Ive been an advocate for better AI from day one. Some of whats been said has merit.
In my games 9 of 10 times if i play multiple AI's with unlocked teams (even in diplomacy beta). All of the AI's will team up against me sooner or later. It doesnt happen all of the time, but it does happen. This is a good thing IMO.
Some of you guys here have been playing from day one, and are masters of the game. So the new Ruthless, and Relentless AI's are still pushovers. You are ready for "godlike", or ludicrus AI. perhaps an AI that not only cheats, but insta-researches as well.
The Pirates need to be much more of a challenge other than fodder for your cap ship levels.
You are correct about one thing. The late game AI is kinda stupid no matter what setting you use. I would have 4 starbases and one small fleet guarding a star (Yes you can build 4 starbases at a star). That would be the only defense i need to build untill the AI researches insurgency. Phase, and Psi AI's are total pushovers without insurgency.
The AI never attacks you with its entire fleet. It never musters a force large, and diversified enough to overpower your forces despite being more than capable of doing so.
It never coordinates its attacks with its allies. If 2 allied AI factions show up in my grav wells simultainiously its nothing more than coincidence. Those are the only times i do have a challenge, because i am almost overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
The AI STILL almost never avoids defenses to reach objectives. Only ships ive seen trying to avoid turret fire are the siege frigs. All others make a B-Line straight through the gauntlets of mines, turrets, and starbases to get to a target on the other side of the grav well, or die trying. They still do it in Diplomacy, and i facepalm every time i see it. Same with grav wells that ships are trying to bypass. AI will go right through the defenses line of fire instead of trying to stay out of their range, and jump away.
The AI would be so much better if it..
AI sees what you have with scouts. Including numbers of what you have, and it prepared, and countered accordingly. A reactive AI. Instead of AI acting like this.. "Oh i think ill build this...Oh i think ill build that... Oh i think ill research this"
Attacked you not with piece meal forces 1/3rd the power of your fleet/defenses, but with a large diversified force that can match or best your fleets, and it coordinated attacks so as to not "trickle" these forces in, and get them slaughtered by the porc (as in porcupine, an old total annihilation term for heavily defended base) you have in your grav wells.
If the ships other than the siege frigate reacted the same as the siege frig to planetary defenses. Especially when trying to bypass the grav well, and reach the other side.
The AI needs to build its superweapons, and advanced defenses. If the Tec AI can research Insurgency then all factions should be able to build their superweapons to add the "oh crap" factor in.
Ships need to stop making B-lines for the nearest asteroid even though its on the opposite side of the fight only to get themselves stuck, and destroyed :/ Nothing annoys me more than watching ships move stupidly towards these rocks, and getting all bunched up.
