Well, that is true it is not an easy task to improve an AI, but just 1 single battle changing decision would be amazing improvement rather then having everything boring and Representative... think of random events except the option you choose can either help you or hurt you in the long run, you don't need an AI for that as it is 100% player choice.

This would also work for planetary defense.

Maybe players on multiplayer choices could cancel out the option you chose, sort of like a rock paper scissors formula. For example the general will give you an option to flood the enemy base, while the other general chose to hide in underground bunkers for defense... obviously the defender was stupid and this mistake cost about half his army.

Then again if this would be way better use of the 3 choice pop ups used for determining you are good or you are evil.

Every single planetary invasion scenario will be different depending on what structures or terrain is on the planet, and generally speaking your home planet of each race will be the same giving the defending player a home world advantage.

Whoops, I forgot about anything else the defender gets the advantage, since being rewarded for choosing the right defense at the right time is a viable option.

They will not include tactical space battles where you control the ships directly, so why should they do this in ground combat?

Having different types of ground troops would be nice (infantry/space marines -> tanks -> mechs etc,) depending on your tech perhaps. On the defenders side, defense buildings (AA-Missiles, bunkers etc.) would also be nice, but just to beef up your combat power, not placed strategically on a map.  A pre-battle strategy order would be nice but I can live easily without that.

Of course, you can add some eye candy to the battle, but GC3 is a strategic game, I don't need minigames to conquer planets.