AI War:Current Post-7.000 Beta

Prerelease 7.006

(not yet released; we're still working on it!)

• The AI's base response to hacking is now based on AIP - HackingProgress, so that your early hacks are basically always easy, and having surplus HaP generally helps. Hopefully this won't make things too easy but the alternative has been fairly, um, "startling" to players doing their first hack of a game at 300 AIP or so :)
  • Thanks to LintMan, ZaneWolfe, chemical_art, Tridus, and others for inspiring this change.

• Each hacking response is now limited to 100 wild-rolls even if the response gets really high, to help avoid effectively infinite-loop situations.
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• The HaP cost of each hacking operation is now 1.5x the previous of that kind, instead of 2x.
  • Thanks to Toranth, TechSY730, chemical_art, madcow, and others for inspiring this change.

• Fixed a bug where the tabs for building Protector Starships or Spire Corvettes would not show up at Starship Constructors if you'd hacked the corresponding core fab (but had no other access to that bonus type).
  • This should also make hacking core turret controllers work, though that isn't something we've intentionally included in the existing fab hacking yet so it may have other issues.
  • Thanks to GP_Trixie for the report and save.

More New Forms Of Hacking

• Added new type of AI structure to the "Data Center" family: Design Backup Server
  • In-game description:
    • This server houses some of this AI's backups for one or more ship designs.
    • Redundant backups elsewhere make destroying this futile, and it self-destructs if the command station is destroyed to prevent tampering. While the station stands, however, you may use a Hacker to either propagate a corrupted version of the design(s) (preventing this AI from building more for MkI-MkIV purposes, Core R-and-D is handled via an isolated network) or download a master copy for your own use.
    • If either hack is performed successfully, the server will lock down and you will not be able to access it further for either purpose.
  • The actual types "stored" there are displayed in the server's direct mouseover and on the new galaxy display mode for the backup servers.
  • Thanks to Tridus for inspiring this.

• Added new type of placeable for the Hacker: Design Corruptor
  • In-game description:
    • If placed on the same planet as one of the AI's Design Backup Servers, this device can corrupt that AI's copies of the design(s) stored there and prevent further fabrication for use in this galaxy.
    • Please note: if the command station is destroyed, the backup server goes with it. Also, if the server has already been hacked by a Design Downloader it will go into lockdown and corruption will become impossible.
    • The AI will notice the hacking in progress and respond against your units both on that planet and nearby.
    • NOTE: Successfully corrupting an AI's design reduces your Hacking-Progress by 30. Each subsequent design corrupted costs 1.5x of the previous.

• Added new type of placeable for the Hacker: Design Downloader
  • In-game description:
    • If placed on the same planet as one of the AI's Design Backup Servers, this device can download master copies of the design(s) stored there and allow you to build them yourself.
    • Please note: if the command station is destroyed, the backup server goes with it. Also, if the server has already been hacked by a Design Corruptor it will go into lockdown and download will become impossible.
    • The AI will notice the hacking in progress and respond against your units both on that planet and nearby.
    • NOTE: Successfully downloading an AI's design reduces your Hacking-Progress by 50. Each subsequent design corrupted costs 1.5x of the previous.

Prerelease 7.005

(Released July 3rd, 2013)

• Fixed some hacking types using testing times (seconds instead of minutes).
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• Fixed some bugs where a really intense hacking response could result in array-index-out-of-bounds errors.
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• Fixed some bugs where some of the new hacking state (how many fab hacks you'd done, which fabs you'd hacked) was persisting between quitting and starting a new game.
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• Knowledge Hacking no longer requires supply on the target planet, as there's only so many of these that you're going to pull off anyway.
  • Thanks to Toranth for the suggestion.

