It's always the small issues we notice, isn't it?

I think one of the major flaws right now (especially with all the new and often incompatable improvements in TA) is that AIs never revisit their planet construction, even after having conquered another world.

One (and I suspect rare) problem I had with the AI on a recent game was the pirate mega event occuring in the early phase (just after the colony rush, still low level weapons tech generally around in a huge gal with max no. of races). The pirates weapon tech was much higher than all the other races and the pirates were very numerous and widespread. Pirates attacked all ships and bases (but not planets) and within a relatively few turns they had pretty much wiped out all the ships from all the races in the game. I maxed out on research to develop some seious wepons tech to take on the pirates.

However, various race AIs continued to build ships which were promptly wiped out by the pirates. After a short period various healthy races started surrending (seemingly for no reason) so that I was soon left with less than half the number of races I had started with - diminishing a potentially interesting poliical dimension to a game with lots of opponents.

Why? Well as far as I can tell the AI needs to be tweaked if possible for this special situation. Some of the races were at war at the time of the mega event and whilst the state of war continued after the event there was no fighting or invading as the pirates wiped out any ships or fleets before they could act. The various races' planets were not under direct threat (the pirates didn't invade). I can therefore only deduce that the AI alogorithms 'tripped' into surrender because they were at war, had no navy and had lost a number of recent battles (to pirates, whenever they built a new ship). I also suspect that because all the races had so few ships that any race that was able to build a few more ships would appear 'relatively' strong to the AI that it pushed it over the numerical value required for the race to surrender.

Anyway, overall it is a mildly annoying quirk triggered by a specific early mega event. It certainly won't stop me playing!

Funny thing is i always seem to have more spies than the AI. I guess it depends on your economic ability.

I find that the AI does a pretty good job at using the bonus tiles. But since this thread is going the way of mentioning AI short comings I thought i'd add something in the name of constructive criticism. I see many times that the AI will build a research coordinatiopn center where there are no research buldings. And i cant stand conquoring a planet that has like 4 morale buildings on it. good-grief i have to tear them all down.

They also like to build power plants without factories.

Yeah frogboy can't code

No really - the AI is amazing but like all things - the more code you throw at it the harder it is to get the AI to do what you want.

Galciv is great but...
*crying*

Some very annoying things in DA/TA no one mentioned here:

- useless AI Invasion with 0-100 people instead of 1000.

- useless attacks with 1 small ship against fleets/huge ship. Even if the ai has bigger fleets nearby. --> Recycling old ships?!

- poorly secured starbases

- Suicide attacks with many fleets on one starbase. AI is losing planets but still will attack my poor starbase.

only TA(?), small maps:
- The ai builds x miners until planet orbit is full.
--> Than they declare war on me, and cant build ships on most planets... good work!

on huge/gigantic maps:
- AI has ships on all planets but doesnt use them. My fleet is smaller then AI's but he's losing ships one by one on his planets...
But the AI still thinks that i will lose and won't give up.
They should think about which planet is *safe* and which is a planet at front. Someone has to tell the Ai that ships in orbits arent that usefull if i have no transports nearby ...

- declaring war without any big fleet/invasion transports ready for attack. --> 20+ weeks war without any ship flying.
Just because i had no ships and he had some few... awww
Sometimes they declare war and i lose a planet each week, but sometimes nothing happens...ZzzZzzZzzZzZZ

Since TA:
AI builds foreign (bad) factories, even if they have their own, better factories, they wont upgrade them. Slave Pits instead of advanced factories or industrialsectors...awwwww

...
!I LOVE GOOGLE TRANSLATE!
...

Sorry for going OT, but Juy you wouldent happen to be german? I used to play another online game with a nice german chap named Juy you see.

lol, yea it's me. Everything concerning turn based sci-fi strategy you will run into me i am afraid.

EDIT: nm got it sorted.

Since the AI doesn't tear down and rebuild improvements at all, I severely doubt that's the case.

Sorry for OT but;

My first computer was an 800XL with 64K. ($300)

My first 4X game was "Millenium 2.2". I still play that once in a while. (Which has a remake BTW. http://public.twistedgem.com/download/Millennium.zip)

Just thought I'd share.