Correct.  The AI tends to just pile up resources for no real reason.  If it would actually puts its resources to use, it wouldn't be so bad, but it doesn't...

What I think the AI needs in revision (or at least one fix) is a strategy spectrum.  The AI essentially has its difficulty rating (income buff) and then what it currently focuses on.  If it were change to be where you had something like 20 points to distribute across the following categories, I think the AI would stop stockpiling resources and start actually doing something.

Aggression: Increasing the points in this increases the likelihood that the AI will attack and build ships.

Defensiveness: Increasing the points in this decreases the likelihood that the AI will attack, but increases the likelihood of it entrenching.

Expansionism: Increasing this increases the AI's "desire" to conquer worlds.

Economism: Increasing this yields an increase in the desire to up the population of planets, build trade ports, and research resource/trading buffs if available.

Experimentation: Increases the odds of the AI building labs with its spare cash and researching.  Individual items researched will be based upon the above catergories. Ie Aggression yields more ship prototypes.

Doing the above might just help the AI become more balanced because as it currently stands, the AI always is weak in some area.  Always.  I think that the above and improving the general strategies it uses is what we need.  Right now, the AI is so stupid that it doesn't realize that starbases and minefields can be avoided.  It just plows through them hoping for the best.  While its impossible to end up with a digital JJ, I think the devs do need to revise the AI.

Thats the Targeting AI. I dont see it as bug, b/c it is targeting what its suppose to. Usually HC auto target LRM anyhow.

But yeah the AI is flawed. Untill its up to par, handycap yourself. Like dont build superweapons or SB. Or build only 2 caps all game, things like this make it fun against the AI till it can spend its resources right.

You could make a map using Galaxy Forge giving the different players ships, sturctures, planets, artifacts to start the game with. If thats what your thinking.

its in the gameplay constants file

towards the end

the DS mod modifies it some

though we would love to modify the AI further

It would also be possible to make a map that is just unfair for one of the teams and then play for the team that gets the bad starting spot.

i disagree with the reducing SB's in Star GW's, the idea is that SGW's are so large that you need more than one to effectively control the territory.

if the AI's were programmed with the ability to put a SB in an SGW it wouldnt be a problem, but then i dont see SB's in UCGW's either so it must have something to do with the AI placing SB's in GW's it doesnt own.

but im sure we can all agree that regardless the AI needs a boost, though it may not be possible because atm programming a computer to act like a human is very difficult...

perhaps a bit more scripting in the more advanced areas of gameplay is required, like 'forcing' the AI to put a SB in an UCGW or to build more caps... something a human knows instinctively but where programming such knowledge into a computer is impossible...

i just played a game with the aggressor AI trait (i usually play researcher thinking it may play smarter somehow without rushing me) but i found that if you can hold off the initial assault, the AI plays much better, smarter even, than any other personality... i like the idea of making the distinction between the personalities more distinct...

a quick fix could be, for example, making research cheaper or researcher AI, making tradeports and tradeport income cheaper/higher respectively for economist AI, defensive structures and tactical slot upgrades cheaper/faster for defensive AI and ship costs and build speeds cheaper/quicker for aggressors, but like i said, its only a quick fix...

i always figured it was a decision on the part of the developers not to have AI build superweapons... though i cant honestly tell you why... then again, envoy ships are no different coding wise to cap ships except caps need research and some prerequisites, such as fleet supply etc... so... maybe there needs to be a new personality that uses superweapons or else have a button in the game settings that allows or disallows superweapons...

Well, Allegiance, I do agree that starbases on stars are certainly not overpowered, but all the same, when on your planets, a properly supported SB can take on quite a bit before succumbing to the invaders.  Take the first Orky I ever built.  With only two repair platforms, a PMT, and a hangar to help it, it still managed to fend off four good sized fleets.  Sure, they weren't monstrous, but they were of a decent size nonetheless.  It also managed to slay around 40 Orgovs.  The Orky never actually died, as combat eventually moved elsewhere and the AI stopped wasting resources against my beloved Orky that quite possibly won me the game by preventing the AI from flanking my main force before I had phase gates up and running.

So, my point is that Starbases can be powerful roadblocks if supported correctly, or if on a star, are mere speed bumps...  Now, of course, four fully upgraded Orkies with every last upgrade done to them are pretty dang hard to punch through since unlike Argonevs you can't go around them easily...  You have to go through them, and Orkies don't like visitors..  With each one potentially dealing 600 DPS you have 1800 DPS plus the 12000 Hull and 7500 Shields (plus the deflector shield which might I add is freaking awesome).  If you use a mod such as Distant Stars or Mad Scientist, those phase missiles will more than likely go through your shields..  

For instance, I had my Orky in a battle with a level 5 Kol today at a star.  The Orky was fresh, so it didn't have much in the way of upgrades, so I began quickly researching Pulse Gun tech.  40% extra damage is a lot, and it definitely helped chew up the Kol.  Eventually though, a level 6 Marza was brought in along with a small group of LRM's and Cobalts to aid the Kol.  Then the phase missile upgrade kicked in, doubling the damage my Orky could put out.  I then siezed the opportunity and quick-teched PM tech from the 20% I was at all the way up to 60% and then researched the damage to get it up to +40%.  The result?  Everything within range died.  There were no survivors from such a powerful barrage of Phase Missiles.

That said, I don't think SB's are OP.  They are powerful yes, and when you have technological superiority over the enemy when using a mod that amplifies the effects thereof, you end up with one thing slaying all that comes in range.  Really the problem with this is the AI's inability to place them..  If it would, it would be much better off..  Four Orkies are a great roadblock.  You can punch through them if you try hard enough, but most things will just get turned into their breakfast as they suck your ruins into their maws...