AI Salvaging

[Al Mac Dady]

It would be nice to have an AI function that would control salvagers. It would be even better if the savagers were able to automatically deposit their salvage in storage at a factory. It would really be great if you could choose a resource that the salvager was to focus on gathering as well. Just some ideas on AI functions.

 

[Pacific_Jim]

Fully automated AI salvagers that go off and find asteroids or planets by themselves then dump the stuff in factories with no player supervision I don't really see happening. Imagine if every player on the server had 5 AI miners at hand, all 5 of those going off to mine. That's 5 extra sectors per player loaded, potentially including planets (planets being mined at once). And this could be happening whilst the player is offline, meaning 5 extra sectors being loaded at all times. Per player. All the time. And that's assuming you only had the five, which is... optimistic.

Basically, it's a nice idea but the server wouldn't be able to handle it.

What I do see (and really hope does happen at some point) is having an AI mining team assist you. For example you fly into an asteroid cluster, give the order, and everyone starts salvaging everything in the area. Then when you fly back to base you give the order for the AI to start transferring the resources into your factory whilst you go and grab a sandwich or something. I don't ever really see the AI doing things in sectors that have no players nearby.

 

[Megacrafter127]

Fully automated AI salvagers that go off and find asteroids or planets by themselves then dump the stuff in factories with no player supervision I don't really see happening. Imagine if every player on the server had 5 AI miners at hand, all 5 of those going off to mine. That's 5 extra sectors per player loaded, potentially including planets (planets being mined at once). And this could be happening whilst the player is offline, meaning 5 extra sectors being loaded at all times. Per player. All the time. And that's assuming you only had the five, which is... optimistic.

Basically, it's a nice idea but the server wouldn't be able to handle it.

What I do see (and really hope does happen at some point) is having an AI mining team assist you. For example you fly into an asteroid cluster, give the order, and everyone starts salvaging everything in the area. Then when you fly back to base you give the order for the AI to start transferring the resources into your factory whilst you go and grab a sandwich or something. I don't ever really see the AI doing things in sectors that have no players nearby.

Or salvager turrets? That'd also be kinda nice.

 

[shadowulf]

I would like to see a 'salvage' option for AI controlled entities. A storage transfer system would be harder to implement, however doable. Perhaps this can be added when AI get revamped.

 

[Pacific_Jim]

Storage transfer shouldn't be too hard, it would require the AI entities having an inventory, and them being able to interact with storage blocks. Other than that it's pathfinding really. I don't really see it being implemented until the AI revamp though, which is a way down the line by the look of it.

 

[Al Mac Dady]

I think with the AI renovation they ought to include a rail feature that automatically makes all AI that aren't already docked to the ship seek a rail when called from the AI menu. That's only entities that belong to that ship. You don't want to snag some one elses drones. LOL! Or do you?