How does the AI pick army composition?

[konny]

Just wondering how the AI forces "pick" themselves, as sometimes stacks seem quite well balanced othertimes an odd mix of elite or dross troops.

Difficult to say.

The settings in descr_strat (Caesar, Mao, Genhis etc) do play a role. Stats, size and price seem to be important too (but to a lesser extend). "Class" as defined by EDU is also important, usually "light infantry" is prefered over "spearmen" or "missile". Then we have the element of random, that is "what's available" in the specific town the army was raised; but the AI is moving around stacks and merging armies, even though it often fails to do so and leaves behind "an ocean" of mini-armies.

After all, the army comopsition is an element of several decisions and so looks very much like random.