AI Ship Designs (Cheating?)

[Ninja]

I am curious if the AI is forced to use the same rules as the player when it comes to ship design or if for the benefits of simplicity the AI is allowed to cut corners? 

I ask because (The AI designs have always been nuts) since the most recent patches I have been seeing far more outlandish designs that even when trying to replicate myself I cannot get even close. 

Exhibit A

When trying to replicate this the closest I could get needed 2,200 ton hull in order to replicate and even then the top speed I could manage was 36 knots. 

Exhibit B

When you just cannot decide on what calibre to bring:

 

These designs all seem a bit cheaty compared to what we can design at the same weight levels. 

 

[Vanhal]

Yeah i noticed AI brings very suspicious amount of guns in this patch, while not having very drastic reduction of everything else. Like this:

[jw62]

The AI is leaving out a lot of smaller techs that add up in real fights. Also, after you destroy all of their ships the AI will have tons of money to spend on things like engines, perhaps even some research. I'm doing a Britain 1890 to final campaign and moved to Advanced by 1896 and Very by 1930. It's now 1942 and after wiping out 246 ship's in the late 30's, including every ship they had ever built, now I'm getting hit with 36kt CLs and 30kt CR with eighteen long lance torpedoes a side. Ridiculously little armor, but speed, and fuel oil 1 but basic geared turbines, C3 rangefinders which is saving me, and all the surviveability stuff is way under par for the time. But if you can't dodge the torpedoes? It's a win against the unwary. Same with the guns. The AI is building for a quick overwhelm, and I have been getting some "rushing" by the torpedo boats, so at least they are sprucing that up. The answer is to go for speed, range and accuracy, and never let the AI get close until they are already beat up.