The ai is vastly improved at building in 1.4,  but still has room to improve. Most obvious flaws: never enough farms, almost always puts in a consulate.  have seem fairly good specialized wealth & research planets

This was the first planet I invaded in 1.4. The only one so far. I let the governors control 11 of the 12 planets I colonized. About half of them are reasonable, the other half are silly. Not a good track record in my experience.

This is normal. The normal AI is the level without cheats or handicaps, so it shows the true strength of the AI.

My last game, the Burran were trying to defend themselves from the Klepart, both my allies, both Bene.

I'm supplying defensive warships and tech to the Burran to shore them up against the Klepart without annihilating the Klepart.

I've wiped out the Gaulox, originally between the two, and parted out their five planets between the two, four smaller worlds to the Burran, as they're weaker, and the capitol to the Klepart.

Spent some time building defensive emplacements, farms, etc, setting the planet up "correctly", as if I were using it, and handing it over to the Burran.

The Klepart promptly take it less than 10 turns later.  I buy it back shortly.

All the farms and defensive emplacements are gone.

Just a sea of factories.

Overall productions, less than a quarter what it was when I handed it over to the Burran in the first place.

Yey.