I think too many comparisons to DF might scare people off... 
This game is really not DF, at all. There is definitely some loopy AI in the units that you have to manage, but I don't think I'd stress "loopy AI" too much as a feature. In fact, I think some of the stuff the units do should be made decidedly less loopy, or else it's going to turn off a lot of players and reviewers who get frustrated when the units are acting stupid and not doing what they want.
If the player is doing something wrong to cause it, it should be made more obvious why. Why is my unit walking off to nowhere instead of grabbing that awesome myth token I just put down in front of him? Why is my unit completely ignoring that bandit that's rampaging his resource area right near him? Why does that bandit sometimes attack and then sometimes seem to sit there and stare at his navel?
Haha, I'm mostly just using DF as an example to illustrate some points, since the most basic concept of it is the same as the most basic concept of this one, which is that you have all these units.... but zero direct control over them. It seems fun in much the same way that it was fun in that game. But yeah, just a way to explain and point things out. Obviously, the game's actual web page and descriptions arent going to read "And the AI is stupid in the way that DF dorfs are!!!" or something like that
I dont mind the AI guys being a little on the stupid side.... honestly, I kinda expect it. If they're TOO predictable, I think they might actually become exploitable. And really, who expects basic grunt soldiers or things like rampaging trolls to be smart?
That being said, there are SOME AI improvements that might make sense:
1. If a unit is invulnerable somehow, make it so that other units DONT obsess over the idea of repeatedly hitting them ANYWAY. I had that happen earlier, this ice giant kept trying to obliterate this ONE low-HP thrower type guy.... but he couldnt do any damage, due to immunities. And the thrower guy simply stayed in place, and bided his time..... after a good 18 turns of this, the ice giant succeded in killing..... himself. And THEN the thrower guy finally wandered off. This was pretty funny, but a little broken. I can understand if maybe it takes them a couple of hits to REALIZE that the target they're attacking is immune to their strikes (how are they supposed to know otherwise?), but having them do it over and over and over and over until they implode is annoying.
2. Yeah, units need to be a bit more focused on dropped items. That's not to say that everybody and their grandma and their grandma's dog should instantly rush at it; it makes sense if SOME guys arent paying attention to it, or have other priorities at the time.... but often, MOST of them arent paying attention.
3. There's a few specific units that I think should have more focus towards specific types of targets. The Arsonist is the best example. He's supposed to be a building wrecker, but alot of the time he'll waste all of his attacks on nearby enemy units instead.... which adds exactly zip to the game and current situation, since his damage against units is next to nothing. He should have a higher priority on buildings. MOST units, I think, are actually totally fine about this.... but there are a select few that arent. Cant remember what the others are at this exact instant.
Actually, I can only think of so many problems with the AI. Currently, I'm attributing most of them to simple bugs (such as when a unit will jitter back and forth between 2 tiles every now and then, or bandits sitting there looking stupid instead of doing stuff) since the game is unfinished. Most of the bad AI quirks/bugs are probably already on Mantis, I should think.
