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Q-mine protection for Behemoths?

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:56 am
by ArkanoiD
After Mine Sweeper technology technology was introduced, shouldn't Behemoths be upgraded to use it? I've seen a renegade suicide bomber who destroyed a Behemoth and a bunch of military asps and wolves.. And those rotating dishes look cool ;-)

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:43 pm
by drew
I'd vote for that too...

Can't be a sensible universe where a boy racer with a q-bomb could take out a battleship.

Galcop has the blueprints for the q-bomb after all... and it doesn't work near a large mass after all :wink:

Cheers,

Drew.

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:12 pm
by LittleBear
It is the AI that the minesweepers use (minesweeperAI) that disarms the q-mines. The model (a repainted version of Wombat's satilte) is just for effect! :wink: (Although a few dishes could be added to the Behemoth Model! - as the dish is a sub-entry)

If this AI was cut and pasted into behemothAI under the UPDATE states then the Cruiser would gain the ability to fire EMP pulses at a mine deployed within 5 kms.

The trouble is that the ship only has a few seconds to react before the mine blows. The Statilies are pretty good at knocking out mines as their AI does nothing other than look for Q-mines to blow up (they don't even move). As the BehemothAI has lots of other things to do, a lot of the time it might be too slow on the draw!

Assassins also has Mobile Minesweepers (that fly in formation with a Battle Fleet). But as you may find out when you should you meet the fleet, the Mobile version is not quite as good at its job as the stationary version.

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:46 pm
by ArkanoiD
LittleBear wrote:
It is the AI that the minesweepers use (minesweeperAI) that disarms the q-mines. The model (a repainted version of Wombat's satilte) is just for effect! :wink: (Although a few dishes could be added to the Behemoth Model! - as the dish is a sub-entry)
I know, but there must be some visual presense of counter-Q-mine technology ;-)
LittleBear wrote:
If this AI was cut and pasted into behemothAI under the UPDATE states then the Cruiser would gain the ability to fire EMP pulses at a mine deployed within 5 kms.

The trouble is that the ship only has a few seconds to react before the mine blows. The Statilies are pretty good at knocking out mines as their AI does nothing other than look for Q-mines to blow up (they don't even move). As the BehemothAI has lots of other things to do, a lot of the time it might be too slow on the draw!

Assassins also has Mobile Minesweepers (that fly in formation with a Battle Fleet). But as you may find out when you should you meet the fleet, the Mobile version is not quite as good at its job as the stationary version.
Can subentity have its own AI other than dumb?

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 6:53 pm
by LittleBear
Thats an idea!

If the subentries could be given minesweeperAI then they'd just get on with the job of knocking out q-mines, whilst the Behomoth got on with its own stuff, but as you say I don't know if the can have anything other than nullAI.

Adding the minesweeper code to the Main Entries AI would work, but I'm not sure how quick it would be. Adding dishes to the Behomth would just be to make the ship look right (the work in codeing terms of killing the mines being done by AI).

Its Giles's ship though, so I don't want to mess with it without his permission. If he dosen't mind though, I do a hacked version of the Behemoth equiped with EMP cannons to knock out q-mines.

I reckon though its defence wouldn't be 100% effective, but that might be realistic as a new piece of kit!

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:10 am
by Judebert
I've given subentities custom AIs before. It works, to an extent. They don't get assigned a "mother", so any message to group won't get to them.

Otherwise, they work as expected. I bet the minesweeperAI would be perfect for them.