[Trachmyr]

SJ, just wanted to thank you again.... The aipatcher worked great!

As a side note, found a quick (subjectivly) way to make .emp files:

Step one: Make sure all empires have a "quick-start" entry in settings.txt

Step Two: make sure all AI_General files are patched

Step Three: Make(or copy the old ones) .emp files in the empires directery... they don't have to work or have any info what-so-ever, renamed txt files will work as will the old non-working .emp's.

Step Four: Start SE4 and do the following for each empire...
1) Quick-start a game
2) Set the password (to "1" for instance)
3) Save the .emp file under a tempoary name (i.e., first 3 letters of the empire)
4) select a NEW GAME, and repeat for the next empire

Step Five: In the Setup for a new game (not quick-start), load all the tempoary .emp's and for each do the following:
1) Select edit & remove the password
2) Select the Designname.txt file (this is the only entry that AI_general.txt dosen't specify, either write down the correct ones or choose appropriate ones)
3) Create the empire and Save it to the Permanent file (This removes the AI's intial ship designs that were in the temp. .emp file)

Step Six: go to the empire directory and delete all the temp. .emp files.

Although this is a bit long, it's quicker than cut & Paste or remembering/writing all the entries... one problem, it only works for 2K setup, you'll still have to hand do 3K & 5K Versions.

Hope that info can help you!