AI Missions and objectives

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Neskiairti
Confed Special Operative
Confed Special Operative
Posts: 334
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:10 am

AI Missions and objectives

Post by Neskiairti »

well one thing that is important, and i have not quite figured out yet. Do AI controlled ships use jump nodes? i don't think I have ever seen one use it... but anyhow they should, if they dont, and if they do, good.


what this post is about, is the movments and objectives of all ships that are spawned.

as a dynamic universe, there needs to be a bit more dynamic and a little less chaos.

first, the dynamic universe. I can understand why much of it isnt loaded at once. but each sector should be loaded in full. (as well as every system connected to the system your in) there should also be a background layer.. perhaps a muted system that only really plays out in the direct systems around you.

so at core planets, and starfortresses and what not, ships spawn with specific missions. there owuld have to be designations for ships as well. cargo/transport/fighter/capital/explorer.

so at mining base x, a mule spawns, with a hold full of mining type cargo (would have to categorize the cargo as well) and this mule has a mission to go through 2 jump nodes.. to an argriculture station two systems away. And from there, it randomizes another mission from an agriculture station.. to some where else.. with whatever goods it could grab and sell.

same with fighter classes.. except instead of goods, it would get a mission to hunt for X ships in a patrol of 5 systems. and would keep jumping through these systems hunting for these ships. or defend X objective, such as a planet or station.. or perhaps capital ship.

Then perhaps from a planet or research station or some such.. a llama or some other ship launches with an exploration mission. And this ship, just traveles.. completely random destination, perhaps just about any other ship can take this mission too.

Maybe what missions are taken, depend on environment details, such as a rush of the enemy on a specific system.. and so a huge war takes place. both sides pumping in ships. There should be a limited number of ships too, and places can build ships, 1 ever hour or whatever.. and eat resources doing such depending on class of ship.

capital ships would get missions such as explore, or patrol, or defend. but there would be a cloud of other ships coming with it.. the days of lonely capital ships should be over.. fleets, come on :P
()Alf
Mercenary
Mercenary
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Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:55 pm
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Post by ()Alf »

Oh i really like this... :)

I.e. gas stations producing gas, which is deliverd to a raffinery, results getting deliverd to factory or something (i.e. fuel to any station/planet).

Getting such an economy balanced would be tough i think, but the outcome seems interesting. Of course the balance need to concern about overstocked and understocked places. Need to specify the amount of harvesting raw materials per time and the speed of refining, production and so on. Relation between overall production and overall usage might be another thing (shipproduction/destruction, fuelusage etc).

- Special good paid cargo missions from overstocked to undstocked (and in need of for production of whatever).
- AI could balance the whole thing and finally has a job ;) (of course the confeds wouldn't deliver to aerans :!:).
- Bigger conflicts and/or planetary crises and such could reduce overstocked stuff (even better for trade :mrgreen: ).
- Assault/Raiding missions on planetary sites (if coming in future with seamless travel :?:) and/or warlike situations would be nice for wasting resources (we on earth know that :?).
- destruction of stations which are to many, through missions, war or whatsoever accident (reactormeltdown or such)(keep a bit factionbalanced, or they might get conquered?!).

A way to increase output could be new mining/refining/construction sites on planets, construction of new mining/gas stations, shipyards, weaponfactories and theses things (which are also in need of resources and parts). A faction might decide to construct a new shipyard to compensate the loss of ships or just to be equiped for a coming war.

To dream on, there could be a contructionship where you can land on and which is building new stations with the delivered material and parts (they don't take what they don't need, except things docking ships need!). When you bring much stuff they need, your relation to the faction could even rise, and you helped them win a war (maybe). Of course the factions cargovessels might be faster and you arrive fully loaded just to see the last plate being welded on ;).
(if there will be a walk on stations in the future, sabotage might be interesting :twisted: )

Btw. (heavily) armed and (good) shielded outposts would also bring in something like as weaponplatforms.


If you're able to do such stuff, you get some interesting benefits from it :!:

1. many different possible events for the NEWs section in the game.
2. new missions
3. cargo runs have a cause and effect
4. automaticly generated storyline(feeling) of the VS universe

Improving 1. to help 4.:
There are news that tell when the player killed pirates or something like that. How about tracking the stats of the player and choose different news styles compared on "how difficult" a mission or task was (comparing before-stats with after-stats and if the whole thing is NEWstime-worthy anyway (special tasks/missions excluded from the worthy-thing))

But maybe all that is already planed :?:
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