Good AI, without the initiative bonus?

[Mosby]

While downloading and running the new patch for an improved Athena, I started wondering just why we have certain settings giving the AI a bonus.

I know that it will never be better than a good human player, but while looking at the settings today, I saw that I was giving the Union AI a good deal of extra initiative. I always thought that the sluggish Union generals was always a plus for the south, and to give that away would be a huge blow, as well as make it less historical. (though I don't want to make it like a textbook)

I haven't tested the game enough to know if it really makes a difference, but I'm sure that some of y'all have. Does the AI really suffer that much when playing with regular Union generals?