I would presume I'm trying to understand the dynamics of the AI and I am playing on brutal mode so I also understand the AI has advantaged but:

1. The AI does not seem to have the return delay penalty when fleeing combat.
When I flee combat then turn around to attack the same system, I normally get a 2 day turn around time. The AI can re attack the next turn.

2. The AI enemies have painfully coordinated attacks.
I've noticed how the AI rallies their forces then strikes a single location. I think the term relentless comes to mind when this happens. This would not be so bad if the next observation wasnt happening.

2. Allies flee when they have the advantage but help when they have no chance.
This is the most aggravating. In a combined effort to stop an invading force, when our combined fleets would be able hold them off, my allies run to the next star system, leaving me out numbered. Yet, when they have barely any ships in the system that would make little or no difference, they stay.

Regarding the first point: did you notice if the enemy has a colony or outpost in the system when attacking the next turn. If yes, that is working as intended.

The same also goes for your own fleet: if you retreat from an enemy system, you will need time to return there again, but if you own realestate in the sytem, the fleet will be ready in the next turn

I got so frustrated with the scenario I forgot if the enemy does or not. I'll have to look back at the game and see....Actually no they do not. They amassed in the system then declared war on me. I fought their fleet off then they ran, only to U-turn back to the system with an ETA of 1 day. No enemy planets or outposts were there. I'll have to upload the game when I get home.


Battle at Aldebaran
Date 1335
Uploaded "game_7060" Tinker fleet attacking Aldebaran
Uploaded "game_7061" Tinker fleet in Retreat from Aldebaran
Date 1336
Uploaded "game_7062" Tinker fleet one day away from attacking Aldebaran

Captainspire wrote:2. Allies flee when they have the advantage but help when they have no chance.
This is the most aggravating. In a combined effort to stop an invading force, when our combined fleets would be able hold them off, my allies run to the next star system, leaving me out numbered. Yet, when they have barely any ships in the system that would make little or no difference, they stay.

I can imagine how irritating that could be. I wonder how feasible it would be to make different allied empires coordinate defensive fleet plans, like intercept and guard missions. Or it might be enough to just factor in (present/incoming) allied ships when planning attack or intercept missions, instead of actual coordination of fleet plans.

I don't remember if the AI factors in the presence of allied fleets at all. I don't think it does, and I'm guessing what you're seeing is the AI deciding that it doesn't have sufficient strength to fight so the ships get reassigned to a guard mission. Of course, the only way to know for sure why the AI does anything is to reproduce the scenario in-game and examine it using the AI debug tools.

You should reach out to that Ail guy that came in as a community member with Pandora and made the AI super good. He did it for peanuts, too...