Dilvish wrote:And as for seeing the AI make troops with Abadoni, I expect that what happened was that the AI was choosing what to build in a particular Resource Group, chose Troopships and then checked and found the best troop species it had available in that resource group was Abadoni. We don't yet have it taking the extra steps of checking around in its other resource groups to see if it had a notably better species to use there and then just building something different in the current resource group.
My two cents:
Comparing this behaviour with my own way of playing: If I get a better race for pilots or troops, I just won't use anything else, regardless of distance, resource group, etc. The only consideration I make about Resource Group and distance is that I want to be able to produce at max. speed and the best ship designs for the purpose, so I build what's necessary in the best places to get more than one "best spot". Algorithmically, when I get a better race for troops or for pilots, I do as follows:
* For pilots:
- If the just conquered race is in a star system that allows my current best warship designs then
-- Designate that planet as a suitable place to build best warships.
- If there is (another) free planet in another of my systems that is suitable for that newly conquered race and for the desired ship design then
-- Designate that planet as (another) best place for warships and start a colony for the just conquered race in there or send a coloniser from the conquered planet (once it is possible) if desired location is not supply-connected.
- If we don't have a designated planet for best warships then
-- If we already have a populated colony that is not currently designated as the only best spot for troops and that would be the best planet for the new race and desired ships then
--- Designate that planet as a best place for warships and start on it concentration camps (or evacuation) to make space for the newly conquered race. [Usually this last point I only do it for solar hulls that need to be produced in a black hole (which usually I have only one), or for some other demanding energy designs if it is late game and I have no free planets in any blue star system.]
- If we don't have a designated planet for best warships then
-- Find the closest enemy planet that has the necessary characteristics and focus on conquering them. Until it is conquered, choose as temporal best planets for warships those that can produce the second best warship design (apply same algorithm from the start for the second best warship design, but giving priority to the already taken decisions).
- Once a planet designated as best place for warships is colonised
-- Begin producing all the necessary buildings (that will be kept in top of production queue until this algorithm is finished) for the best ship designs.
* For troops:
- If the just conquered race is in a star system that allows my current best troop ship designs then
-- Designate that planet as a suitable place to build best troop ships. [This is always true, since I have low requirements on troop ship designs. Energy frigates is the most fancy I've ever used for troop ships.]
- If there is (another) free planet in another of my systems that is suitable for that newly conquered race and for the desired ship design then
-- Designate that planet as (another) best place for troop ships and start a colony for the just conquered race in there or send a coloniser from the conquered planet (once it is possible) if desired location is not supply-connected.
- If got here and we don't have a designated planet for best troop ships then [something would be wrong in that game]
-- If we already have a populated colony that is not currently designated as the only best spot for best troop ships and that would be the best planet for the new race then
--- Designate that planet as a best place for troop ships and start on it concentration camps (or evacuation) to make space for the newly conquered race. [I have never had to do this.]
- Once a planet designated as best place for troop ships is colonised
-- Begin producing all the necessary buildings (that will be kept in top of production queue until this algorithm is finished) for the best troop ship designs.