Cooperative AI for raids involving multiple allied ships

[deadendgalaxy]

For certain missions like a pirate raid on an isolated planet, it would be cool to use AI players as wingmen to take on a more powerful enemy together.

The AI would have to be able to fly in fomation with the Player, and follow instructions like accepting priority targets, using an attack style (long range missiles vs. short-range weapons), when in danger decide to abandon the player or sacrifice itself based on the relationship with the Player etc.

It would be great if the AI was scalable: that you could use one ally or twenty, whatever you like.

[alp22]

Before this can be done, I think the issue or concept of logistics should come into play. Such as :

• The factions (empire,federation, corporation etc.) should by some means handle transport of goods by some "ferry fleets" Imagine some puma clippers of 3 carrying some cargo ferrying goods from sol to barnards' star. They all jump at the same time (same time of departure, same hyperdrive), so that you should be able to catch a fleet and blast them into space then cargo scoop the contents.

It would be easy to procedural write those things, so that players can raid a fleet, then more things can come into play, like you mentioned, ie. getting a contract from a pirate gang, they come in 2 ships, you have 1, then you start raiding, you will get 1/3 of the cargo scooped, plus some $. Of course you can be betrayed at the end, but it would be harder to implement for programmers, simple ferry fleet design programming will do much for starters I think.