I noticed that on higher difficulty settings I have a hard time keeping up technology wise with the AIs. Started a painful game on a large galaxy. After the first 2 years I persued a policy of maxing out my research capability. Planet (number of and tiles and development) wise I was ranked 3rd of 9, yet somehow, *all* AIs where way beyond me in tech. While I was trying to get research acadamies they were already having advanced colonizations (+100% extreme col. tech) and plasma beam weapons. Even the backward torians who only had 3 minor planets. There were no techs I could trade with any.

Assuming the AI doesn't cheat the hard way on these levels, I can only assume they pool all their researched techs, effectively making me compete with the combined research efforts of 8 opponents.

In another game I maxed out my diplomatic skills. I gave myself extreme colonization and warpdrive, yet I could only rack up a few 100'rd credits for these advanced techs in the early game. On the other hand, if I want to buy some tech, for example, advanced hulls or Laser V, I have to put thausands of credits on the table...

So, I notice a cheating AI and a rediculously skewed tech trading. To me its almost as if tech trading is taken out of the game. Is there anything I've overlooked or can this be made more balanced?