AI not using Radiated Bases - Kyrub Patch

[Cyneheard]

Hey everyone,

I've had a couple of games recently with kyrub's patch where the AIs get Controlled Radiated, and aren't able to use their Colony Ships to colonize a Radiated world. I've attached a save where I'm seeing this. The Darloks are the example - they've chased my scout away a couple of times, with a Colony Ship in store, and not taken it over.

I thought AI ships automatically had the highest possible level of planetary tech available to them.

[RefSteel]

I'll have a look at the save (and run a few other tests) when I get a chance. I'll note that AI colships don't automatically gain their latest controlled environment base while they're still in space. They do have to "design" a new colship with the new base on it, which does mean scrapping all their existing colships. I don't remember if they always do this immediately upon acquiring a new controlled environment tech though, or if they sometimes wait a few turns. Of course once they scrap the old version, they start getting free new colships, often magically appearing en route to colonizable destinations, and the new colship design does always include whatever their latest base type was at the time it was "designed."

[Cyneheard]

I'll have a look at the save (and run a few other tests) when I get a chance.  I'll note that AI colships don't automatically gain their latest controlled environment base while they're still in space.  They do have to "design" a new colship with the new base on it, which does mean scrapping all their existing colships.  I don't remember if they always do this immediately upon acquiring a new controlled environment tech though, or if they sometimes wait a few turns.  Of course once they scrap the old version, they start getting free new colships, often magically appearing en route to colonizable destinations, and the new colship design does always include whatever their latest base type was at the time it was "designed."

Ok, maybe it is WAD. But it had been 10+ turns (I'd noticed a while ago that they had Controlled Radiated) - and the AI was definitely sending colonization fleets at the world.

I wish it was a more interesting game to play out, but Klackons securely with ~9 worlds even on Impossible isn't exactly a big challenge in a Small Galaxy.

[RefSteel]

Ok, maybe it is WAD. But it had been 10+ turns (I'd noticed a while ago that they had Controlled Radiated) - and the AI was definitely sending colonization fleets at the world.

I wish it was a more interesting game to play out, but Klackons securely with ~9 worlds even on Impossible isn't exactly a big challenge in a Small Galaxy.

Agreed on all points. Results of my testing: I built a scanner ship, sent it to check out their fleet, and found their colships had Toxic bases (and a laser...). Then I hit next turn a few times, and the Darloks sent their main fleet - including all four of their existing colships - after Gienah, so I slagged them. I assumed they would then make a new colship design ... but I was wrong! They shortly received a couple more free colships, but another scanner visit showed they were still of the old (Toxic) design! I hit Next Turn a bunch more times, got hit with a plague that was readily cured, lost Gienah to a Space Crystal that showed up, gathered a real fleet when the crystal went for Drakka, killed it, reclaimed Gienah ... and finally, in I think 2553, the Darloks did manage to colonize Radiated Uxmai. I played a couple more turns to confirm that the 'loks had (finally!) redesigned their colships, and indeed they had, with a Rad base and regular and heavy fusion beams. I have no idea why it took them so long....

(Actually, I think the 1oom project coder found the code routines the AI uses for timing its ship upgrades, but I don't remember what they are off the top of my head.)