I noticed that higher level AI, has taken to drawing off my navel ships and sinking them. Preventing this requires constant micromanagement. The same for cannon, checking back on defensive position and find one of your cannon has gone off hunting settlers…
I would love an options to be normally aggressive (default), defensive (returns home), and stand ground (stay there! I don’t care if you see a hapless villager just out of your range).
Same for ships; weigh anchor (you got a anchor chains worth of movement, no chasing fishing boats to the barrels of culverins).