whats your current game version? until v1.05 the AI retreated very fast, but in v1.05 the AI try to fight until the situation looks too bad. so if your game version is lower than v1.05, go patching...

IF you play 2 to 4 hours before having big battles, you should expect the computer to retreat. Why?

It is simple.

Your game galaxy has been developed. The computer will attack but you probably have well defended systems. So, why would the computer want to let his whole fleet be destroyed in an offensive strike?

Second, if you attack his forward positions, the AI again probably would rather lose them and keep some of his fleet to defend more important secondary ones.

Think about it. Retreating is often the smart choice.

If you want big fleet battles, you have to chase! And risk losing your fleet in the AI's territory. Or, keep pushing the AI until there is no where left to run or the stakes are so high that retreating is no longer an option.

Of course, there are certain ships, abilities and buildings that can slow retreating fleets, too.

Just my 2 cents.

I don't think the modders can change that.

The AI only stays with his fleet when his home planet is being attack if it is any where else he will retreat very quick

You could stop playing against easy or normal AI then. Jump up to unfair they are sometimes willing to stay and fight battles that normal would have ran from.

Odd in my 1.09 unfair ai only does that when I take out their capital ships. I will admit I tend to exploit this fact by taking out all the missle cruisers and stuff they have and when my losses start becoming more then 8% of my fleet I wipe out their caps. Then as they run away I slice and dice the fleeing fools.

In responce to the guy complaining about them running away. Simple solution if you want your big epic space battle. Take it to their home planet, they will stay and fight till almost wiped out.

This happens alot to me.  The AI becomes afraid of it own shadow and retreat from every battle.  You may say that retreating is the correct tatic from them but I just don't see it.  They will abandon every planet except their home to me without me loosing a single ship I crush their whole empire sans the home planet.  By the time I get to their home planet they dont have the resources to compete.  I would expect the AI to fight to the last and wear down my fleet some, sure it will still loose the battle but it would have the resource base to fight another day.  And AI aside looking at the story, do the races think so little of their own people that they won't defend them?  The AI trades defeat in a singel battle for loosing the war.  I'm betting if I take their whole empire execpt their home the maintance cost of the fleet alone will cripple them.  The only serious fights seem to be with the pirates.  I love that you can mod this game but I feel it is a real faiure that the AI cannot be modified.  As it is even on harder settings its a whimp.  Sure it gets good resources to start out, but if I can fend off their initial attacks, when I go on the offensive they never stand a chance.  And don't even get me started on their build priorities, its seem a little better in the beta but most every AI fleet consists of tons of the cheapest ship for a race, a cap or 2 and maybe a handfull of other ships.  The game looks great, play is or could be very run but the AI is beyond sub par.

ruby i agree with you totally have the same things except for pirates cause i allways dissable them