GC2 was kinda cool, but it wasn't that fun without multiplayer IMO...also it takes WAYYY too long to load on my comp (it barely meets the minimum reqs though XP)
I personally love the AI and think they play at the skill a human possesses on the difficulty where the AI doesn't "cheat" or "get cheated" (Intelligent, I think?).
I've actually had times where I massed troop transports around a planet and they declared war on me. They said: "You seem to have mistaken us for a primitive game. Massing transports around our capital? We won't allow that."
The AI in GC2 really is excellent. Something that bothers me a bit, though, is the weapon system, as it's really a rock-paper-scissors game in disguise.
I also kind of wish defenses whittled away as they were attacked, then came back after repairs, allowing a bunch of tiny ships to completely own a huge ship under the right circumstances.
Yeah; Steam can be annoying but it's better than all the clones that came out after it (*cough*Games for Windows Live*cough*).
But Valve's games are some of the best -- I've yet to find one that wasn't fun. But strangely, they don't have that big of a fanbase. Having said that, those fans that they do have, have a tendency to buy all of their games.