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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0023151AI War 2SuggestionJul 16, 2020 10:12 am
ReporterParadoxSong Assigned ToBadgerBadger  
Status resolvedResolutionfixed 
Product Version2.026 The Faction Duality Problem 
Fixed in Version2.101 Connection Status: Confirmed 
Summary0023151: Suggestion: Give the Scourge Fireteams an Escort/Breakthrough Strategy
DescriptionThe scourge can be cut off from the rest of the map pretty easily, they don't even seem to attempt to escort builders through player planets. While it's nice to be able to stop the Scourge from expanding, high-intensity scourge don't really live up to their name on X or Clusters when constrained so easily. The Scourge are more frightening when they don't have to ram your fortress world into the dust before they're allowed into the softer quadrants (you'd probably be dead by then, anyway)

To counter this issue, I suggest having Scourge builders "risk" running through a player world when no other scourge can path to a large enough set of AI (maybe even neutral) planets, a low but arbitrary percentage in the range of like 5-20%. If that much of the map is cut off, then the scourge could either wait for a wave on a blocking planet and breakthrough at the same time, taking builders, or try and do it on their own, if they think they can.

What's wonderful about this, is this is counter-able too! Black Hole Machines, Gravity Generators, and Forcefields and webber-types all gain value in Scourge games, and it can help provide a reason not to stack all your forcefields on your command station while providing a rare opportunity to kill some builders.
TagsNo tags attached.

Activities

BadgerBadger

May 26, 2020 2:10 am

manager   ~0057122

Maybe! Does anyone have a good save that could be used for testing this if I decide to add the feature?

ParadoxSong

Jul 15, 2020 10:51 am

reporter   ~0057612

Here you go, Badger. X map-type (it's most pronounced there), central planet controlled since 20mins or so, Scourge (Intensity 7) just starting to show up and attack it, there's been a poke in every two minutes or so. The tractor arrays have been deleted on the planet so it's easier to test for you.

Less relevant characteristics of the save: Allied scourge just warping in now (if this is a problem, I have a save about 12 minutes earlier)
Allied marauders starting to snowball, no HRF yet.
 
If you want a more mature save, let me know, I'll probably keep playing this one. It might have Spire Cities though.

ParadoxSong

Jul 15, 2020 10:52 am

reporter   ~0057613

Woops. Reupload.
Candidate 3.save (459,946 bytes)

ParadoxSong

Jul 15, 2020 7:13 pm

reporter   ~0057629

Oh, and to add to this - particularly useful times for the Scourge to try and do this would be during waves targeting the planet(s) they need to get past, or during CPAs, since both could help cover for the anemic scourge, relative to the time elapsed in the map.

The behaviour right now, Scourge just trickle into the central planet every so often and get mercilessly slaughtered.

BadgerBadger

Jul 16, 2020 2:14 am

manager   ~0057632

Ask and ye shall recieve....

* Fix a bug where the scourge were periodically suiciding Defensive Fireteams into player positions.
** Thanks to ParadoxSong for the save.

* On intensities >= 5, the scourge can create cloaked "blockade running builders" if the player has tried to blockade the scourge into a small region of the galaxy
** Thanks to ParadoxSong for the suggestion

* On higher scourge difficulties, the scourge is intended to sneak a builder off to another part of the galaxy at the beginning of the game, to make it much harder for the player to blockade them in. This was not working on some map types, including the X type.
** Thanks to ParadoxSong for the save that exposed this problem.
*** These changes should make the scourge much harder to deal with in general, and on the X map type in particular.

ParadoxSong

Jul 16, 2020 9:30 am

reporter   ~0057637

Thank you so, SO much badger. You are my hero! Scourge are my favourite part of the game and I'm really happy to see them tear me apart mercilessly!!!

BadgerBadger

Jul 16, 2020 10:12 am

manager   ~0057643

The ironic thing is that the existing mechanism should have prevented this, it just wasn't working on the X map, where it was most needed. I didn't realize that till I'd done basically all the work for the cloaked builders.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Apr 16, 2020 12:38 pm ParadoxSong New Issue
May 26, 2020 2:09 am BadgerBadger Assigned To => BadgerBadger
May 26, 2020 2:09 am BadgerBadger Status new => assigned
May 26, 2020 2:10 am BadgerBadger Status assigned => considering
May 26, 2020 2:10 am BadgerBadger Note Added: 0057122
Jul 15, 2020 10:51 am ParadoxSong Note Added: 0057612
Jul 15, 2020 10:52 am ParadoxSong File Added: Candidate 3.save
Jul 15, 2020 10:52 am ParadoxSong File Added: Candidate 3.savemet
Jul 15, 2020 10:52 am ParadoxSong Note Added: 0057613
Jul 15, 2020 7:13 pm ParadoxSong Note Added: 0057629
Jul 16, 2020 2:14 am BadgerBadger Status considering => resolved
Jul 16, 2020 2:14 am BadgerBadger Resolution open => fixed
Jul 16, 2020 2:14 am BadgerBadger Fixed in Version => 2.101 Connection Status: Confirmed
Jul 16, 2020 2:14 am BadgerBadger Note Added: 0057632
Jul 16, 2020 9:30 am ParadoxSong Note Added: 0057637
Jul 16, 2020 10:12 am BadgerBadger Note Added: 0057643