Strategic AI: Rebel Division of Forces?

One thing I've noticed that seems to weaken the game somewhat: rebel armies marching out of settlements. They leave a garrison, but they seem to like marching a considerable portion of the rebel army out into the countryside. I thought some of these were popup bands until I rebuilt descr_strat with stronger rebel garrisons in several locations. I then observed armies marching away. I had seen it before and dismissed it. Seems very counterproductive to me. It doesn't always happen, but I do don't understand why rebel garrisons would divide themselves at all.

the ai for the rebels figures that while they are building men at their settlement the will send a gen. and some troops away so they seem weak.
they want you attack so they can bring in the huge army along with their small army.(they just want a good fight(that they'll lose))
and if you attack their settlement and take it over the large army will return and just stand near your settlement(this will start a revolt in your settlement)
once the revolt starts they will attack.

sort of how you do it if you play as a roman and take over the senate.
they gain the people then the province.

you can do this to enemies to and it will make it easier to take the settlement(slightly less army size very little revolt once you take the settlement)
:duel:

For the 1.2 patch, I thought they made the rebels more aggressive (at least that's what the readme said). Do you get the impression that they split, and then the expeditionary force just twiddles it's thumbs, or do they beeline for a faction's cities/regions?

If they actually are going out and attacking, this would be a nice feature. If they are just picnicing in the countryside, seems a little dumb.

What is the slave AI setting in 1.2? In 1.1, it was "balanced smith".

I have been getting the feeling that the rebels are now more powerful. Sitting with the Seleucids early in the game it was not surprising to see a 7 unit rebel army pop up. Naturally with a load of crap but with perhaps a named general, or just an eastern general, a unit of horse archers and one or two units of archers.
That is not easy to defeat with Militia Hoplites and Peltasts. Especially not when you have to leave enough troops in the cities to be able to hold out against strong Egyptian/Pontic/Parthian/Armenian armies.

But they do move around a lot more now. I have had single units, on a move between cities, get caught in the rebel turn.

The larger force is used as a relief force when its city is under siege. The AI has a better chance fighting a pitched battle than attempting a sortie.

I find the AI weakest when it divides its armies. That makes it easy for me to defeat them in detail, whether from strat map moves, or on the battlefield.