No Retreats!

[Fisherking]

There are several threads on this topic and this is NOT just another one.

It is embarrassing to say that only now have I put 2 and 2 together but it is an undocumented feature.

I have seen it. I have talked about the result of running out the timer. I have wondered why the AI never gives ground with even a single unit that is obviously just a scout.

Well….


Most of you know that the enemy takes casualties when you run out the timer. Withdrawing from battle early also results in more casualties.

The AI knows this and there fore to minimize losses does not withdraw.

At some point in development this was implemented but not brought to the publics attention. Perhaps the AI withdrew too often seeing no point to the battles. It is hard to say, but the casualties are clear proof that it is there.

I don’t know if it should be there or if it needs changed. I am not so keen on fighting every battle but retreat does not seem to be a good option either. Perhaps it effects unrest and prestige as well, I some how think that it must.

Any other opinions out there?

[Greyblades]

I dont realy understad why this "you escaped so you die" thing was put in the game in the first place. You run away to get away from getting killed, isnt that the point?

[Fisherking]

I dont realy understad why this "you escaped so you die" thing was put in the game in the first place. You run away to get away from getting killed, isnt that the point?

You would think so, but if the AI had issues this may have been a “quick fix” that never got worked on.

I am a little disappointed that one of the Devs didn’t bring it out, but it may have raised too many issues when there were more pressing problems.

[Monsieur Alphonse]

In Rome there was the possibility that the AI would retreat during a battle. I really liked it that way because it made a lot of senseless battles last not very long. This feature was removed from M2TW. The human player was still able to do a tactical withdraw but the AI would never do that. The AI would route en mass but not withdraw. In ETW the AI doesn't even retreat while engaged on the campaign map. This actually weakening the AI. It is waisting troops it could use better in an other place.

[Fisherking]

We were also specifically told in the press and in Q & As that the AI would use withdrawals, fighting withdrawals and know when to fight and when not to.

Then someone slips this in on us. Not only can the AI not withdraw, but if you as a player do so then your troops are going to die. In fact if you try to retreat about half the time you just die anyway. I am guessing because of movement points but I have seen it happen when that was not an issue and seen those without movement points survive. So I am confused about that as well.

I can not see a reason to keep it. I think it should be changed unless someone from CA can give us a good reason why it was made that way to start with.

[Forward Observer]

We were also specifically told in the press and in Q & As that the AI would use withdrawals, fighting withdrawals and know when to fight and when not to.

Then someone slips this in on us. Not only can the AI not withdraw, but if you as a player do so then your troops are going to die. In fact if you try to retreat about half the time you just die anyway. I am guessing because of movement points but I have seen it happen when that was not an issue and seen those without movement points survive. So I am confused about that as well.

I can not see a reason to keep it. I think it should be changed unless someone from CA can give us a good reason why it was made that way to start with.


I posted this in the other thread about the enemy incurring unrealistic losses after the timer ran out, and while I agree that the A.I. never appears to retreat, I do know that at least in land battles the player can retreat without any losses.

I have tested this with the timer both on and off. It was a simple attack with a full stack of my army against a full stack of the enemy defending Cairo. All I did was group my army prior to clicking on the "End deployment" button and then I immediately hit the white flag button. My entire army routed of the field with no losses. The battle results screen popped up showing the words "crushing defeat", but there were no losses for either army. I tested this with the timer both on and off.

I haven't had a chance to test this in all situations like-say if my army was being attacked, or the enemy had forces both in front and in back of me, but I know at least it works in the situation I described.

Cheers

[stufer]

Forward Observer - yep, player can retreat in any and all situations so far as I have observed. Never, ever click end battle. Just retreat all units using the flag icon and let them all retreat over the line. You'll be told it is a crushing defeat, but no losses are registered to either army or navy.

This is particularly useful for those situations where one of your ships is being constantly attacked by multiple enemy fleets. You can retreat on the campaign map the first time, but not any time after that. Just go to the battle map, set it up next to the line and order it to withdraw (flag icon). You can do this any number of times in a single turn. In one situation my indiaman got from Georgia to Guyana in the ai's turn by being attacked so much. As it was heading to Brazil, this helped and it got there much faster than it would have done if it never was attacked.

The only limitation to this that I have observed is when I had a ship caught next to the coast and when I got back to the campaign map after withdrawing on the battle map, my ship sunk - I guess it had nowhere to run and surrendered.

[AussieGiant]

Remember all that crap about the AI being able to determine overall objectives as they apply to a particular battle...I think FK just outlined this before but clearly with no ability to fight a retreat or decline battle this is a load of Hog wash.

:dizzy2:

[Prodigal]

Its bad enough chasing around after one unit that retreats deeper & deeper into your territory after each defeat, while still managing to raid all your buildings. If they didn't fight either it would be horrific.

They never surrender either...That has to be the most pointless button in the game.