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Better AI Empires

This makes AI Empires more challenging by giving them the same tools a human uses. It makes a few small changes to allow the to AI make better decisions. They WILL invade and take planets, build better fleets and have better industry. Details in Mod Description. READ IT!

2.0 MAKES IMPORTANT CHANGES TO ENDLESS DIFFICULTY MAKE SURE TO READ AS IT WILL BE MUCH HARDER. DO NOT USE THIS WITH MY OTHER INFINITE ENDLESS DIFFICULTY MOD. US ONE OR THE OTHER. NOT BOTH.

Short Summary:

This mod makes a few minor changes to allow the AI to make better decisions and be more challenging for a better single player, but still vanilla, experience. The goal was to make all of the AI races balanced and a worty opponnent. I think it does so, although Vodyani are still the most inconsistant (despite my changes), and Riftborn are the most consistant (and I havent touched Riftborn - they are OP in vanilla).

The Base Changes for All Difficulties makes the AI use existing game elements better for a deadlier enemy. They will invade and take your planets and build tougher fleets.

If you set it to 12 random races on game start, you will get (more) challenging enemies in every slot. Except Umbral Choir. Ive made no changes to them. Because I dont like hacking.

This is a Vanilla Plus Experience. There are a very few changes.

For people that want more of a challenge, it does change Serious, Impossible and Endless difficulty. Serious, Impossible and Endless get buffs to make certain races what they should be should they use the existing game elements (like build industry buildings). No "cheat level" buffs. It gives certain races an industry buff to simulate that they built industry buildings in game. Despite every effort, I cannot force the AI to build a particular building. Which sadly, is one of the only 3 things I set out to do.

For reference this was tested and balanced on Impossible Difficulty, 12 Empires, Normal Speed, 2nd largest and largest galaxy. If you play it at other settings, I make no representations. But at those settings, on my last game of AI v AI auto turn, by turn 100 Riftborn and United Empire were dead, and Horatio was down to 3 systems. That isnt typical, but usually there is one AI empire dead or near dead by turn 100.

Many thanks to the ESG team for help and pointers on how to make AI only changes, and answering my random questions. If you are ready for an overhaul or multiplayer experience, you should check their mod out.

There should be no bugs, but I have been wrong before. Please let me know if you find any.


BETTER AI EMPIRES COMPREHENSIVE NOTES OF ALL CHANGES FROM EVERY VERSION:

BASE CHANGES FOR ALL DIFFICULTIES

Tier 0 buildings (e.g. Drone Networks) now have the Tier 1 Industry Stats because most AI will not build the Tier 1 Industry buildings in a timely manner, or at all. As a result, all AI empires have better industry, without effecting the player.

All Engines now have Siege Damage attached to them (lesser versions of Titanium Slugs) so the AI will now invade and take planets in a timely manner. Higher tier engines do higher damage.

Strategic Element Costs for ships and upgraded slots is removed, so the AI has better fleets and economy. This does make the Element market less profitable, but improves the AI Empires drastically.

All Races now start with Titanium and Hyperium

All shield modules now give lesser tier armor and all armor mods now give lesser tier shield. So the AI will get at least some benefit when it stacks all shield mods with armor repair support mods.

A few Omni and Dual Slots on protectors and coordinators were changed to single choice (defense only) because the Horatio, Vaulter, Nakalim and some others would build end game coordinators with a single defense mod and they would die to a single salvo. Now they can build proper tanks.

VANILLA BUG FIX: Vanilla Vodyani and Riftborn AI cannot use Carrier large weapon slots. Now they can.

Vodyani Arks are faster.

Start of Vodyani main quest is delayed to start on Turn 15 instead of Turn 5. Having (or not being able) to kill 4 pirates on Turn 5 would cripple the AI and slow it down even more.

Vodyani population cap of maxed systems is now increased from 9 to 12 per system.

AI Vodyani can now compete with other AI empires but are still the most inconsistent faction though.

Hissho Overcolinization cap removed, because AI could not respect it and would slowly cripple itself.

CHANGES TO SERIOUS - ENDLESS DIFFICULTY

SERIOUS

All AI races now get appropriate benefit (9-12% research cost reduction) from Science Juggernaughts. They only got the flat buff before because once they make them they do not orbit special nodes.
AI ONLY races have had their overcolonization cap removed. It only hurt the AI.
AI ONLY Hissho turned into a wide snowball race. Given FIDS buff per system owned, to simulate Mining Experts, since they got no benefit from mining probes (I have never seen an AI race use one.)
AI ONLY Sophon, Unfallen, Vaulters, Given Base Industry buff because they will not build industry buildings reliably, or at all.
AI ONLY Nakalim given industry bonus per relic and probe bonus to find them. Nakilim don’t build industry buildings either, and don’t use their empire wide % buffs from Relics.
AI only Vaulters received a buff to Argosy cooldown.
AI ONLY Horatio given small industry buff per population, because has a crappy primary specialty for late game: Food and doesnt appear to use the buildings that would help him. He can get spicy late game if allowed to breed, or, whatever it is he does.

IMPOSSIBLE DIFFICULTY:

All of the above changes, plus:
AI given small manpower per turn bonus.
AI given small deployment bonus.
AI given small happiness bonus.
AI given upkeep reductions.
AI Vodyani given life force bonus.
Hissho given Honor bonus.
AI Races Given a small Quickstart FIDS Bonus

ENDLESS DIFFICULTY:

All of the above changes, plus:
AI Given Significant Quickstart FIDS Bonus and small move bonus.

Infinite Endless Difficulty: I have squeezed all I can out of the AI, and I think I did a decent job. But its still no human. So, now Endless gives them a bonus to simulate "human cheese tactics" in game. The AI gets a flat FIDS buff on Endless difficulty now. This is different from all of the other difficulty patches because it gives them an immediate bonus on each outpost and gives them a much quicker start which means they can be more aggressive quicker. If the current setting is too hard or too easy, Increase or Decrease the number. Right now the AI gets an 50 Flat FIDS bonus, and 1 movement point bonus. You can increase one or both of those numbers to the point where you, as the player, cannot win. Go as wild as you want - or set either or both bonuses to zero. Up to you. Good luck, have fun.

Its called Infinite because you can make it as high as you want. Go to Steam Mod Folder/This Mod Folder/Simulation/GameDifficulty File/Endless difficulty section and change the items in the screenshot up or down to increase or decrease difficulty.