[Baron Munchausen]

The number of colonizers you tell the AI to build during the 'Exploration' phase is important. What I've done is have it keep checking if it's got 2 while stepping through the standard defense infrastructure (WPs, sats, attack and defense ships) so it can sort of 'juggle' the two tasks of preparing to defend itself if it meets a nearby enemy and still expand. But, I discovered something else important while tinkering. I was frustrated that the AI seemed not to respond when colonies were destroyed. I would slag a few worlds and bring my ships home and those world were NOT recolonized! Well, I found that if you increase the number of colony ships requested in the "Secure Holdings After Attack, Incursion" phase then it will recolonize worlds that you have bLasted. Being able to respond to attack by rebuilding is also important and this small change has made the AI more challenging. It doesn't take a lot, but there really needs to be a higher level of colonizers than inthe 'attack' and 'defend' phases for it to go back and recolonize destroyed worlds.