It's probably really difficult to make the AI distinguish properly between you fighting the same war and happenin to be the one who gets the planet, and you deliberately sneaking around stealing the planets from them.

I certainly agree on the second point though. (Assuming they don't, because it's possible I've just missed it.)

I haven't tried planet stealing but I've had it happen to me when an AI was fighting the same empire as me. I got so pissed I demanded the planet in Diplomatic chat but when they refused I declared war on them took it and several others before they begged for peace.

They don't respond because no borders in the game. The borders you see are influence, not physical.

It annoys me too.

Unless there is a bug though, they are suppose to prepare for any ovious attacks at Intelligent or Higher Difficultiies.

Yea I know they should make the infulance areas be like in Civ 4. They are boarders of your empire are also the culture/infulance reach. So unless you have like an alliance with the AI they can't come in your area and you can't go into theirs. Other wise it could spark a war.

So would you have to beat each of your neighbors to get to there neighbors?

That's a little melodramatic. Game breaking? I don't even agree. Why shouldn't I follow some enemy force? They do it to me. I'm a soul collecter!

The Ai has bribed you to war with another race, built only troop transports, parked them next to the race's planets you were bid to war with, then immediatly after u killed there defense, they stole the world from you, becuase you, like the AI took about 4 turns to get your transport to the planet, which by then was already taken?

It's game breaking becuase you can take over an entire empire with spending very little in the military department, and also weakening the Ai thats fighting for you at the same time. It's too easy to do and works every single time i have done it on the hardest difficulty.

The AI does react to having forces/bases near there planets, of course. But its just slow in doing so, which is a problem on the smaller maps. Also considering that out of about 12 games I have never seen the AI build a military ship that moved over 4 parsecs(even when they have all the tech), making their military reaction even slower.

another lame tactic that bothers me that the AI doesnt see is I'll trade a crappy ql 4 planet in the center of my empire for techs then get it back from influence then trade again, get back,over and over.

I found that building FAST cargo ships with 4 x type 4 phasors from the beginning tends to win me the game VERY easily! I have yet to see the dreadlords even use defensive tech yet, they put everything into weapons.

Yet another exploit that works wonders... Sod the big hulls, all you need is plasma/phasors/warp drive and you've won!

J

Well simple answer to a 'lame' tactic: don't do it!

I love the airspace option. Allow an attacking ship to park in orbit over someone else's planet. If that planet builds a defensive ship, it automatically engages in combat with the new ship getting first strike. This way you can leave a fighter or something in orbit long enough for your troop transports to arrive, and if your "ally" wants the planet they''ll need to take out your blockade ship (declaring war).

I'm thinking this post should be ignored.

A few additions to combat / planet invasion changes.

After a fleet attacks a planet and destroys the defending fleet then an option is givin 'The defnses are down would you like to claim this planet. This would then be a sphere of control and any other fleets enetering it would become an act of war.

The attacking fleet would have to remain around the plaent to keep the claim to the planet. (really simple implementation to - 'attacking this planet will take 5 turns' puts the fleet inactive for 5 turns then the planetary invasion as normal.

#1 Make an invasion take five turns, the transports would need to seige the planet and remain on the same pc without being attacked.

This slows down invasions and planet hopping. And prevents several exploits of stealing planets. Also another weakness of planet defence is that defending fleets are often very slow 2pc speed. I make fleets with a speed of 10 and fast tansports. My fleet and transports go right past the defending fleet and take the planets from behind them. I've taken over serveral AI's on the highest difficulty with this technique and taken all their planets without engaging any of their fleets.

Also add this in for starbases. Make a starbase need to be sieged by an attacking fleet for a turn equal to the level of battle stations. SO a level 1 station, 1 turn. a level 4 - 4 turns.

Again this would be a really simple implementattion. Just when you attack a starbase.. 'do you want to attack this starbase, will take 4 turns' the fleet is then disabled for 4 turns -(unless moved , this cancels the attack) then the attack happens the same combat as before. This prevents starbases from being taken out when fleets are nearby and greatly increases their power.

Unless there is a bug though, they are suppose to prepare for any ovious attacks at Intelligent or Higher Difficultiies.

On normal they'll call you an idiot for doing stuff like that. (Although they do mention their general is too stupid to respond)

I think the relationship between territorial borders and influence area is a great deal closer. Remember that as far as the 'interplanetary council' is concerned your influence area and your controlled space are synonymous. For example if they happen to pass the law taxing colonies inside someone elses borders, you will receive a sum for each colony or space station within your influence area, and the same goes for the survey ship law etc etc. The idea that a races planets form the real border is probably a misconception based on sensor range. Just because you are within someones influence area does not mean that they see you, even if you can see them. If they aren't fielding a large number of ships, or haven't researched better sensors, there is a very good chance that they will miss you until one of your ships is near a starbase or planet (which both have large sensor footprints).