Does the AI cheat in bribing bases?

Skanderbeg · February 9, 2001, 05:25

Can it be that the AI cheats badly in bribing away the human players bases?

After my experience, bribing away a base, except the early game, is extremly expensive. Even a badly defended base without any infrastructure at the ass of the world can cost 3000 or 4000 energy, not to speak of really developed bases in the core of an enemies empire.
I don't know the exact formula for bribing costs, but as I know, the cost depend on the probe rating, the population, infrastructure and troops, and the distance to the headquarter.

Although it is extremly expensive to bribe away bases, the AI always seems to have enough money. Let a probe team approach a non-probe-defended base, and the base is gone.

Yesterday, I had an extreme case of this. Morgan bribed away a pop-11-base with very good infrastructure only 8 or 10 squares away from my headquarter. This should cost such obscene amounts of energy, that even Morgan couldn't have. I had the suspect the AI cheats in bribing bases for a long time, but this incident seems to be the final proof.

radegast · February 9, 2001, 08:21

As I understand it, not only does it cheat in this case, it actually bribes bases for no cost at all.

This forces you to accompany assaults with probe teams to defend against this (if you do not have HSA), or risk having yoi high tech high morale troops turned against you.

I wonder if this is deliberate, or just another programming crock-up. My money is on the latter.

[This message has been edited by radegast (edited February 09, 2001).]

stuntman19 · February 9, 2001, 12:33

I ran a scenario awhile ago to test this and switched sides and became the AI to mind control my previous human base. It seems the AI does probe actions and SE changes at an easier difficulty level than the human.
In other words if your at transcend, AI at talent. It did seem to cost them something, but not what it should be. Also if it is a captured base, they can buy it back for almost nothing.

Mars_Col_44 · February 9, 2001, 15:39

So...... then this is part of balancing the game? Make it a little easier for the AI to do things?

DilithiumDad · February 9, 2001, 17:48

I have no problem with this. It does balance the game a little and slow down lightning conquests of the AI. In SP I usually avoid building the HSA to allow the AI to bribe back bases and steal units.

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