the value.
Every 4 subversions of the targeted faction's units doubles your cost. You double the cost for every of your successful mind control operation on the targeted faction. Each faction maintains a separate value for each other.

Is that per unit and per base?  Or is it per game?  If the latter, it would not be long before it's absurdly difficult to take over another faction's stuff.

It is per unit and per base the faction's probe team owner has subverted of the faction you are trying to mind control a base from in the same game. The values are reset to 0 at the start of each game.
For example, the Gaians have subverted 4 Peacekeeper units and 1 Peacekeeper base in the same game, and the Gaians try to subvert another Peacekeeper base. The cost to subvert the peacekeeper base increases by approximately X 4. The next Peacekeeper base the Gaians try to subvert will cost approximately X 6 the base cost. If the Gaians subvert a Hive base, then the cost modifier starts at approximately X 2 for the next Hive base the Gaians try to subvert.

[bvanevery]

This sure as heck doesn't seem like a sensible system on a Huge map.