How does the AI change with difficulty rating?

The answer is complicated and is constantly changing as the AI is still evolving. However, I can say it doesn't cheat.

I would ask that you at some point allow it to cheat (by a slider perhaps)
for those of us for whom the AI is never really difficult in pretty much any game.

I hate cheating AIs... CnC and the blizzard AIs cheat at higher settings. Mostly because they get lots of extra resources but also they tend to have complete knowledge of the map.


That total map awareness is common in FPS games as well for AIs. The easiest way to tell is to hide somewhere and see if they come right for you without searching the rest of the map first.


Most of the AIs at ANY setting have total map awareness in the unreal games.




Does the AI see things that a normal player with the same units and planets wouldn't be able to see or have additional resources?

Yes they do.

At lest they always moved their fleet to planets next to mine (which they weren't able to see) where I've massed my fleet. And if I moved my fleet, they moved theirs to.

I doubt if that was a coincidence.

Although that was iirc some patches ago, could have been changed, but I doubt it.

well if they can see everything then that's cheating... I mean, that's literally a cheat code in many games...

I assure you, it does not see anything you couldn't see and it doesn't have additional resources. It does not cheat in any shape or form.

Well, I could see my ships, so the AI could also see my ships!

Hah, busted!


I'm really a whippersnapper.

Well, then it had to be a coincidence. (Or it had those scout thingies on my planets and I've overlooked them. Didn't think of that.)

I probably should stop jumping to conclusions, shouldn't I?

Which i think it always should be

i think that is very unfair, since I cheat that AI should too.

not that i edit the game files or anything...

Start a game with last flagship standing. Thats how good the AI is cheating

Very possible. The AIs are *always* sending scouts around, after all.

Do the AIs keep track of how many ships you add to a grav well by using Psidar? That could be one way they were keeping track of your fleets.

Also, they love to send scouts to their deaths...but it does give them excellent info. Might be a worthwhile investement for the AI.

Oh, I dont believe that for one second.