Challenging AI?

[Yimboli]

i coulda sworn I posted this earlier today.. apparently I only hit the preview post button

Hello all

I have recently reinstalled my copy of SE4 Gold, updated it to 1.91, and played using the newest Devnull mod. I recall from my previous experiences that the AI was MUCH better, so imagine my surprise when I'm the MEE by turn 100, with over a quarter of the galaxy in my territory, and all three warp points leading into my territory mined to the 500 unit limit!

I've scoured the net searching for a decent singleplayer AI that will run with Devnull's mod. I like the Devnull mod cuzza the crossover technologies and some of the other added techs (which may by now be incorporated in the original - but I'm not sure) like the artificial stellar moon (mini sphereworld?? hellz yeah, I'll take two!!!).

To top it off, half the AI empires that are in my empires directory give me an error when I try to add them at game startup!

I have read that PBW is awesome - but I don't have the time (electrical engineer, >20 credits, sleeping in lab...), so what I primarily want is a challenging AI; one that I don't have to beef up with insane bonuses to offset its incompetence.

I recently found this forum. After visiting the ghosttown-like forums on spaceempires.net, I assumed that se4 was dead and that I would never find any help within the week. But this forum is just crawling with experience and help, thank god for me! I love the game, and am glad to see it still alive!

So after checking out this happening site, I pose the question to the frequenters of this forum: is there a decent AI that will work well with the Devnull mod? If not, is there a bad@$$ AI that will work with the unmodded game? Or perhaps another mod?? All I want is a challenge in the single player mode. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!