10 yrs and AI innovations

Hi guys,

in these days I was playing - without too much enthusiasm I admit since I am an Advent fan - and I've just realized that after 10 years it seems that SoaSE2 is following more the road of a SoaSE replica instead of innovating on something. I would've expected a lot of innovations in game logics after 10 years, that's my point, but instead I've found the following (please note that I'm focusing on the AI and not on human vs human. Of course human vs human can put in place different tactics):

- Capital ships have the same abilities of the first SoaSE that'll limit to what we already know the possible arc of alternatives the AI could follow whenever using a capital ship;

- By playing 5 times vs hard and unfair AIs I've seen that the Dunov shields restore logic it's still here 4 out of 5 times (the other one AI used carriers). After 10 years I would've expected AIs would approach me with something new than with what I've already seen in SoaSE. It's fine in the end game battle to have Dunovs to restore Titan shields but that the first encounter with an AI is with the Dunov 4 out of 5 times at my eyes could even be a bug in the AI tactic algorithm;

- The huge number of heavy cruisers logic it's still a solid winning tactic used by the AI too: so in the mid game the AI aims to have a fleet with hundreds of heavy cruiser which is fine by the way but that logic is used also by human players and AI in the first game. It's fine to have this tactic but I would've added some evasive ability, some unexpected movement and similar. 5 times out of 5 AIs has done a fleet full of heavy cruiser and that remains a solid winning tactic from the first game. What I'm missing are the alternatives or the counter-actions not for humans players but for the AI;

- Concentrated fire: exactly as in the first game in a 20 vs 20 same ships battle the AI will spread the fire across your ships where you can concentrate the fire manually on one ship at a time. By doing this even in SoaSE2 the AI will lose the battle and will not put in place any counter-actions. I don't think to be the only one in the world to do this hence if something is consolidated from the first game after 10 years I would've addressed it in some way just to add something new... well anyway for sure that an AI while losing a clearly tied battle would do nothing it's not a good thing.

 

So I know SoaSE is strongly (humans) multiplayer oriented, I know, but well having an evolved AI or at least a responsive AI using some new tactics from what we've already seen in the first game in my opinion would give some fresh air to the battles.