I found some serious logic issues with the AI planetary improvements that would lead AI players to not build up planets at all. Serious issue.

Tonight I'm working on having more distinct strategies. More variety in game play styles.

it would be nice if one of the major races would use the minor races as pawns to declare war on a player, and then the major race would come do the mop up work, or the minor race would manipulate the major races to do the same. I would love to be defeated by a minor race.

Some suggestions for improving the AI:

(1) Don't Waste the Start of Game Money/Capital
The biggest mistake the AI makes is it spends its start of game money/capital as fast as it can rather than saving most of it for funding its early empire that will be running with a deficit. I set spending at 100% but set my taxes low to keep morale at 100% on all or most of my planets to grow my population at twice the rate. I won't buy colony ships but will buy a factory or lab on a 300% or greater bonus square but the rest is saved for funding my early empires spending. As my morale bonus increases from morale techs and starbases mining morale resources, I raise taxes. When I run out of money then I raise taxes and with my large population (by this point I'm passing even the Super Breeder on level Suicide), my economy shoots past the AIs.
Detailed Suicide Medium Map DA AAR!
Population Graph

(2) Design Cheap Colony, Constructors, and Space Miners
In the original DL and in DA, I use small hulls for my colony, constructors, and space miners, until I reach miniaturization 25%, at which point I use tiny hulls. In ToA I'm forced to use cargo hulls until I unlock small hulls.

(3) No Armed 1HP Cargo Hull Planetary Defenders
In ToA I see the AI building armed 1HP cargo hull constructors and space miners. 1HP cargo hull based planetary defenders are more expensive and more fragile than small or tiny hull based combat ships.

(4) No Planetary Defenders with Defenses but No Weapons
I've also seen planetary defenders loaded with lots of defenses but no weapons. Without weapons the planetary defender can't defeat an armed ship. Adding the defenses just increases the cost of the ship but it still will only block non-armed ships. A cheaper non-armed blocked would be an empty tiny hull ship.


Colony List Not Updated After a Change on a Planet
From the colony list, select a planet, switched to the planet, make a change, and return to the colony list. The change won't be reflected on the colony list. You must exit the colony list and re-enter to see the change.


I was invited by Scott "Boogiebac" Tykoski in an e-mail on the 16th to participate in the gamma testing which I of course responsed, YES! I'm still waiting for word from Scott or Cari, on how to access the gamma release!

Paul D. (aka Mascrinthus)

In my current game, the Snathi actually are deadly. I am far ahead on tech (compared to the other major civs) but still, the Snathi are the only ones that can build battleships, and their weapons and defenses would be enough to kill all the other civs. What's worse...I am sweeping the floor with the Drengins, but now the Snathi have decided to trade their battleships to the Drengins. Lucky for me, they are on the other side of an immense galaxy, so I wont have to deal with them for a while. Better kill off those Drengins before they get here

it would be an interesting event if one of the minor races makes a huge break through in science and moves up to compete with all the bigger races in the galaxy.