I just lost my second game in a week playing the 3.0.x series. It has been a refreshing difference from previous versions which basically let me win, even on godlike difficulty. This was also my biggest gripe against GalCiv2, where the AI never goes for the kill, but is just there to rough you up.

On this most recent game, I seeded the galaxy with a random mix of races with a random mix of AI difficulties including some godlikes. The fun part is trying to guess which empires are the godlikes and which ones are just going to be dummy fodder for the big boys. I guided my robotic race to an even-keeled dominant position and was about ready call it a victory. Then the sleeping giant woke up just a few turns before I was going to open fire on them. They had just launched a new series of ships with quadruple hit point and range bonuses. They neutralized my killer fleets on the first turn, then systematically picked off every other ship and starbase I had. Then the invasions began. In five turns I had been completely neutered. There was nothing left to do but throw in the towel. Their power chart was a near vertical line.

Keep up the good work.