Sins of a Solar Empire II

While I played the original game for years back in 2009 - 2016 and enjoyed the mods for it, I find that this newer version is mixed at best. The graphics, interface, and performance are much better and more satisfying. A lot of the gameplay systems have been streamlined and most of the tedium has been removed. However, the game quickly becomes repetitive with little variety (at least not without mods, and the modding scene is still tiny compared to the original game). Above all: The AI (computer-controlled players) are horrendously dumb and useless. I can beat the game easily on Insane difficulty, even against three AI players. This is laughable - the AI is dumber and duller than a bag of hammers. That removes much of the challenge and appeal, not to mention the replayability. After 40 hours of gameplay, I find myself bored to tears after enjoying the first 10 or 20 hours. Unless the AI is vastly improved (by several orders of magnitude) and the mods become more developed, I don't see any reason to touch this game. Maybe in a few years.