In some games, you have a slider that you can move from easy up to hard.
Every step in the slider (like other sliders that are currently already in the settings screen) would automatically set some of the sliders in the ai and game settings panel.
That way, it's easier to agree on settings for PBEM, and easier for play against Athena.
In the red baron II, even full historical settings weren't the hardest. So you had to select the historical settings, and then manually adjust a couple of options.
I always liked that system.
Edit: Should be in the improve CWII subforum