Teaching the AI to fight.

Here some ideas :

Tactical

Hit and run.

The AI tries to destroy as much structures or civilian ships while avoiding static defenses or defenders. It should retreat only when it can no longer attack any structure or civilian ship without running into defenses or the defenders are too numerous (like 3 times their number). The AI should not use capitals or expensive support vessels when raiding. All ships used to hit and run should be considered expendable so the AI does not try too hard to retreat them.

Split attack.

The AI tries to do as much damage to structures while keeping the enemy defenders at bay. The AI should split into 2 or 3 groups (depending on numbers and variety), the first engage defenders while the others do hit an run.  It should retreat only when the main group is clearly outnumbered.

Suicide run.

All ships are considered expendable, the goal is to destroy as much support vessels from enemy fleet as possible. The AI should consider doing this only if it can afford to replace the ships or has other fleets on the way.

Steamroll

Just systematically destroy everything in sight (basically what it does normally).

the ai dosnt attack in force unl;ess it

a) has no choice

b)it has you so massivly outgunned that you dont stand a chance, then when you bring in enough ships to even the odds it runs.

Seriously, one time the ai was just sending ships and retreating, for half an hour until i (i was their ally) took the planet.

the Problem with the AI is it will not engage the player unless it MASSIVELY outnumbers the player.  The AI  isn't aggressive once the player decides to apply maximum force.   Main problem comes down to once you do push the AI back thats all it will do is fall back.  The AI will never try to halt your advance or even try to reverse the situation.

it means that you can always be sure that they usually send their entire fleet, you can ravage their other planets at will and they dont stand a chance.

IMO it beats an AI like Starcraft where the AI rushes you within 5-10 minutes.

I agree with everyone above. The AI could use some improvement, but i doubt we will ever see anything to address this.

The AI in a LAN game in Dawn of War: Dark Crusades, rushes you within five to minutes as will, while also taking into consideration stategic points, critical points, and technology upgrades.

If they were to address the issue with the AI in Sins, then I would have to say, they'll need to fix, everything.

1) the AI don't attack unless they outnumber you.

1a) they only attack with maximum numbers, and ships such as heavy cruisers and caps, when both are destroyed, then they fully retreat.

2) they don't take into consideration, that holding a star, and not the planets could easily boost their defense of their worlds while they upgrade all areas within technology.

3) mostly they take worlds, defend with minimal numbers, then move their fleet around to bogus positions on the game, which are easy to pick up on, then counter follow their movements.

4) Stardock is too specific on what types of AI are to be in game, overall they should have it to where the Ai are both aggressive, technological, defensive, and economic.

5) It'd be more challenging if they AI didn't focus on allying with you, and focused more on getting planets fast, moving their fleet after taking a world or defending it until it's at max upgrades, and building support is finished.

5a) to make it more interesting, I'd like to see the AI focus on upgrades, then once they've built up to their max in technology focus all res, on you and only you.

6) it'd be interesting in game to see all AI ally with each other, and focus all ships, and such on your only world(s).

Stuff like that I guess, there's more to it, but as always it's a insufferable task to just think on them all.

Try playing unfair. I notice it's a pretty good challenge.

Another thing that might help is if the AI examined the structure of the graph/network of planets/stars and identified chock points to mass fleets in order to guard against attack.

what you do is not make a fleet just group them dont make it a fleet. If you make the group of ships a fleet then all the ships will go out of thier way to protect the lead ship. if you dont make a fleet they all do their own thing and dont retreat. I thought it was kinda odd to because i had a maxed out fleet and got beaten by a fleet half my size and found out that they were all protecting the lead ship (like sheep to a slaughter)

What are you talking about, unfair is still too simple, I can beat nine unfair in maybe six hours depending on the map size, which usually the case is when I choose one of my mega maps I've made, which it would take weeks to even play the game.

Anyone has tactics and strategies they wish the AI could pull off? Everyone can post about Ai's flaws, but what we need is clever ideas to make the AI a challenge...

I think part of the problem is that the developers want to make the AI play more like a human player, but sometimes that's not necessary.  I was one of those who pushed for the "unfair" option for that reason.

I think the devs should let the AI use strategies that a human player cannot use.  For example, raid/attack from multiple fronts at once.  A human player will have serious problems dealing with that.

Also, random attacks all over the map keeps players off balance.  It doesn't have to make strict strategic sense.  The AI can still do more strategic major attacks, but being unpredictable by using randomness is something the AI can do better than a player (and is easier to code).

It's kind of like throwing a wild pitch in baseball.  It won't get you a strike, but it sure keeps the batter honest.

I wanted a "Ludicrus" AI option where not only does the AI cheat it also has a No retreat No surrender policy. Where the AI fleets will stay, and fight. Win or lose. but that idea got shot down.

From what i have seen in 1.095 the AI is a "little" better, but it will still run away when the odds are even, or one of its capitals is near destroyed. Of all the AI problems i think the consistant retreating is the most annoying of them. There must be a way to lower the percentage chance of AI retreat.

It is true that the AI will not become "Agressive" unless it way outnembers you. Many times i sit with only four worlds, and wait for the AI's to come attack me to just get a decent fight out of them.

Human players can't raid/attack from multiple fronts at once?  News to me - as it stands, attacking on multiple fronts   is the best way to defeat an AI faction, as they seem to have serious trouble building secondary fleets.

Too much cheating on the AI's part means that the player can no longer formulate offensive/defensive strategies since they can no longer accurately predict what effect their efforts are having on the enemy.  We may still be able to defeat them because...they're stupid, but some of the fun is lost if your deep strike on their core production worlds has little effect on their war machine, or a system you know they can't reach, and thus have left undefended, is suddenly attacked from nowhere...

I second that. Easiest times I have with an AI are when I can hit across their empire  with three decent fleets opposed to whatever huge size single fleet they want. And if things get really dicey, then I'll start bringing my fleets together, as I don't really need to defend the worlds I just took that early. The AI doesn't react to "Our planet is under seige!" like a human does. Sending four light frigates with four seige frigates just to make a human sweat won't get an AI's attention the same way.