game difficulty

Can check AIdefs.xml but otherwise it's in the tooltips. Genius to Incredible is a fairly large jump. I'd say incredible is a fairly good challenge for many players. Then there is a much larger leap into godlike. Many of the incredible bonuses are about 50% 

It seems to me that the only difference in difficulty is that the AI gets buffs and you get nerfed.   The AI doesn't act any less stupid.

I watched a ware between two ai in intermediate mode - one came and took two colony then retreated from the main colony.  It was the Drengin!   Mind you their fleet couldn't overcome the fleet stationed on the planet - but where are the rest of the Drengin ships?   Why is the Drengin sending such a weak fleet?  When the ai attacks me there is no such mercy.  It seems the ai was intentionally nerfing itself to preserve that home system. 

I beat Incredible on my third game.  Seems like godlike is beatable if you replay a race (especially a custom race), figure out their build order, and discover any Easter eggs.  It took me a playthrough to find out Iconians get insane research with just a couple ascension crystals.   I feel good that I can take godlike, now that I know that.  

At the very low end of difficulties the AI looses access to some tools like Executive Orders. I believe starting at normal it has access to everything.

Is there anywhere possibly a table that clarifies what difficulty setup stands for in terms of bonuses, buffs, and de-buffs and how that effects AI?

Thanks...

Geez - I'm so blind sometimes, I see Illauna posted this as well. Sorry for the redundancy in comms guys.

Wait, wut?  Asuncion cr

wait wut?   Asension crystals are not supposed to do anything except win the ascension race.  Are you sure you weren't looking at another bufff?

Try it as Iconians.  Or probably as any Ancient.  Upgrade an ascension and then check any planet's research. 

Correct. Ascension Crystals add raw research to every core world of Ancient civilizations.