AI research scripts are especially poor:
After starting with low tech and medium cost, in 2410.1 the AIs have (nearly) finished Laser and Projetile Weapons or their special version of it (level 5 or 6)
Yet, they only have ship building at 2 and therefore are restricted to <200kt hulls.
Some even (e.g. Puntherrain) build mines, but do not even have a mine layer design!?
Nearly all have satellite(s) and layers designed, but do not build any, but troops and bunkers.
Some troops do not have weapons, but 2 pieces of armor ..
They don't have any chemistry or physics researched, therefore no shields and only the basic armor available.
The AIs use leaky armor as if it was 'magic' armor, filling biggest part of the ship with max level weapons (at least, of what is left after dropping enough engines in to get somewhere at all) - this results in "who shoots first wins"-situation especially between AIs even more then necessary because of the design of the combat engine.
.. see screenshot ...