About now, just about every person I've read complains about the AI being dumb. Well I happen to think that the AI isn't dumb, the AI is just what it's programmed/taught, which is not unlike what a human does. It however, doesn't have the capacity to learn, and much like real warfare, neither do generals who die in battle.

So i came upon this idea of how to make fights much more "realistic," although what this translates into is more frequent losses, rather than the shocking imbalance of seeing your 99 wins to 1 loss in the campaign screen.

You assume the role of your faction leader. You can only personally fight battles with your faction leader. All other battles, whether with generals, or without, MUST be auto-fought.

Think about it. Back in the day, you were just one person, even if you lead an empire. You had no control over how your other generals would do.

That way, by autofighting with everybody except the faction leader, who we will assume to be your character, the poor tactical AI of the computer will balance out, and the luck (and skill) of your other generals becomes slightly, but not overwhelmingly more important, and you'll probably have more realistic wins/losses ratios.

Of course, if your faction leader dies, the faction heir replaces him, and once again that is the person you fight with.

Think about it, you will get to feel just like augustus caeser, sending out mighty varus' overwhelming legions into germany, and watch them get slaughtered, without the benefit of your brilliant tactical expertise to save them.

This way, we keep the lobsided massacres to simply those you command, because you, human player, possess the one aspect of this game that is truely cheating.

The ability to learn beyond a general's death.

Also I suggest restricting your camera view to ground level and on your general's unit for added realism. Makes battles more difficult when you have to ride out to your flanks to see what's going on. Maybe don't use pause at all while we're at it.