[Taqwus]

I've seen quite a few battles where, in tactical combat, I'll do FAR better than an AI with the same forces.

I once ran a test involving something like 2 heavy carriers and a few DNs for escort, attacking several identical DNs. Under my control, the carriers won hands down: complete obliteration of enemy force. With the AI controlling both sides, the defenders win hands-down, obliterating the carrier force with no losses. Conclusion: Micro-manage fighter combat. It has no understanding of holding back waves, or 'recycling' fired rocket-fighters to soak up PD so that unused RFs can fire unharmed, or using ships as decoys so big guns impact on ship shields, not fighter swarms.

In smaller galaxies before CSMs were boosted in speed, I routinely used an escort with one CSM I to destroy an escort with one CSM I by the obvious run-while-firing-out-yer-rear tactic.

I've used *1* DN, with no weapon of any range above 7, to defeat a fleet of *7* DNs and a CA, with range-16 seeker parasites and range-8 beams, partly because the AI doesn't understand when missiles are useless.

Also, it still doesn't take full advantage move-fire-move, which is a must when taking on a planet protected with 30 weapon platforms with range-8 beams and range-16 speed-5 missiles... something that can be done with zero risk w/ a speed-6 ship w/ range-7 beams, but only in tactical.

It's really not that good, tactically, as of the first patch...

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night