Custom battles

[GilJaysmith]

I'm interested in what people think of the Custom Battle option...

I haven't seen many posts about it. A couple after the game's release asking where the random units option was, and a couple since the patch thanking us for putting it back in :) But other than that, I don't think I've seen anyone announce I had a really great custom battle last night or suchlike.

So, do you use it?

If not, what would it take to get you to use it?

Do you think that it's irrelevant or over-complicated, given the existence of Quick Battles and Historical Battles?

Have you ever set up a groovy challenge with a custom battle and sent it to a friend and said, Beat that ?

Your feedback is, as ever, appreciated...

Gil ~ CA

[PFJ_bejazuz]

My 'quick battle' never changes. I'm always with Spain on the top of a hill waiting for the Almohads. I have no choice but to play custom battles.

[housecarl]

Have tried a few custom battles but they seem a little too contrived; the campaign gives the feeling of random conflicts far more neatly, especially as more is at stake.

[Swoosh So]

I find custom battle handy for testing and having big battles, i never noticed the random battle was back in, If the computer picks decent armies ill use it alot http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Btw giljay could you tell me your opinion on my ai generals poll in the main hall? is it a feasable idea for the addon? it would be similar to custom battles i think http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Thanks

[Swoosh So]

OOps i origonally voted for too much effort to setup but hadent realised the random option was in, I like 4v4s which were too long to setup but ill probably play alot more custom battles now http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Daevyll]

Never really gotten around to it tbh.

I really like the combination of strategic and tactical skills that the MTW campaign mode offers, and doing custom battles feels like depriving myself of half the fun.

If I do feel like having a tactical-only experience, I'd prefer it to be against a human player so I use multiplayer instead.

I'm sure I'll find a use for custom battles sooner or later though http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[maroule]

same as daevyll, the balance between the two keeps me coming back, I like to produce, assemble and march my armies into battle more than the battle itself.

[einar]

I utilize custom battles for testing tactics, units and factions. I think it's a very useful feature http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KukriKhan]

Ditto. After having my butt handed to me on Multiplayer, I recreate the situation with Custom Battles for practice, where the 'heat' is off. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Wolf]

I'd like to again, but i can't figure out how... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif

I choose my time period, click continue to choose faction; can set money; and then i'm stuck.

I know it does work, since i set up a pretty big one and played it, but i can't remember how i got there http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif

[Gregoshi]

I've only played one or two and it is a hassle setting them up. I've tried using custom battles in STW to test tactics or unit stats, but the AI rarely cooperated to make it worthwhile. For example, if I wanted to practice attacking a certain hill that is popular for a defender in MP, it doesn't help me practice if the AI comes charging down the hill before I get to it. It would be helpful in creating a situation to give the AI general tactics such as defend here (with rally flag as the marker), aggressive attack, flank attack left/right, etc.

Aside from that, custom battles lack the depth of the campaign battles and the excitement of online battles. I don't see myself playing custom battles for the fun of it.

[Wolf]

PS: could be that i was able to set one up before i patched, i don't really remember.... considering that IIRC i patched the game right after installing...

And I'd really like to have those custom battles back:(

[HopAlongBunny]

I use it to try new units and tactics.

It would be really useful if you could set the scene a little better. Gregoshi says it all: if I wanted to practice attacking a certain hill that is popular for a defender in MP, it doesn't help me practice if the AI comes charging down the hill before I get to it.

Same applies to other set-piece things you want to experiment with; you just can't do it (reliably) with the present interface. A little more customizing would be nice in custom games http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Kraxis]

You can say I use the Custom Battles as a tool.
I test units, I test environments, I test formations... but that is it... I test, I don't fight or just start up a battle for the fun of it.

[Puzz3D]

I use it for testing, and find it very usefull for that. It's important that one of the difficulty settings (I think it's the normal difficulty setting) be balanced so that neither the ai or the human player is given any advantages.

[Naagi]

Only playing campaign right now. Will probably try a GA next, then dink around with some of the other features. Course ive only had the game a month, a week of that i was unable to play because my 8 months old nearly blinded me heh.

