Re: Played SE IV long ago, and considering SE V.
 

True, SE4 did suffer some from some of that. However, it was far less noticeable in SE4; the AI moved its ships around more( and further, it seems to me; I've never seen an AI fleet in SE5 more than one, max two systems away from one of its colony-systems ) and there was no fog of war in to cripple the AI either. Granted, the fog of war in SEV can be turned off.