New Patch: Little AI improvements ?

[jowe01]

Its of course rather speculative so far, but from the release information concerning the patch (until 1.17) it seems that we cannot expect that the AI will actually become significantly more challenging than the lame duck it is right now.
Some AI changes were made in 1.15. They concerned some minor improvements in tactical combat, better retrofitting and overall a more aggressive AI behaviour.
Especially the Last point was one of major criticism on this and other Boards, so I am happy MM has addressed it (if it works). However, I already succeeded in making the AI a bit more aggressive by tweaking the AI anger file. Of course, this meant that the AI was more aggressive to everybody, not only to the annoying player who violated its border all the time (so the new patch DOES constitute an improvement in that department). Nevertheless, even the more aggressive AI still bores me to death. Anybody with 3 SE4 games experience will know what I am talking about: the AI finally decides declare war on me and moves its fleet of 24 dreadnaughts towards my only lightly defended border colony. I shudder with fear (and delight: will that stupid idiot actually put up a fight this time ?). I hit the "Next turn" button and... receive my usual turn report. No combat. When I look at the border system, I see that instead of attacking, the AI has withdrawn. Stupid idiot ! But not only that, it has left one single dreadnaught within reach of my 3 battlecruisers at the colony. Well, if I am not too frustrated to turn of the PC, the superior tactics of my BC captains will be enough to slaughter that single DN now. Three turns later, the AI will actually attack...with another single DN. And so on, and so forth.

What I am saying is that the AI will remain to be a deplorable adversary until its strategy/targeting algorithm is significantly improved (among other things). It does not seem that we will see this in this patch. The AI will hopefully be more aggressive/less tolerant and I'll say "Bravo MM" for this. However, the game will still not entertain you over the Christmas holidays.