On stack composition, I think a lot of it is due to the AI's low tech position. It is like the early period MTW situation. Where the AI has low tech, you often see rubbish. In our HRE PBM in the Throne Room, we are on 1320 and have deliberately not rushed some AI factions. They are producing lovely armies - in fact, if anything the problem is that they are too elite. We play with "historically balanced" armies - and I've also been spawning some such armies to beef up the AI. But they seem rather feeble compared to what the AI is preparing. (e.g. the almost all knights and footknights; the Egyptians had Sudanese gunners, massed elite axemen and Royal Mamelukes). The problem of too many elites could be an issue for ETW, if the French end up fielding an army full of Old Guard regiments or something.

I agree a different approach to army composition would be good. Maybe rather than programme what each settlement should recruit, ;programme what each stack should have. I think I heard that ETW will be shifting the focus of recruitment from settlements to armies, which would make such an approach feasible.

Quote Originally Posted by Noir
RTW/M2 factions somewhat overconcentrate their stacks in the borbers they aim to expand and leave the rest defenseless, that offers another easy one-up on the human player.
The defenceless point is a big weakness of the RTW/M2TW AI - I forgot to mention it. AI garrisons are typically minimal. There should be a standing garrison of around half a stack in any settlement the human can reach. Some economic cheats may be necessary to fund them, but given the free upkeep idea, that's not too jarring a concept.