[Rusty_Nail]

S-J: A Master Computer is not a viable defense against the Allegiance Subverter in one on one combat in strategic mode. You can try "Don't get hurt" but the AS will eventually corner you. Of course, the AS needs massive shield defences in order to take the first hit from some powerful baddies.
I did look at ship strategies. The AS does best with a point blank/short weapons strategy. While optimal weapons damage is usually the best strategy for most direct fire ships, sometimes it is better to get close and ignore defensive considerations, e.g. if you are using a worm or an AS where you do not expect to get hit back. In a fleet though, this could be dangerous.
MM could enhance the game immeasurably by introducing some more sophisticated ship strategies. An example: I call this "just out of range". Place your ship at a distance away from your opponent equal to your opponent's strike range (move points plus direct fire range) plus one. This assures you of the first shot if he moves towards you, which will often be the deciding factor. Any human operating optimally would do this automatically in tactical combat, right? This would give a much more formidable AI as well as allowing PBW humans a more sophisticated use of ships in fleets.