Most of what you just described has to do with pathfinding problems, something that was not a part of the game until the 3-D map came along. At the beginning of each turn the AI assesses what each stack it has can do....and sometimes that list has absolutely nothing to with where the current stack is standing. It may have tasked that Big E stack with something on the far side of the board, and the AI could not figure out how to get it there, or the target was not within its line-of-sight and again the AI had no idea what to do.

By the way, the AI is not timid.
With this I disagree. Case in point: Macedon campaign (VH/H)...I have a temporary truce with the GC due to a concerted effort by both Dacia and Thrace wanting me dead and gone. I don't trust the GC as far as I can spit, but I simply have to take care of the massive intrusions on my borders first. The Brutii have taken Appolonia and Thermon and are sniffing around Greece looking for more targets. The GC place a huge army led by their current faction leader who has four command stars (at least 15 units of hoplites and such, IIRC) onto a fleet and dump them next to Thermon. The Romans have left a minor general and two Hastati units there, and I had just destroyed their main army before heading north. A ready-made situation for the GC to easily get Thermon back, right? Wrong! The faction leader and his army just stand there for at least 6 or 7 turns doing absolutely nothing. Now I know auto-clac is skewed in favor of the Romans but holy hell, 15 hoplites and a 4-star general should have taken that city with ease. Nope. Eventually, the faction leader dies leaving the stack still standing there until a relief force from Tarantum lands and defeats the Greeks. Just plain dumb

If this had been Shogun, the AI would've thrown everything but their bamboo floor mats at the city in order to recapture it. There are countless more examples I could give, but I don't want to bore anyone to tears.

The RTW AI is pathetically timid......