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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0003202AI War 1 / ClassicGameplay IssueApr 7, 2011 4:50 am
ReporterFunnyMan Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Status confirmedResolutionreopened 
Product Version5.009 
Summary0003202: Effects of destroying AI homeworlds don't match lore
DescriptionAfter destroying both AI homeworlds, the player is given a message that says that the AI has been cut off from reinforcements. If you keep playing, however, you will quickly observe that the AI continues to reinforce and send waves.

Additionally, it seems that the stated effect should also apply to destroying a single AI homeworld. Once their homeworld is gone, an AI can no longer send waves or reinforce, though the other AI is still able to use their warp gates and reinforce their planets (if it chooses to).
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FunnyMan

Apr 6, 2011 5:54 pm

reporter   ~0011723

Exo-galactic strike forces also continue after both AIs are destroyed. I've even had one get announced after settling the whole galaxy, including jamming the exo-galaxy wormholes

Chris_McElligottPark

Apr 6, 2011 5:54 pm

administrator   ~0011724

In terms of the first thing, that's because some players asked to be able to keep playing after the game is over. It's already in mantis to make that an option, so that those players can keep doing that, but the default is just "game over, you win, no more gameplay happens now."

In terms of the second, that's absolutely by design. The game gets harder when you kill one AI, not easier, and I've written in depth about why in the past. Essentially it's boring when victory is assured once you reach one specific goal in a strategy game.

FunnyMan

Apr 6, 2011 6:19 pm

reporter   ~0011726

From what you say, you're looking at two post-win scenarios:

1. The player stops playing, having defeated the AIs. (the expected result)
2. The game continues as if nothing happened. (meaning that killing the homeworlds was pointless)

There's a third option:

3. The AI stops reinforcing and issuing waves, but otherwise behaves as before.

This forms something of a compromise between the other two scenarios, allowing the player to reach a more satisfying conclusion than "I win because I destroyed their homeworlds; who cares about the 12,000 ships they still have?" while still preserving the reasoning behind scenario 1.


I understand your reasoning behind not wanting to make the game easier after killing a homeworld, and I'll agree with you in the vanilla setup, but I doubt I'm the only one who would appreciate having the option. (By the time I destroy a homeworld, I find that reinforcements and waves are more a nuisance than a real threat; cutting them in half would make the game far less grindy from then on.) An AI Plot seems like a good fit. Something along the lines of: "Quitter - After this AI's homeworld is defeated, it will stop sending waves and reinforcements. As it is now alone, the remaining AI will gain an additional 100 AI Progress."

FunnyMan

Apr 6, 2011 6:20 pm

reporter   ~0011727

(see above)

Chris_McElligottPark

Apr 6, 2011 6:23 pm

administrator   ~0011730

Hmmm, that is interesting, actually. Just having it stop the reinforcements and the waves after the Game Over flag gets tripped might be a really cool thing. That would probably satisfy both camps with the least amount of work, come to that.

TechSY730

Apr 6, 2011 6:23 pm

reporter   ~0011731

Last edited: Apr 6, 2011 6:27 pm

As long as this new "Quitter" AI modifier is off by default, that seems fine.

Chris_McElligottPark

Apr 6, 2011 6:25 pm

administrator   ~0011732

I was thinking of making that the only way the game works from now on, actually. What's the beef with it? Once the game is already won, most people stop in the first place. Bear in mind the only change I'm talking about is after BOTH AIs are dead and the game is over.

Chris_McElligottPark

Apr 6, 2011 6:25 pm

administrator   ~0011733

Oh, I just read the above note more carefully: in terms of reducing ANYTHING before both AIs are dead, that's not going to happen.

TechSY730

Apr 6, 2011 6:27 pm

reporter   ~0011734

Should it be split into two types of "quitter" modifiers? Something like, one is where an AI will stop reinforcing and sending waves once its home is lost (this one is off by default), and the other one will cause the AIs to stop sending waves and reinforcing only when [i]both[/i] AIs are destroyed (this can be on by default, or the inverse of this would be added to turn this behavior off, and that inverse would be disabled by default).

Chris_McElligottPark

Apr 6, 2011 6:30 pm

administrator   ~0011736

I refuse to put in a modifier for before both AIs are dead -- that's a cheat code, not a modifier. The reinforcements and waves are very much of significance, especially if you're playing at your true difficulty level, except in super rare cases where you might have managed to turtle overly effectively.

In terms of the post-death behavior, I'd rather just have that work one way and be done with it; I think that cluttering up with endless modifiers for fairly niche behavioral things of this sort isn't a good idea.

TechSY730

Apr 6, 2011 6:35 pm

reporter   ~0011737

Hmm, okay then, since so few people play past both home-worlds dying, I wouldn't mind the AIs stop reinforcing and sending waves once [i]both[/i] AI home worlds are dead.

However, how come you don't consider things like the 0x wave rate AI modifier a cheat? (the 1/2 wave rate modifier I can see a legit, as a similar thing can be accomplished through giving the AIs negative handicaps)

Chris_McElligottPark

Apr 6, 2011 6:43 pm

administrator   ~0011738

Actually, the game does react to that as being a cheat. Both of them.

TechSY730

Apr 6, 2011 9:58 pm

reporter   ~0011741

You mean that in the status screen (the galaxy stats tab I think), if you have either of those modifiers on, the "Cheats used" indicator will be true?

Good to know you thought of those things.

Chris_McElligottPark

Apr 6, 2011 9:59 pm

administrator   ~0011742

I don't think it shows Cheats Used, but it doesn't let you do achievements to my knowledge, and your score is much reduced from it, too. I think the tooltip of the thing says it.

FunnyMan

Apr 7, 2011 4:50 am

reporter   ~0011748

Doesn't say anything about either of those. And if you allow one "cheat" as an option on game start, why not another?

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Apr 6, 2011 5:51 pm FunnyMan New Issue
Apr 6, 2011 5:54 pm FunnyMan Note Added: 0011723
Apr 6, 2011 5:54 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0011724
Apr 6, 2011 5:54 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status new => closed
Apr 6, 2011 5:54 pm Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Apr 6, 2011 5:54 pm Chris_McElligottPark Resolution open => won't fix
Apr 6, 2011 6:19 pm FunnyMan Note Added: 0011726
Apr 6, 2011 6:20 pm FunnyMan Note Added: 0011727
Apr 6, 2011 6:20 pm FunnyMan Status closed => feedback
Apr 6, 2011 6:20 pm FunnyMan Resolution won't fix => reopened
Apr 6, 2011 6:23 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0011730
Apr 6, 2011 6:23 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status feedback => confirmed
Apr 6, 2011 6:23 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0011731
Apr 6, 2011 6:25 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0011732
Apr 6, 2011 6:25 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0011733
Apr 6, 2011 6:26 pm TechSY730 Note Edited: 0011731
Apr 6, 2011 6:27 pm TechSY730 Note Edited: 0011731
Apr 6, 2011 6:27 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0011734
Apr 6, 2011 6:30 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0011736
Apr 6, 2011 6:35 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0011737
Apr 6, 2011 6:43 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0011738
Apr 6, 2011 9:58 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0011741
Apr 6, 2011 9:59 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0011742
Apr 7, 2011 4:50 am FunnyMan Note Added: 0011748
Apr 14, 2014 9:28 am Chris_McElligottPark Category Gameplay - General Complaint => Gameplay Issue