Honestly, I would say either there has been an improvement in the AI or I have just lost all my skills at this game. Last four games I tried to start I Lasted about 20-30 turns before I got my butt handed to me (and I don't think I'm that bad a player). I do 3 homeworld starts on low tech, med cost, hard AI and med AI bonus. So far I have lost a homeworld everytime in about 20-30 turns. In my most recent game I had to resort to mines and ship capture to stay in the game, and then my own modded AI (the Y'Gath) came in with a fleet that could sweep 60+ mines with ease, I was toasted. Now if I could only stay alive for 100 or so turns to see if the AI has improved on how it handles Stellar Manip tech.
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"We are all...the sum of our scars"....(paraphrased) Matt. R. Stover-'Blade of Tyshalle'.
"Human existance is all imagination...Reality is no more than a simple agreement among its participants that this is where we shall meet, and these are the rules that we shall abide by."- Kevin McCarthy/David Silva "The Family:Special Effects"..
"Long Live the Legion!!"-Comic book fandom...