[dmm]

Four comments:

1. I like the latest quick-fix suggestion by Talenn, if it is implemented in a mod-able way. I also like the opportunity-fire suggested by BB. I don't see them as mutually exclusive, and I don't see either one as open to exploitation.

2. Solely as a quick fix, missiles could be modded to do less damage, and also to be easier components to destroy. These mods would allow a player to charge missile ships (losing some of his own), pin them against the edge of the combat map, and then quickly dispatch them. That is exactly what the AI attempts to do now, and it would make the missile dance done by human players less effective.

3. The long-term solution, as I've said before in other topics, and will say again here: Missiles should not always hit. They are supposed to be CAPITAL ship missiles, so they should have problems hitting an escort. A miss shouldn't destroy the missile though. It should just overshoot the target by one space, then proceed normally. That would reward missile ships for firing at less than max range. (You wouldn't want to do #2 if this were done. In fact, you might even want to increase their damage done.)

4. A long-term solution that would help the AI with all combats would be to give it a small look-ahead ability like chess or checkers programs have. Even one turn would be a huge improvement. And it would vastly improve strategic/auto combat as well, so it would actually speed up the combat part of the game, despite the extra CPU time req'd.