AI War 2

AI War 2 is a grand strategy and real-time strategy hybrid in which you begin with one small planet in a galaxy already controlled by other factions, mostly the AI. You must expand carefully, taking only enough territory to support your fleets and defensive networks without drawing too much attention. When you are ready, strike at the AI’s heart.

A hostile galaxy

Optional factions, each with its own goals and strategies, make up a changing galaxy. You assess targets and decide when and where to expand, while managing multiple fronts and balancing offense with defense. Map types come with many options, and the Warden, Hunter and Praetorian Guard sub-fleets of the AI create additional challenges and opportunities.

Fleets and strategy

The fleet system lets you organize and distribute large numbers of ships with little micromanagement. Science upgrades are straightforward to manage but offer different ways to approach each campaign, depending on your preferences and what you find. Outguard can be hired to deploy mobile forces where they are needed, and many factions can become allies.

Hacking lets you alter your own fleets, allies or enemies. Limited hacking points can provide ships or capabilities, weaken opponents, steal from them, or customize fleet leaders with unusual upgrades and even transform them into new versions of their class. You can also place spy nanites, adjust or disable automation rules, and redesign fleet compositions.

Play your way

The interface automates recurring tasks while leaving advanced options available when you want more control. The game supports both more forgiving play and deeper challenges that call for fleet design, simultaneous management of several fronts and continual changes to your empire as the campaign develops. Tooltips provide information, and success depends on adapting and making strategic choices rather than clicking quickly.

You can pause or change the simulation speed. Simulation performance is decoupled from framerate, so players with different framerates can remain in sync during multiplayer, and changing simulation speed does not add CPU load.

Factions and customization

The game includes extensive mod support, with access to XML settings and changes to parts of the core simulation. Multiplayer is designed to repair itself, which can help correct mod-code errors. Some player-supported mods are included with the game and are off by default.

Additional content

AI War 2 adds more moment-to-moment decisions, discoveries and things to conquer than the original, with mechanics refined from its six expansions and three years of development on the sequel. Its redesigned interface provides information and controls when needed, while automation streamlines repetitive tasks and leaves options to customize how it works.

The included score adds 1.5 hours of music to the original game’s 4.5-hour score. The game also features over 1,900 lines of spoken dialogue performed by more than 25 actors.