Prerelease 7.004

(Released July 3rd, 2013)

• Corrected some uses of the wrong newline character in the CounterHacking log.
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• Fixed a bug in the hacking progress display that thought the cost of ST-hacking doubled with every tick instead of every 20 ticks. The actual computation was right, but this quickly made the display useless.
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• Added some logic to the new hacking-response computations to guard against arithmetic overflow. Both by capping the intermediate results to avoid absurd numbers, and by expediting the destruction of the player.
  • Thanks to Toranth for inspiring this change.

Prerelease 7.003

(Released July 3rd, 2013)

• Fixed a bug preventing the loading of old saves (where you had at least one inbound wave in the alert box).
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• Made the Hacking Progress display show up all the time, not just when you'd spent some.
  • Thanks to Aklyon for inspiring this change.

Prerelease 7.002 Hacked To Pieces

(Released July 3rd, 2013)

• Fixed a bug where using "Apply To Selection" to change the planned modules on a unit under construction (like a modular fortress) would reset that unit's construction progress.
  • Thanks to TechSY730, Shadowsand, and MaxAstro for reporting.

• Space Docks, Mobile Space Docks, and Advanced Factories:
  • Can now all build all 5 mark levels, assuming you have the prerequisites for those ships (so if you have a Core Shield Bearer fabricator you can now build Core Shield Bearers at any Space Dock, Mobile Space Dock, or Advanced Factory; even if you don't have access to building mkI shield bearers).
  • Their buy menu tab is now labeled "FLEET" instead of "I-III" or "IV" or whatever.
  • There is now a "FLEET 2" tab that will show next to that one if your name is Cinth; I mean, if you have more than 20 distinct fleet-ship types.
  • Thanks to Cinth for inspiring the fleet-2 tab part.

• Starship Constructors and Advanced Starship Constructors can now build all 5 mark levels, assuming you have the prereqs for the ships in questions. So you can now build Warbird Starships at a normal Starship Constructor if you have the right fab, etc.

• Fixed a bug where Core Flak Turrets had needler ammo in their magazines instead of flak grenades. The logistics officer has been sacked.
  • Thanks to SNAFU for the report.

• We express our sincere condolences to Cheesemasters everywhere: Lightning Torpedoes can no longer be put in transports. The days of the Transpocalypse are over (or at least more complicated to achieve).
  • This goes for Maws, too.
  • Thanks to Toranth for the report.

• Fixed a bug where the MkIV Scout could be built from a Mobile Space Dock without controlling an Advanced Factory.
  • Thanks to Kronic for the report.

The New Hacking

• This is the first step in the promotion of Hacking to a full resource, and the removal of Crystal (it will just be merged into Metal). This won the "Big Items for 8.0" poll here, after being discussed at length here. The actual implementation will vary somewhat from previous discussions as I figure out what works best. More kinds of hacking are coming, the actual crystal removal (and moving of hacking to the resource bar), and iteration on hacking balance and such will be ongoing for a while.
  • Thanks to chemical_art, Wingflier, ZaneWolfe, Cinth, Kahuna, Faulty Logic, RCIX, Lancefighter, nas1m, _K_, Irxallis, Toranth, Eternaly_Lost, Cyborg, Billick, Aklyon, Valtiel, KDR_11k, Radiant Phoenix, LaughingThesaurus, Vyndicu, Moonshine Fox, TIE Viper, Winge, Drjones013, Hearteater, contingencyplan, and the poll voters for inspiring these changes.

• Added a new ship to the ECON build tab: the Hacker.
  • This works a lot like the Ship Design Hacker but doesn't do any hacking itself. Instead it can deploy devices much like a champ can deploy projected shields, etc (so it has to be within X range, is essentially free and instant, etc). The first two such devices are:
    • Covert Knowledge Extractor; a renamed Knowledge Hacker (formerly known as the Science Lab MkIII).
    • Research Redirector; a renamed Ship Design Hacker.
  • Both are immobile, no longer directly buildable (except by the hacker) and can only be placed on planets that are currently controlled by the AI.

