AI Tinkers never seem to expand?

[wminsing]

So I finally had a chance to pick up SiS again after a hiatus and I've noticed that the Tinkers still never seem to get off the ground when they show up as an AI power. In the last few games where I've run into them they are still in their home system, even after the initial land-rush is well underway. Has anyone else seen this behavior?

-Will

[nweismuller]

I've not. My last two games have both had the Tinkers as one of the strongest AIs.

[wminsing]

Huh. I wonder if the AI-Tinkers in my games just have been victims of a bad galaxy generation roll; every game they seem to be surrounded by ocean or airless worlds, which they can't use early game.

-Will

[Arioch]

Probably just RNG. AI Tinkers seem to do pretty well in my test games.

[sven]

Probably just RNG. AI Tinkers seem to do pretty well in my test games.

The AI Tinkers do have a modest disadvantage atm, because I haven't coded up AI rules for making use of their mobile outposts (whereas there is AI logic for using standard outposts). Fixing this is on my TODO list.

[wminsing]

Ah, not using their mobile outposts probably explains most of it. In my most recent game (to test the busbars) they did manage to carve themselves out a 5-6 system empire so far, so it's not some weird AI bug and appears to be just be a cruel RNG result.

-Will