Tactical maneuvers?

[Pragmatic]

Why doesn't the game have better tactical maneuvering than "here's the enemy, run at him"? (Well, there's Skirmish, which means "fire at him, but don't let them hit you with those pointy things"...)

For instance, why isn't there a "trot over and outflank that unit"? Nope, you have to micromanage. You've got to trot the unit until it's parallel with the enemy unit. Then you've got to change its facing. THEN you can tell it to charge in at its flank.

Or how about a "walk toward that unit, until you're within striking range, THEN charge"? That'd be nice.

So, what type of maneuvers should be in the game?

1) Fire at the enemy, but stay out of their range. (Already there, Skirmish.)
2) Walk up to the enemy and attack. (Already in there, a single click on an enemy unit.)
3) Charge up to the enemy and attack. (Already in there, a double click on an enemy unit.)
4) Walk up to the enemy and attack, but withdraw in lines if outflanked.
5) Walk up to the enemy, then charge within striking range.
6) Flank the enemy, and charge in from the sides.
7) Aim artillery fire at the general or most dangerous units.

And so on. C'mon, we're dealing with generals that have at least SOME training. (Well, not peasants and maybe urban militia...) They must be able to follow some minor orders. What's complicated about
"hit the enemy formation from the side, instead of charging in for a brutal and unnecessary frontal attack"?

[Dionysus9]

Use the SHIFT key to give a unit multipl orders. If you want it to go and flank a unit, click the first move (double click for a run), then click the second move, then click the attack--ALL THE WHILE HOLDING THE SHIFT KEY.

[hrvojej]

Also, make note that once you order the units to walk to a waypoint with shift, you cannot make them run with ctrl-r anymore.

[Couscous]

Missile units on 'fire at will' are actually pretty smart about what they target. Each archer (or whatever) will aim for the highest value unit that they have a good shot at (or something along those lines).

[Satyr]

WHY? I enjoy the heck out of personnally wheeling my cav around and making sure they hit where they need to and not getting slammed from the other side while they are there. You would take the fun out of the combat. NO WAY!

[Grifman]

I'll tell why it wouldn't work - your "orders" are too vague. What unit should they flank? Which flank? What if a support unit moves up to cover that flank? What is the definition of the most dangerous unit - the one with the king/general, the one approaching your flank, or the one about to rupture your center? The problem is you want an AI that will do your fighting for you while reading your mind. Sorry, no AI is going to do that. Be a man, command your own troops! http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Grifman

[TheViking]

Mary:
couldnt have said that better http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

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There I see my mother, my sisters and brothers.
There I see my line of ancestors back to the beginning.
They call on me and ask me to take my place with them in the halls of Valhalla where the brave may live forever.

[pdoan8]

Quote Originally posted by Pragmatic:
4) Walk up to the enemy and attack, but withdraw in lines if outflanked. [/QUOTE]

Even though each unit can fight on its own, your job as the commander of the armmy, yu must tell them when/where to attack or retreat.

Quote Originally posted by Pragmatic:
5) Walk up to the enemy, then charge within striking range. [/QUOTE]

Seasoned/professional soldier and unit leader might be experience enough to figure out the best trike distance. However, military is base on order and descipline. A unit leader can't simply decide how to fight the battle on his own. He need to follow the order from his commander. You are the commander in this case.

Quote Originally posted by Pragmatic:
6) Flank the enemy, and charge in from the sides. [/QUOTE]

Same as in # 5

Quote Originally posted by Pragmatic:
7) Aim artillery fire at the general or most dangerous units. [/QUOTE]

This is bad. Have you heard of the problem where a Crusade move back and forth between two possible routes? It is bad when AI try to evaluate and re-evaluate which target is on top of the list but won't stick to the result. AI changes it target if the next evaluation yield a different value.

BTW, put those arty on fire-at-will can solve the problem.

[dej2]

I'd like to see melee troops move backwards without turning their backs on the enemy. A "Fall Back" command.

sorta like archers "skirmish".

I'd like to try the Japanese Half Moon tactic. "Lure the enemy into the center of the Half Moon formation by ordering the fall back when your farward troops are attacked. When the enemy forces follow, they will be surrounded and quickly destroyed."

Kinda hard to do when they keep turning their backs on the enemy when you order a withdraw.

[ltj]

hey, a fellow sacramento resident (although im moving out to elk grove next week) :]

[The Green Knight]

Id like to se an Advance command - this would mean that units would keep their facing and advance say 200-300 metres. this means you could form an army up and just keep hitting addvance to get them to move forward and They would keep thier position.

[DragonCat]

You left out a few maneuvers that are already there:
A) Run like hell if attacked, any which way you can. Take as many other allied units as you can with you . . .
B) Dance in front of enemy troops, never committing to running away or attacking . . .
C)Shuffle to the side when conditions are too crowded while waiting for enemy to attack. . .
D) Chase enemey you can never catch to the ends of the earth. . .

My units are very good at ALL of these maneuvers


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DragonCat
. . . on the prowl!