Autons

[Song]

I feel that the auton AI needs the change so that autons won't bunch up. Currently, if you have a LOT of autons, they bunch into groups, and hit each other a lot (especially the 310 Aegis). While this isn't a common problem when the autons are staying still (although it can be), when they're following they bunch right up. Locking them into a formation of some kind would solve a lot of this...although the auton AI in general is hard to manage effectively.



Arrow indicates direction of travel. Circled group is in conflict, and will have friendly-fire. Massively so. The group around it (forming a near horizontal line) is also in danger of FF incidents.


I'd also like to point out that autosentinals are both A. Ridiculously rare and B. Total ripoffs. They die quickly, and become useless REALLY quickly.....as a cannon-fodder auton, they need to be more common in order to make up for their near-negative survivability. By the time they ARE common (well past St. Ks in auton dealers), they are so obsolete they don't even do damage to most annoyingly nasty things....I had 5 of them at one point in my pacifist run-through, and apart from drawing fire from ventari (which was chewing up my 1Ms) and killing 1-2 Tenhoves, they did diddly-squat.

However they ARE useful for drawing fire, but really....not enough.


I'm guessing other people may/will have gripes with them as well, so feel free to add/contradict/whatever stuff about autons that could do with changing after this.

[IceMephit]

I must agree. Maybe a little bit of spacial awareness integrated into their AI so that they spread out. Maybe like this.........



I hope it is possible to accomplish!!

[Aury]

Ok, so how did you even get that many autons to begin with? (In a real game anyways)

[IceMephit]

I kinda cheated.........gave myself a whole lot of cash and cleared out two auton dealers in one system. Test out a theory about autons in mass numbers. They kinda work, but their AI (or lack thereof) gets in the way. great for stationary targets like Sung stations and Anarchist swarms.


I like your new avatar Wolfy

[ThePrivateer]

I like your new avatar Wolfy

^ Me too.

It does seem like this problem is a little uncommon. I have never had more than around three autons, as the 1M/i and 1M are really expensive and seem to die easily. Even if you were to get a dozen Autosentinels, they would be vaporized the first time you go into battle.

That said, what you need is like how ships "patrol" around a station. Autons should take up a circle around the player and protect the player. When something like 12 autons are in a circle, any more autons take up a second ring, further out from the player and so on.

[Song]

Ok, so how did you even get that many autons to begin with? (In a real game anyways)

Well, Icemephit cheated, but I didn't, actually. It's form my pacifist run.

Mining, and buying out several auton dealers. Also ordering M1 or M1/i autons whenever I reached a corporate trader. Also buying them from CW stations whenever I see them. It's tricky, but works.

I've actually got even MORE since then.

But by god those autosentinals suck...the 300Ds are at least good against the luminous....


And I'd favor something like Formation 3 (or whatever it is in the fleet wingmen commands).....or just a small avoidance system.