AI Conquest Management

[Pavane]

The AI does build armies and uses them to capture planets, which is good. One problem that I see is that they rarely leave a garrison of army units to defend against the planet's liberation. I rarely lose a war, even to Awakened Empires, once I have a medium sized empire; one that can still function after losing 6 or so planets. The AE usually has a fleet twice the size of mine in the first couple of wars, and they advance unopposed to capture several planets. While they are doing so I raid the AE empire and try to surprise troop transport and reinforcement fleets. When the AE fleet moves on to the next system for conquest I can slip in with a just a small troop transport fleet and recapture the planet almost always before the AE reacts. Eventually the AE offers a white peace. During the truce period I expand my economy and fleet capacity until I can fight the AE war fleet on roughly even terms.

If the AI left a garrison of assault armies behind on conquests if it would certainly make it more difficult to liberate the planet. The captured planet does rebuild the fortifications, but when there are no defending armies it has little effect and a single army can recapture the planet. If the AI left 6-12 garrison armies behind then they would benefit from the fortifications and I would have to send in both a sizable bombardment fleet and troop transport fleet. The AI doesn't react too often to the movement of troop transports, but a bombardment fleet would certainly attract the attention of an AI battle fleet. Wars would become more challenging, and players may spend a little more time on creating elite armies with attachments to overcome serious defences.

 

[AvalancheZ250]

The AI does build armies and uses them to capture planets, which is good. One problem that I see is that they rarely (perhaps never) leave a garrison of army units to defend against the planet's liberation. I rarely lose a war, even to Awakened Empires, once I have a medium sized empire; one that can still function after losing 6 or so planets. The AE usually has a fleet twice the size of mine in the first couple of wars, and they advance unopposed to capture several planets. While they are doing so I raid the AE empire and try to surprise troop transport and reinforcement fleets. When the AE fleet moves on to the next system for conquest I can slip in with a just a small troop transport fleet and recapture the planet almost always before the AE reacts. Eventually the AE offers a white peace. During the truce period I expand my economy and fleet capacity until I can fight the AE war fleet on roughly even terms.

If the AI left a garrison of assault armies behind on conquests if it would certainly make it more difficult to liberate the planet. The captured planet does rebuild the fortifications, but when there are no defending armies it has no effect and a single army can recapture the planet. If the AI left 6-12 garrison armies behind then they would benefit from the fortifications and I would have to send in both a sizable bombardment fleet and troop transport fleet. The AI doesn't react too often to the movement of troop transports, but a bombardment fleet would certainly attract the attention of an AI battle fleet. Wars would become more challenging, and players may spend a little more time on creating elite armies with attachments to overcome serious defences.

Problem is, I don't think Fallen Empires can actually build more armies before they awaken. Although I do agree, this is what normal empire AI's should do.

 

[Pavane]

Problem is, I don't think Fallen Empires can actually build more armies before they awaken. Although I do agree, this is what normal empire AI's should do.

You are right about Fallen Empires, which is why I referred to Awakened Empires. All AI empires should do this if they can.

 

[AvalancheZ250]

You are right about Fallen Empires, which is why I referred to Awakened Empires. All AI empires should do this if they can.

My bad, didn't read it properly

All AI empires should do this.

 

[TheDeadlyShoe]

They put in a mechanic a long while back that put in a couple militia armies on defense for taken planets because of this, but it was buggy as shit - i think they took it back out.

 

[Pavane]

I looked at a re-conquest land battle more closely and there were eight garrison armies (of my species), a fortification strength of 2700, and no defending AI assault armies. The fortifications did help the garrison armies but they are so weak that my assault troops landed and won without any preliminary orbital bombardment and without taking any significant damage. I exaggerated when I said that you could retake a planet with one army, but an equal number of assault armies will do the trick (I tried it).