diff -u2NrX freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/srv_main.c freeciv-ai/server/srv_main.c
--- freeciv/server/srv_main.c	Wed Feb 27 15:19:33 2002
+++ freeciv-ai/server/srv_main.c	Wed Feb 27 15:19:54 2002
@@ -1965,4 +1965,18 @@
     init_new_game();
 
+  /* The AIs gang up on human players in 'harder' difficulty level */
+  players_iterate(aiplayer) {
+    if (aiplayer->ai.skill_level == 8) {
+        players_iterate(pdest) {
+          if ((pdest->ai.control) &&
+               (aiplayer->player_no != pdest->player_no)) {
+            aiplayer->diplstates[pdest->player_no].type=DS_ALLIANCE;
+            pdest->diplstates[aiplayer->player_no].type=DS_ALLIANCE;
+            give_shared_vision(pdest, aiplayer); /* not the other way around */
+          }
+        } players_iterate_end
+    }
+  } players_iterate_end;
+
   game.is_new_game = FALSE;
 
diff -u2NrX freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/stdinhand.c freeciv-ai/server/stdinhand.c
--- freeciv/server/stdinhand.c	Wed Feb 27 15:19:33 2002
+++ freeciv-ai/server/stdinhand.c	Wed Feb 27 15:59:41 2002
@@ -1010,4 +1010,5 @@
   CMD_NORMAL,
   CMD_HARD,
+  CMD_HARDER,
   CMD_CMDLEVEL,
   CMD_FIRSTLEVEL,
@@ -1184,4 +1185,14 @@
       "argument, sets the skill level for that player only.")
   },
+  {"harder",	ALLOW_CTRL,
+   /* TRANS: translate text between <> only */
+   N_("harder\n"
+      "harder <player-name>"),
+   N_("Set one or all AI players to 'harder'."),
+   N_("With no arguments, sets all AI players to skill level 'harder', and "
+      "sets the default level for any new AI players to 'harder'.  With an "
+      "argument, sets the skill level for that player only. This difficulty"
+      "level makes AI gang up on human players.")
+  },
   {"cmdlevel",	ALLOW_HACK,  /* confusing to leave this at ALLOW_CTRL */
    /* TRANS: translate text between <> only */
@@ -1633,6 +1644,6 @@
   const char *nm[11] = { "UNUSED", "UNKNOWN", "UNKNOWN", "easy",
 			 "UNKNOWN", "normal", "UNKNOWN", "hard",
-			 "UNKNOWN", "UNKNOWN", "UNKNOWN" };
-  
+			 "harder", "UNKNOWN", "UNKNOWN" };
+
   assert(level>0 && level<=10);
   return nm[level];
@@ -2502,11 +2513,17 @@
   enum m_pre_result match_result;
   struct player *pplayer;
-  enum command_id cmd = (level <= 3) ?	CMD_EASY :
-			(level >= 6) ?	CMD_HARD :
-					CMD_NORMAL;
-    /* kludge - these commands ought to be 'set' options really - rp */
+  enum command_id cmd;
 
   assert(level > 0 && level < 11);
 
+  switch(level) {
+    case 3 : cmd=CMD_EASY; break;
+    case 5 : cmd=CMD_NORMAL; break;
+    case 7 : cmd=CMD_HARD; break;
+    case 8 : cmd=CMD_HARDER; break;
+  }
+
+    /* kludge - these commands ought to be 'set' options really - rp */
+
   pplayer=find_player_by_name_prefix(name, &match_result);
 
@@ -2913,4 +2930,7 @@
   case CMD_HARD:
     set_ai_level(caller, arg, 7);
+    break;
+  case CMD_HARDER:
+    set_ai_level(caller, arg, 8);
     break;
   case CMD_QUIT: