True Endless Difficulty

Adds "True Endless" difficulty setting and new AI bonuses to improve their play.
Compatible with latest version (1.5.10) and all dlcs. AI submod available in the comments.

                                                   ————————————————–

New advantages to the AI give them the ability to field increasingly more and stronger fleets on "Serious", "Impossible" and "Endless" while easier difficulties are unchanged.

At the same time, pirates and minor factions have a new "Very Hard" setting to make them a bit more challenging to the player, without affecting the AI as they already have buffs to deal with them.

   –Game difficulty–
‣ Serious: AI has the same buffs they had on Impossible plus other buffs to improve their play.
‣ Impossible: AI has the same buffs they had on Endless plus other buffs to improve their play.
‣ True Endless: AI has even more buffs than on Endless and major buffs to improve their play.

   –Pirates and Academy difficulty–
‣ Easy → Normal: Pirates and the Academy only have a hacking debuff like they did on Normal.
‣ Normal → Hard: Pirates and the Academy have better fleets and troops like they did on Hard.
‣ Hard → Very Hard: Pirates and the Academy have even better fleets and troops than on Hard.

   –Minor factions difficulty–
‣ Easy → Normal: Minor factions have no advantage whatsoever like they did on Normal.
‣ Normal → Hard: Minor factions are as strong they were on Hard setting.
‣ Hard → Very Hard: Minor factions are more difficult to assimilate by force.

   –True Endless–

• +5 FIDSI per pop on planets (FIDSI = Food, Industry, Dust, Science, and Influence)
• -2.5 Influence per pop on planets to prevent them from converting every systems
• Progressive bonus to Industry based on Manpower (Max. Manpower / 300, e.g. if AI has 6k Manpower, he gets 6000/300 = +20 Industry per pop)
• Progressive Ships/Improvements Cost Reduction also based on Manpower, up to -25%. Wonders and Behemoths are not affected.
• Small progressive bonus to Science, mostly for late-game ((Command Points / 3) – 2 = bonus Science per pop. Maximum is (36/3)-2 = +10 Science per pop)
• 25% of Manpower Capacity regained each turn
• +20 Experience per turn on ships (takes 15 turns to become Elite)
• +50% Movement points on ships
• +300% Vision Range on fleets and +5 Vision Range on systems
• +6 CP (Command Points) on fleets (+2CP on player’s fleets)
• +300% to +100% Strategic resource production on systems
• +25% Research bonus on military techs
• Up to -30% Dust Inflation in late-game (same as the player)
• +80 Happiness
• -80% Over Colonization Penalty
• -80% Upkeep (heroes, system improvements and ships)
• Large Essence bonus for the Vodyani
• Vines spread 5x faster for the Unfallen
• Honor (Keii) bonus and +2 Behemoths max. for the Hissho
• +10% Hacking Speed and +40 Bandwidth for all factions (Penumbra DLC)
• And major combat bonus against pirates

   –Impossible–

• +4 FIDSI per pop on planets (FIDSI = Food, Industry, Dust, Science, and Influence)
• -2 Influence per pop on planets to prevent them from converting every systems
• Progressive bonus to Industry based on Manpower (Max. Manpower / 450, e.g. if AI has 6k Manpower, he gets 6000/450 ≈ +13 Industry per pop)
• Progressive Ships/Improvements Cost Reduction also based on Manpower, up to -25%. Wonders and Behemoths are not affected.
• Small progressive bonus to Science, mostly for late-game ((Command Points / 4) – 2 = bonus Science per pop. Maximum is (36/4)-2 = +7 Science per pop)
• 15% of Manpower Capacity regained each turn
• +10 Experience per turn on ships (takes 30 turns to become Elite)
• +25% Movement points on ships
• +200% Vision Range on fleets and +5 Vision Range on systems
• +4 CP (Command Points) on fleets (+2CP on player’s fleets)
• +200% to +50% Strategic resource production on systems
• +15% Research bonus on military techs
• Up to -20% Dust Inflation in late-game (same as the player)
• +60 Happiness
• -60% Over Colonization Penalty
• -60% Upkeep (heroes, system improvements and ships)
• Moderate Essence bonus for the Vodyani
• Vines spread 3x faster for the Unfallen
• Honor (Keii) bonus and +1 Behemoth max. for the Hissho
• +10% Hacking Speed and +40 Bandwidth for all factions (Penumbra DLC)
• And major combat bonus against pirates

     Note: "Endless" setting had the same buffs as above but without the added ones in bold.

                                                   ————————————————–

Current Status:
v1.6 Release – Added compatibility with Awakening DLC.

Various QoL tweaks used. Recommended mods:
– BattleMod by Foraven (AI and combat rework)
– Endless War by Amplitude (official mod for masochists)
– Combat Balance by Aitarus (not updated in a while)

Notes:
– The mod can be added mid-game and still work. The AI will just need a bit of time to adjust to his newfound power. That also means you can revert the changes if you find yourself overwhelmed.
– Like with all gameplay mods, achievements are disabled with this mod. You have to import the changes yourself using a text editor if you want to earn achievements.
– Screenshots: first is just one of many epic battles against the Cravers. Others shows that same Craver AI’s huge fleets and resources / manpower bonuses, in part thanks to the new AI bonuses.

*Artwork: "Lost Hunt"[artstation.com] by Thomas du Crest (Amplitude concept artist)