Naagi http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[sarcastro]

It's useful for testing tactics, formations, unit matchups, etc. What would make it handier would be (like many have said) some ability to give the AI some directions: hold this point, attack here, whatever. Or maybe even the option to give orders to both sides, or change sides on the fly

OT: Gregoshi, you've chosen perhaps the greatest moment in the whole Silmarillion for your sig. Man I love that part.

[Kraellin]

i also use it mostly for testing, particularly when i'm making maps and need to run them through the mill. during the we/mi 1.02 beta testing, it was particularly handy. i still have nightmares taking one unit out at a time against one of yuuki's or tosa's and 'running the numbers'. it's also very good for learning the game. i'd say it's primary function is as a learning/testing tool, and in that, it does its job nicely.

K.

[ToranagaSama]

Its a good feature for Testing and for a quick TW fix, BUT, having to set up BOTH sides of a 16 unit (or s/b 32 unit) battle is TEDIOUS and too time consuming.

Also, if, if the middle of choosing and customizing units, you want to go back (you know hit the back button,) to change maps, eras, clans, or something like that, you have to start all over again choosing and customizing the units. Total PITA

Oh, don't recall if this can be done, if not, then having the capability to save different setups is a must. This way you can quickly pull up a save and away you go for a quick fix or to continue testing.

For instance, it'd be nice to NOT have to choose, a Clan (what's it called in MTW), and Era/Period, etc., EACH time. It'd be nice to simply pull up a save of all that and either choose and customize new units or use the units from that save.

I tried CB 2 or 3 times and gave up each time w/o having a battle. Never tried Historical nor, Quick Battle.

CB needs better ease of use with greater flexibility.

Thanks for inquiring.

CA is great and your numero uno GJS

BTW, I wouldn't be ToranagaSama if I didn't add:

Screw the Custom Battles, I WANT C-MP http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[GilJaysmith]

Quote[/b] (ToranagaSama @ Dec. 05 2002,16:02)]Oh, don't recall if this can be done, if not, then having the capability to save different setups is a must. This way you can quickly pull up a save and away you go for a quick fix or to continue testing.
The usability could be improved it's true... but I do know you can save a custom battle config with the name of your choice once you've finished setting it up, and then pick it from the list which initially contains just New custom battle on the first menu.

Gil ~ CA

[Mithrandir]

Gil, I think that cusom battles would be better if you could buy more than 16 units, so that you'd have f.e. 24 units of which 8 are reinforcements. I don't really play much custom battles because in a strange way they all seem a lot like one another, tis also a bit much trouble for a few minutes of fun...

Basicly my question, would it be possible to allow reinforcements to be brought to battle in Custom Games, and maybe even in Multi-Player ?

[Jaret]

Strange things happe to me every time I start MTW.

I hit single player ... new campaign ... EARLY ... and pick my faction. I never did something else ... and I doubt I ever will. I love MTW ... because it compares strategy and tactics with a great battle system and many other great features. For me you could remove all further options ... why should I start late with an badly developed Empire ... when I can start early and develop that empire by myself ? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Don´t get me wrong ... I simply love the early campaign ... I´m addicted to it Never played MTW or STW because of the battles stand alone ... but always for the great campaigns ... battles are just a part of it to me ... a small but imperative part.

PS: When I want one of my m8s to BEAT THAT ... I usualy send them a saved game of mine ... where I stumbeled across a great battle ... Golden Horde emerging or a returning Faction.

[Musashi]

I play custom battles for fun because I think multiplayer is kind of a loss in any genre other than FPS...

I do think it's a bit of a pain to set up, and the valor 4 limit kind of sucks, makes it a lot different from the campaign mode where you often have 6+ valor on your units, maybe if you could somehow customize your general? That would help I think.

Like I said, I do play it, it just feels like it's lacking something.

-Musashi

[MrJedi]

I play custom battles all the time for a few different reasons. First being that I haven't even tried messing around with the multiplayer and second being that I don't have enough time to get really 'into' a campaign.

I use it most to try tactics, compare units, recreate historical batteles, or just vent anger http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I usually make my own maps too.

