[Fyron]

I don't remember getting blown up by a dozen battlecruisers in my Last game of chess.

No, but it boils down to essentially the same thing. Chess has no customization. It has relatively few options. You always get the same starting pieces, and there is no ability to change how they function. I never said GalCiv was equal to chess, I was making an analogy to show why it could have good AI. When there is no customization possible and there are relatively few tactical/strategic options, the AI can be programed well. This is why Chess AIs can be very very challenging; there is a lack of advanced features in Chess. This relates to comparing GalCiv to SE4, because GalCiv lacks most of the feaures of SE4. So, it is only logical that better AI can be written for it. It has less depth, and lack of depth is what allows good AI routines. I personally prefer some depth in the game and mediocre AI to few features and a killer AI. I am not saying that GalCiv standing on its own has no depth; it will probably have some. But, compared to a game like SE4, it will come up rather lacking (esp. in the combat department).