In my version 1.06 game, I've noticed that:
a) AI empires are only putting version 1 of their weapon choice on their ships. The Eee have level 1 meason blasters and cap ship missiles, everyone else is using DU cannons. The year is 2405.4.
b) AI controlled ships don't approach within about 9 'squares' of a planet, even if they have weapons with less than 9 squares range. I ran a simulation with an AI's planetary bombardment ship, and it just went back and forth without firing. I ordered it to move in closer, and it obliterated the planet. My ships using level 3 AP beams (which have range 9, IIRC) destroy the planet without needing orders.
c) AIs propose very comprehensive treaties on first contact again.
Also, regarding the mod in general.
a) AI designs don't have enough armour, and don't research it enough. Early AI destroyers are /pants/ because they have, like, two beam or direct fire weapons, and then a heavy weapon which is usually a missile and then only two pieces of armour. Well, of course the missile gets shot down by point defence and ship is destroyed in short order because it has virtually no armour. It gets worse when they get shields, because shields aren't really worth it until about level five, so they waste 30kt for 120k of shields when they could get 100kt from a single piece of level 5 armour.
b) AI's are too agreeable, and want to be buddies all the time. I know it's probably a lot of work to try and get a really decent AI script that declares war, sues for peace and proposes treaties appropriately, but there's a few races in there that are not inclined to be diplomatic, and so you can write very simple scripts for them.
The Sergetti and the Amon'krie are xenophobes. They should be exceedingly reluctant to sign treaties with anyone. I actually wrote such a script myself for the Amon'krie, back when I was dicking around with the AI scripts. They *only* treaty they'd sign was a non-aggression treaty, and only if you had really good relations; these were always called non-intercourse or non-interference treaties. And if you so much as sneezed at them, they'd declare war. Very simple to write, but it adds character and variety to the AIs.
I had grandiose plans to make their anger level based on proximity and on entering their systems, so they'd lash out at nearby empires but tolerate ones on the other side of the map. Of course I never got round to any of it
The sithrak could also benefit from a similar treatment.
And no, declaring war on everyone in sight doesn’t make good strategic sense. But a lot of the time, cultural or political forces in a society can cause it to do things they don’t make perfect sense, or any sense.