Originally posted by AggonyDuck(y?)
The problem is that while the AI keeps improving the complexity of the battles is increasing exponentially, making it harder and harder for the AI to be competitive. Missile-based combat has always been a weakness for the AI and it hasn't really been improved much since Shogun. That's why the decision to move into the gunpowder age was a pretty risky gambit as they had to more or less start from scratch. At the moment the battles are so complex that the AI is in a perpetual state of confusion. It seems like it just has too many options to choose from and thus fails to select the proper response (if it selects any at all).

I must admit I'd hope that they'd go back to their roots and understand the elegance of simplistic design. What made Shogun and MTW have such a relatively challenging AI was the simplicity of the engine and unit selections. The more complex the series has become the more the AI has struggled to adapt. It would truly be interesting to see what a modern day AI might pull off on modernized Shogun with a Risk-style campaign map and relatively few simple unit types.
Agreed with every word. They wont do it though because it makes them lots and lots of money. Its the complexity and graphics that sell not strategic depth and challenge. They had aimed for this and succeded with RTW and there is no turning back. TW will remain flashy and mediocre until its concept has been milked to the point that there is no more interest in it.