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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0027107AI War 2Balance IssueApr 23, 2022 12:48 pm
ReporterEcthelon Assigned ToBadgerBadger  
Status resolvedResolutionfixed 
Product Version5.000 End Of An Era 
Fixed in Version5.002 Venators Optional 
Summary0027107: Not being able to turn off venators is bizarre
DescriptionFor ages any significant new tools given to the AI have been optional or avoidable. Now out of nowhere the AI has access to venators which can seriously mess up the player with no way of turning them off.

Frankly I find the very concept of venators deeply flawed. There are any number of reasons why a player might be pushed towards a certain fleet/defence composition (Ai type, other factions, etc) and now the game has suddenly decided to punish the player for this right in the last big update of the game. I find them irritating and unbalanced (the nadir venator being the most unfair with how spire-centric your defences HAVE to be in spire games without burning copious resources and pushing up the AIP) but most infuriating of all is that they can't be turned off without deactivating the entire third DLC.

If there was some widespread opinion that the game was too easy before the addition of venators then I wasn't aware of it. In some scenarios (spire games spring to mind) they make the game harder to a significant degree.

I'm sure there will be balance passes but really I would rather they just didn't exist at all. An off button in the setup lobby would be great and frankly it should probably be off by default so new players don't have a much more brutal experience than before when they try certain builds out which would have worked great last week.
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Strategic Sage

Apr 23, 2022 12:12 pm

reporter   ~0066297

I don't think it's accurate that new tools given the AI have been optional. Relentless Waves. Bastion Worlds and the increased overall AIP from knocking out the AI. The phasing mechanic and scaling on the Phase 2 Overlords. Attractive Matrix Fortresses. Etc. None of those can be turned off, and all of them required significant changes in how all players approach the game (the AMF can be sabotage-hacked of course, but no such recourse is available for the others).

At least part of the impetus behind Venators is that people have consistently asked for the AI to be more reactive to what the player is doing. From a logic standpoint there's not a lot more that has been discovered to do there within the limitations of the how the meta - specifically thinking of HA here - has evolved.

BadgerBadger

Apr 23, 2022 12:48 pm

manager   ~0066301

Venators are now disabled by default for HA, and can be enabled in the game lobby. They are forced on for Challenger+

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Apr 23, 2022 9:38 am Ecthelon New Issue
Apr 23, 2022 12:12 pm Strategic Sage Note Added: 0066297
Apr 23, 2022 12:48 pm BadgerBadger Assigned To => BadgerBadger
Apr 23, 2022 12:48 pm BadgerBadger Status new => resolved
Apr 23, 2022 12:48 pm BadgerBadger Resolution open => fixed
Apr 23, 2022 12:48 pm BadgerBadger Fixed in Version => 5.002 Venators Optional
Apr 23, 2022 12:48 pm BadgerBadger Note Added: 0066301