[Alrowan]

i love to use this feature. I tend to see it as the best way at beating myself. I always tend to give the computer a lot of advantages, and i pick balanced armies for them. One other thing i have found it most useful for is for playing the current maps ive been making. As they are all based on historical castles, ive have to test thier balance issues and everything, and it is quite fun to create Mock battles of large sieges, like Krak des Chevaliers, or Acre (which i finally got finnished)

all in all, i find them useful, and the random armies choice can create some really crazy battles

[Azrael]

I like the custom battle feature.

As has been mentioned, it can be a bit tedious picking the troops for everyone, however this has an advantage when you want to fight against a certain set army.

It would be enjoyable if the computer also had the option of picking it's own army, to add an element of surprise to the battle; i.e. you're never 100% sure what will be thrown at you.

I would like to be able to kill prisoners in Custom Battles and on Multi-Player, because I like the sound killing all prisoners makes.

It's very soothing. Like stroking a cat on your lap. It can be immensly satisfying if your foe has been particularly annoying.

Please have this fixed by next Wednesday http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
(kidding).

Thanks for a great game.

Azrael

[GilJaysmith]

It's true, that sound effect is particularly satisfying, in a brutal kind of way...

AFAIK the patch includes 'random army' checkboxes for the AI factions, which should make picking their armies a little faster as well as providing you with the requested surprise (if you don't peek).

Gil ~ CA

[Arcane]

I haven't played with them much as they are too time consuming to setup.. there are a couple of features I would like to see which I believe would add a lot to 'Custom Battles', these are:

1. random option for Faction/s, Climate and Location.

2. seperate sliding scale selectors for setting the 'hardness' of both the players' and AI's units which would alter the number of units, valour, General's impact (good and bad) etc etc... for both sides.

Arcane

[RunAway!!]

There is a random army feature now...in fact, I used it today, in what was probably my second custom battle. Unfortunately, I can't say that it was a great feature; the army generated appeared to really be random; with no coherent reasoning behind it. Choosing Late period, I expected to face some pretty good troop types, but the AI ended up with some good units, and lots of peasants, mounted crossbowmen, and feudal knights; they didn't provide much of a challenge. I don't know if you can do this already; but a nice feature would be to have some premade armies to fight against, or be able to upload / download armies online. It would be a fun alternative to multiplayer...if you can't play the person online, at least you could play against his army.

[Mr Frost]

It's also fun for a slaughter-fest : I spent 99999 florin on a Brit army in German colours {very fetching look http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif} with nearly all longbow and Arbalasts {all silver swords and unlimited ammo} and 1 gallowglass{max upgrades} 2 Swiss Armoured Pike and a Chivalric Foot Knight for the general {forget what the upgrades of them were} and gave the AI seven armies with random to choose spending the same 99999 florins {all were from Egypt , not sure why I wanted it that way , but I am a touch mad} and held Bannockburn bridge against this horde . When those four enemy Swiss Armoured Pike hit with heavy cavalry and missile support they almost got me ... lost all my pikes and Gallowglass {though those mad Micks kick an unholy quantity of arse in their blaze of glory before they fell http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif} .
Weeeeeeeee

Other than that , it's a good testing tool .

[SuperTimo]

I like to play custom battles, especially sieges as the defender. Give enemy 5 times more troops than myself and see if I can survive.

[The Marcher Lord]

Must admit I hardly use this option and have not used it at all in MTW. In STW I did not understand how to use muskets against samurai before being overrun to my advantage and used custom battles till I got this right. I haven't felt the need to use this option in MTW as the style of warfare and weaponry is a bit more orthodox and familiar.

I prefer the campaign battles as they are more involving, historically accurate and have an unfolding storyline

[Sir Black Raven]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/idea.gif I've tried the custom battles twice. 1st for practicing before a tournament and secon to test a map that i made it. Custom battles are good when you want to test troops but with all the options we have they are sometimes put in a shelf.

[Theodoret]

I've played custom sieges in order to get the hang of assaulting a castle, but apart from that I tend to stick to campaign mode.