When starting a new game, you can select a difficulty level that shapes how the AI factions behave throughout the game. At every level, AI factions use all available game mechanics -- researching, building, expanding, managing fleets, and negotiating treaties. The difference is in how optimally they make these decisions.
Difficulty Levels
- Settler: AI factions play competently but make occasional suboptimal choices, much like a newer player learning the ropes. They expand more slowly and are less aggressive with fleet positioning. Raiders are less frequent and weaker. A good choice for your first game.
- Commander: The intended standard experience. AI factions make solid strategic decisions, expand at a steady pace, pursue beneficial treaties, and build well-rounded empires. You will need a solid strategy to stay ahead.
- Admiral: AI factions play like experienced players. They research efficiently for the game phase, place buildings strategically based on colony roles, position fleets at borders proactively, and aggressively pursue expansion. Raiders are more dangerous. Recommended for experienced players.
- Legendary: AI factions play near-optimally with almost no wasted turns. Every research pick, building placement, and fleet order is calculated. They actively pursue diplomatic advantages and coordinate attacks during war. The galaxy offers no mercy.
What Changes
- Research quality: higher difficulties pick techs that synergize with game phase and strategic needs, with less randomness.
- Building intelligence: AI colonies specialize based on their planet traits, placing the right buildings for production, research, or military roles.
- Fleet behavior: higher difficulties position fleets at borders, coordinate attacks against war targets, and prioritize destroying raider dens.
- Expansion drive: higher difficulties build colony ships more consistently and evaluate targets by planet size and strategic position.
- Diplomacy: higher difficulties actively pursue trade agreements and open borders for economic and expansion advantage.
- Economic edge: higher difficulties give AI a small production, research, and credit bonus to offset perfect human micro-management.
Tips
If you find yourself winning easily, try bumping up the difficulty. If the AI is overwhelming you, there is no shame in stepping down a level while you refine your strategy.