Played a couple of games with 1.02 (opt in). Did small maps no mods, 1-3 opponents, all on tough.  Used console to check up on AI factions.

* Did not see AI rushing planets or resources outside its cleared FOW

* Did a fair job at good tile utilization. not great but ok.

* Yor probably played the best; iridium were the weakest

* Ai is typically aggressive declaring war early, probably a little too soon or not accounting for my production/research ability.  Seemed to judge me mostly on mil power. Once war started, was "relatively" easy to totally shift to a military footing and win through attrition by out producing the AI.

**** Fleet management ***  Improved but still needs work.

* Much better job at putting fleets together. But still did too much mixing tiny/small (slow) in with med and large so often his fleet speed sucked when it did not have to.

* good utilization of support ships

* Slow to react in countering my weapon specialization. e.g. if i had beams, and it was doing missile, first encounters the AI typically had zero to little shields.  As the war dragged on it would increase shields  (or counter to what i was using) BUT did so slowly and would continue to beef up his first choice (matched his weapon)

Big time flaw with fleets. Several times we were nose to nose with high power fleets.  I was out matched and the AI could have killed me (but would have take damage).  Instead of attacking, he move off and disbanded his fleet allowing me to move in and kill the ships one at a time.  Don't what logic was in play here but if was flawed.