• The scale of the AI's response to hacking is now determined by a mix of AIP and the new "Hacking Progress" resource instead of the old under-the-hood "Hacking Antagonism" metric.
  • Hacking Progress is basically equal to total AIP (not effective AIP, but total before reductions) minus whatever you've spent. It's spent thus:
    • Knowledge hacking: 30 for the first planet's worth, 60 for the second planet's worth, 120 for the third, etc.
    • Ship Design hacking: 50 for the first ARS, 100 for the second, 200 for the third, etc.
    • Superterminal hacking: 1 each for the first 20 ticks (which is a net 20 AIP reduction, 2 each for the next 20, 4 each for the twenty after that, etc.
  • Hacking Progress can go negative! This basically represents a situation where your hackers have used all the known vulnerabilities in the AI's network defenses to the point that the AI has patched them all, and now further hacking is basically brute-force stuff that really trips a lot of alarms.
  • The hacking response is:
    • If Hacking Progress is >= 0, then just uses Effective AIP (so AIP after reductions).
    • If Hacking Progress is negative, then it uses either Effective AIP or -HackingProgress (whichever is greater) AND multiplies the result by 1+(HackingProgress/-10).
      • So if AIP is 10 normally the response would be scaled by just 10. But if Hacking Progress were -50 the response would be scaled by _300_.

• Added new device that can be placed by the Hacker: Fabricator Hacker.
  • Since AI fabricators do not store the full Master Data of their design, we can only build from that design while the fabricator remains intact.
  • This device infiltrates the AI's local industrial network and corrupts the fabricator's design data. The AI's autocorrection then triggers a rebroadcast of the relevant Master Data. Our device will then helpfully intercept this transmission, enabling us to build that design from our standard Space Docks.
  • Please note: once the AI loses control of a planet its security protocols will prevent any retransmission to any fabricator on it. Accordingly, if you wish to perform this hack you must do so BEFORE the AI's command station on the planet is destroyed.
  • The AI will notice the hacking in progress and respond against your units both on that planet and nearby.
  • NOTE: Successfully hacking a Fabricator reduces your Hacking-Progress by 20. This cost doubles each time, so the second hack costs 40 (for a total of 60), the third costs 80 (for a total of 140) and so on.

• Added new device that can be placed by the Hacker: Advanced Constructor Hacker.
  • Since AI Advanced Factories and Advanced Starship Constructors do not store the full Master Data of their designs, we can only build from that design while the facility remains intact.
  • This device infiltrates the AI's local industrial network and corrupts the facility's design data. The AI's autocorrection then triggers a rebroadcast of the relevant Master Data. Our device will then helpfully intercept this transmission, enabling us to build those MkIV designs from our standard Space Docks (or Starship Constructors, in the ASC's case). Assuming we have the corresponding MkIII research, of course.
  • Please note: once the AI loses control of a planet its security protocols will prevent any such retransmission to any facility on it. Accordingly, if you wish to perform this hack you must do so BEFORE the AI's command station on the planet is destroyed.
  • The AI will notice the hacking in progress and respond against your units both on that planet and nearby.
  • NOTE: Successfully hacking an advanced constructor reduces your Hacking-Progress by 100. Performing another such hack costs 200 (for a total of 300).

Prerelease 7.001

(Released June 19th, 2013)

• Added a clarification to the tutorial text in step 11 of tutorial 2 that you're supposed to unlock the harvester exo-shield from the SUP tab of the Science Lab, not of the Command Station.
  • Thanks to Some Donkus (actual provided name, not an editorial comment) for inspiring this change.

• Fixed a bug where the Lightning Torpedo still had a theoretical cost of 50,000m+50,000c instead of 1+1 (they're never built normally, this is just to prevent scrap exploits).
  • Thanks to onyhow for the report.

• Added support for an easier way for the steam version to recognize that you own the first four expansions. As in, not copy-and-pasting 4 separate keys.
  • There's still some other stuff we need to do to make this work, though.

• Updated the Advanced Starship Constructor to no longer claim that the MkIV enclave is built at the normal starship constructor.
  • Thanks to corfe83 for the report.