The AI does seem overall better, especially early game, but is still quite hit or miss. I can't remember a single game I've played where the AI doesn't do something stupid every now and then though, I just usually laugh and ignore it and don't care to remember it later on unless it happens a lot.

other than the fleeing at first sign of danger (even at their own HW) and their inability to fulfill requests I haven't seen that much stupidity from the AI (not more than is normal anyway).  That said I have played against some really stupid AI's. like the original Starcraft AI.......they upgraded it a few years ago and I can still kick its arse.

The AI can be a bit odd. I have seen them do the proper "retreat when capital ship is heavily damaged" and have seen them go kamikaze. Often times all in the same game.

Ah yes, Lavo_2, I recall that happening too often in original Sins and the first sequel/expansion.  So, everyone, it seems the tactical AI is about the same but perhaps the strategic/research is improved?  That's better than nothing, I suppose.  Hard for me to get excited about beating an enemy who throws away ships they spent hard earned money on (and no I didn't have jump inhibitors)

Ive seen my freindly ai attack the vicious ai(Along with me) and when i retreated he did too.. He then continued to go to the gravity well contains the vicious ais ridiculous fleet. He did this like 20 more times attacking and retreating  

My problem with the AI is that it wont interact with each others. I've created a map, where I play against 6 AI players. With two of them, I want to create diplomatic pacts, while I fight the remaining four.

Both allies have good terms with each other and I'm in the middle of them, but they clash together in my terretory and their reputation is going down the river if they do. It would be nice, if they can at least form non aggression pacts, if they are on good terms. They had something like +7/+8 to each other in both ways and still attacked.

I had no winning settings or options, so there was no restriction. It may be the case, that the deactivated 'diplomacy victory' button also deactivated the AI diplomacy to other AIs, but it was illogical.

Another thing is, that the Tech-loyalist AI won't build two starbases. I do not know if this may have to do something with the starbase upgrade mod I've installed, which enables the starbases to have 24 upgrade slots.

Are you sure the AI researched the tech? I've seen the AI build 4 SBs in a single grav well in SoGE.

I've gotten the impression that some AI's will repeatedly send their ships back and forth into a battle because of a changing situation that's just on the line, as in one moment the enemy fleet or their own fleet is too big or small to continue the battle, so they retreat, next thing it's the other way around and they send their ships back.  Usually sending in my own ships to "tip the balance" stops them from doing it over and over.

I've been playing on whatever difficulty is after hard mode and the only thing I noticed is that it's extremely easy to get an AI to sign a cease fire... takes like 10-20 minutes depending on your resources.  I always end up being the fox watching a lion and tiger fight in FFA so early game it's pretty relaxing