You can arrange to give the AI special bonuses easily enough. Edit the ai_general files in the directories to add more abilities to each of the options for each race. "Race Opt 1" is the "Low" points option (2000), "Race Opt 2" is the medium (3000), and "Race Opt 3" is the High (5000) option in game setup. Do a little math if you want to be proportional in giving the AIs their advantages or just add stuff that seems good to add according to the nature of the race. I gave the Phong an "environmental resistance" bonus because their description says they have it.
Not sure how much good it does them, though. Maybe I'll add some other things. once you've boosted the AI empires' abilities, play with a "normal" race yourself, choosing no special tech areas or other big advantages and you'll have to use some ingenuity to beat them. The AI is improving in the betas, btw. You'll find the next patch a few notches more difficult.
[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 09 December 2000).]