Just one thing to say ... dastardly

Where does he get his toys?

indeed, if you use record and watch, you will see that the AI is using practical all fleet support points up by putting large queues of smaller ships. As the game also counts ships in build queue for fleet support, it will never have enough free for more than two or three capitals. By adding the little trick, it will also build capitals as much as it has capital crew or resources. Whatever runs out before.

... but does the AI research increases in capital crew (to make it interesting), how many AI caps have you seen in play? How have you found the game dynamics with more capitals in play?

yes, you can see it on the summary stats at game ending. The AI researches Capital ship crew just as fleet support or any other tech. But if you compare "Used fleet support" with "Number of capital ships" (both are in the stats) you will see that the AI, with sufficient resource, will always max out fleet support (indeed it seldom ever drops as the AI puts a new ship into the queue immediately one is destroyed) but Capital ships will even drop when is has reached max fleet support research, often not more than 2 or 3. While it researched fleet support, it gains from time to time enough free points to add a capital, but after this it will practical build only smaller ships.

By giving it capital ships independent of fleet support, the AI will max out Capital ship production the same, putting capital ships into the build queue as support points and resources are avalaible. I'm even giving it additional capital ship crew, an ship build-speed and experience-gain bonus of 100% and have now battles with fleets much more equal to my own. No more hundreds of frigates as cannon fodder.

I've given the AI a "constant" experience gain so that AI capital ships leave the factories at level 3. Due to this change alone, the AI has been maxing capital ships, and this is without changing cost or supply requirements. It's not uncommon, late game, to find fleets with 2-4 supercapitals (SoGE's titans basically), 2-4 capital ships, plus cruisers. Early game you see 3+ fleets of capital ships fielded by the AI. It is a glorious sight.

@soase-maelstrom - I'll be out for the most part for the holidays so wanted to drop this off for you or anyone else to look at. It's a fairly simple pattern using an unused entity modifier to link the Dreadnought with the Factory. Note, I also changed the String entries for the unused entity modifier to reflect the new usage with Dreadnoughts. 

I currently have the buff set to an Infinite periodic action, but I think it could be swapped to a finite to limit the buff's activity and still get the same affect.

Dreadnought Highlander Addon (~153KB)

that is my point. By the time I have 10 capital ships.

Erm... The AI maxes out it's capital fleet potential. I'm talking about individual fleets.

Enjoy ...

Thanks!

Doesn't make sense, but if it works ... it works! nice.

That's what Quiet_Man has been focusing on.

This seems to contradict Lavo_2 insights, unless the "constant" experience gain affects capitalship build cues.

Here's the research modifier set up from the tech item, toned it down to level capital ship up only a single level for balance, if you're interested.

researchModifier
    modifierType "ExperienceConstantGainRate"
    baseValue 0.000000
    perLevelValue 200.000000
researchModifier
    modifierType "ExperienceConstantGainLevelCap"
    baseValue 0.000000
    perLevelValue 1.000000

OK scratch whatever I typed before.

I just deleted the mod then reinstalled it and it stopping mini-dumping. Bad install it seems.

It other words though I found that the replicator equalizer cruiser Makes a REALLY Annoying noise constantly after you research the killer nanites ability for it. Might want too tweak that.

I really don't want to sound arrogant, but to my best knowledge of sins, this give the capital ships a bonus until they reach level 1. So it does practical nothing ???

I have done many many test (with Maelstrom mod running) and the AI not building Capital ships issue can vary but was mostly consistent. And I also gave the AI ships a bonus to get to level 6, which does lengthen their lifetime, but still the AI will seldom replace them when they get lost.

Sounds definite due to experience ... not arrogant.

Just repeating the above ... does "constant" experience gain affect capitalship build cues?

Thanks for letting me know.

I love the sound ... just joking.

Not sure what you mean. It only works after a ship is built, not before, i.e. it has no influence on capital ship production rates or costs, to my understanding.

Quiet_Man is trying to stimulate the AI to build more capital ship, hence his statement ...

your previuous reply to this statement was ...

and hence my comment above

For the last few days now, my Dad has been complaining about a possible bug involving this mod. He plays as TEC, and sometimes, when the dreadnought summoning ability goes active at its factory, a dreadnought does not spawn. Anyone have any ideas about this?

I've seen this very rarely but I haven't been able to figure out anything that causes this.  Just the other night I played with this mod and none of the players had any problems spawning them.  But there was a few times a long time ago when I couldn't always get them to spawn for myself.  Are you running the latest version (Release 6)?

Once rebellion comes out this won't be an issue.  The current workaround was necessary so that the AI could use the dreadnoughts properly. 

This happens if you have 0 or negative fleet supply.

Now wonder I could never find the cause of this. lol

I just downloaded the mod, and I lose my main menu.  Like, my main menu buttons do not appear.  I'm redownloading, but is there a quicker fix?  I'm downloading the Standard Expansion.  Do I need the standard as well as the expansion in order to run?

You need to update to the latest Diplomacy 1.34. The menu disappears when you are running on Diplomacy 1.32.

Don't have Diplomacy or Entrenchment.  Running Vanilla