Stellaris Dev Diary #239 - AI++

[Offe]

Are Clerk jobs also considered amenity jobs in this regard?
If yes, will this affect Clerk jobs on Resort Worlds?
https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/Planet_modifiers#Resort_World

Nope, you can set the threshold via an AI define. It's a ratio between amenities and resource, currently it is set to 1.5, meaning you have to make 1.5x more amenities compared to resources. So a clerk produces 4ish trade value and 2 amenities so the ratio would have to be 0.5 for them to be considered.

 

[Offe]

Unfortunately, I find the game frustratingly slow on 1x hyperlanes and do not want to play it on that setting even in the name of science

I don't like slowboating across systems between hyperlane nodes in the first place, and I like it even less when the hyperlanes form a twisty maze of little passages, all different. Part of the reason I dislike it is that it makes hyperdrive upgrades a waste of alloys and reactor power, because travel times are absolutely dominated by sublight speed, especially once you start putting battleships in fleets. The only FTL techs worth getting for themselves are Jump Drive and Psi Jump Drive.

If sublight speeds were, I dunno, five times faster, I might feel enough differently about that to try playing the game on 1x hyperlanes, but official statements suggest feedback from modded games is generally not of interest.

One of my friends suggested we would play on 0.25 hyperlanes last night. We are no longer friends.

 

[Offe]

Surely a 3,000 fleet strength at year 100 is underwhelming?

If you can’t make the AI better, this really changes nothing as the game will long since be decided by then.

Exactly what Starfury said in the response above.
The intention was to highlight the difference between the 3.2 and the 3.3 AI in terms of a comparison, not to showcase an absolute strength.

Looking at some 200 year grand admiral runs, strong AI archetype empires such as determined exterminators or devouring swarms can reach well over 1,000,000 fleet power, of course results may vary and it is not a guarantee it will happen in every game.

If you want a more challenging run then I suggest to "force spawn" 1-3 AI empires with total war casus belli as they tend to snowball and get very strong compared to "normal" empires.

Of course the AI is still far from perfect and there was only so much that could be done in one patch, if 3.3 is still too easy then you could try the AI mods that people have recommended in this thread while we continue working on the AI for the future!

 

[Offe]

I think people care more about the AI actually working than it being a min-max challenge. The worst felling on Stellaris is winning and then notice that the AI is broken, with their fleets suiciding or stuck, planets spiraling into death without planning and random buildings and unemployment everywhere.

The AI actually working and doing what they are supposed to do and not sabotaging themselves, the khan not stuck doing nothing, the Awakened Empires actually conquering the galaxy, the grey tempest attacking everywhere and the crisis actually purging the galaxy will already make people very happy.

And your job is actually doing that. Bonus point if the AI start to role play their personalities instead of a min-max like Starnet AI!

Well one thing at a time Hopefully the AI planet management will be a lot better now, awaiting some bug reports that are sure to come up with the release of 3.3 and then we will see what new issues have appeared there. Going to shift some focus on other areas outside of economy for a while now while we let the dust settle.

 

[Offe]

While I do like this mechanic overall, I would suggest making it a little smarter. It's a little frustrating to be at about 90% done with a new building or district only to see the unemployed pop leap away at the last minute to another world. Maybe lessen the chance the pop will leave if something is being built on the planet already. Or maybe if the upcoming job is more prestigious than what they can find on another world. Why leave the planet to labor in some mine when you can be a scientist instead?

The most annoying part is when you upgrade the capital building which has a pop requirement like 10, and then the 10th pop move away and the upgrade gets cancelled

 

[Offe]

It's slightly off topic but who cares at this point No one is really actively talking about the DD anymore anyway.

Also, hive minds can build the science building without upgrading the capital building which always trips me up when i am playing hive mind xD