AI Empires

[Minarin (OP)]

What is the minimum requirements for an AI Empire to do things?

Basically I'm trying to create a custom start and the empires don't do anything.

[icecoldblood]

What do you mean by they don't do anything? Are you sure you created them as computer controlled NPRs? You cannot see the things an NPR is doing .

[Minarin (OP)]

I think they must still be set as player races then.  Is there a way to change them to NPR's?

[metalax]

To the best of my knowledge, you can't change a player controlled empire into a computer controlled NPR. Just delete them and recreate them as computer controlled NPR's.

[Minarin (OP)]

And thats just add NPR in the Spacemaster menu isn't it?

[metalax]

Add NPR from the SpaceMaster menu acts the same as setting the game to generate initial NPR's during game setup.

To create an empire on a specific body, while in SM mode, open up the system information(F9) and select the body you want to use as the new empires homeworld. Then use the create empire button and make sure the create as NPR checkbox is checked, and set the other options as needed.

Note that if you use new species when generating an NPR in this way, it will use the bodies current gravity, oxygen/methane and temperature levels to set the species ideal point. If you want these to be different you will need to create a temporary player controlled colony on the body and use the sm set options on the terraforming tab to set the atmosphere to that which you desire.

You should also probably select the body and use the HW minerals button as well before creating the new empire otherwise the NPR will probably have problems.

[Minarin (OP)]

I must have missed that.  Thanks.  Still getting used to this game.

[Minarin (OP)]

Ok not quite what I wanted.  I guess that the multiple starts in the fiction section are all player controlled then.

What I was hoping to do would have multiple computer controlled conventional empires but looks like not possible.

[ZimRathbone]

Ok not quite what I wanted.  I guess that the multiple starts in the fiction section are all player controlled then.

What I was hoping to do would have multiple computer controlled conventional empires but looks like not possible.

Yes pretty much all of the single system multi-Empire AARs are player controlled NPRs, just with good roleplaying.

IIRC there were a few attempts to do Computer contolled NPR multi-Empire starts, which very often degenerated very quickly into Armageddon scenarios as the individual Empires kept seeing enemy ships in "their" home system, resulting in rapidly deteriorating diplomatic relations and all out war.  In theory it is possible to configure the starting relationships in such a way that this does not happen but I've yet to see anyone post that they have sucessfully managed it.  I rather suspect that you would need either the developer password (which I don't have - see Steve W) so you could change the status of the computer controlled race or to manipulate the tables directly in the back end (which is rather risky even if you think you know what you're doing - not recommended).

Also I believe that the AI for CONVENTIONAL races  is fairly limited (it certainly used to be) as the Non-TN start was a later development in the game (largely due to the historical influence from Starfire Assistant, where pre Tech Level 1 races were essentially cash grabs and therefore did not need a lot of AI).  I don't think that its possible (in the Aurora application) for Computer Controlled Non-TN races to develop TN tech.

[Minarin (OP)]

Ok Thanks. 

When I create a TN NPR race then does it just start with TN or does it have other techs?

[Garfunkel]

It starts with the same techs as a human TN-start would have.

[Erik L]

It starts with the same techs as a human TN-start would have.

If they are created post-start, they start with a percentage of the RP that the player has. If you start with 120k RP and research another 120k RP, the NPR starts with some percentage of 240k RP.

Check the mechanics forum, I believe there is a more in-depth post there from Steve.