[Baron Munchausen]

More important than just bringing retreat back, the AI has to use it properly. Enough with the suicidal aliens. We need some sort of 'morale' included in the AI so that crews will know when they are beaten and give up instead of attacking to the Last lifepod. Yes, it can get complex building 'motivation' into the game because you have to account for external circumstances. A battle to defend your homeworld against a genocidal foe is obviously far more likely to see the suicidal behavior we've become used to seeing from the SE AI than a battle for some warp point on the fringes of a huge empire. But that's what AI is for -- to make the computer seem to think like a 'real' person. We need a much smarter AI in combat as much as in game play.