Biggest problem with the game: too many sieges

[Taiwan Legion]

Out of all the battles that I fight, 70% are sieges. Computer just all hide behind their walls. Fighting sieges is so boring because even if you're skilled, it comes down to a grinding game. The only way to beat a city of full stack is to have more than a full stack since they have homecourt advantage.

Barbarian Invasion solved this problem by having fewer cities. That way, each siege you fight is important and since computer can't fit all their units in cities, they have to keep armies in the field. In medieval 2, you got all these small cities that doesn't matter, and when you're expanding most of the time you're just ifghting sieges after sieges. I've gotten to a point where I just autocalc sieges and only fight field battles.

[FactionHeir]

Bring Artillery then.

[Galain_Ironhide]

Yup, if you bombard the absolute @#$% out of them, taking down their precious walls and killing as many from missile fire as possible before you begin your assault, that normally takes the homecourt advantage away from them, plus I consider it all to be part of the fun. I learnt that from the Mongols and their rocket launchers.

I like fighting a seige when the enemy has a nice size garrison inside, it provides a good challenge at times, having to conserve your men and other resources. Its the seiges when you are attacking a Citadel or fortress with a single General Unit or 2 or 3 militia units inside that can get a little boring and repetitive at times.

[FactionHeir]

Those are for autoresolve :grin:

[Durallan]

I don't remember thinking there were too many sieges, I quite liked the close quarter fighting, normally cause I learnt how to win them even against the most terrible odds, although that was probably taking advantage of the AI's inactiveness when you sally against them. Best fun with sieges? when you get gunpowder and if you play a faction that can build those whatchmacallits, basiliks's its even more fun!

[econ21]

I think the original poster makes a very good point and personally I share his tilt. (Siege defences, however, I really like). In passing, I think ETW may also have moved away from having lots of sieges - by getting garrisons to join you in a battle?

However, I suspect 70% of medieval combats being sieges might be historical. It was only when people could follow Factionheir's advice and bring lots of (gunpowder) artillery, that the castle and city wall became less central.

One benefit I found from the PBMs we play in the Throne Room was that it disciplined me to fight sieges manually rather than autocalc. I learnt some neat tricks and they do tend to be more challenging fights if you can stomach them. Lost my favorite character to one...

[Lancome]

Sieges are easy... all I do is spit my army. Let half take one wall and let the other take another one. it usually splits the AI army in half. Where 1/2 of your army might fight for every inch... the other half can easily beat the AI half and head to the town square afterward...... or or or sandwich the enemy.

[econ21]

Sieges are easy... all I do is spit my army. ..

Yes, splitting your forces is essential. I HATE to have to fight my way into a settlement - the attrition is appalling. Better to get in unopposed. I try to open as many fronts as I have siege engines. The AI does not respond well to this, but you could rationalise it as feints paying off.

Once I am in, I like to use the city walls against the AI, by putting my missiles on top of them. It then becomes almost an inverse siege with you as a defender.

[Yesugey]

Sieges are mor fun than open battles, they are harder when you siege. You enjoy to kill a lot when you besieged. AI sieges only if it is overwhelmingly powerful, so it is fun to defend.

Only problem is, the demolishing tactics are pretty limited. You cant destroy some part of the walls, so enemy exploit it and hide behind these walls. Some castles even have huge walls that cannot be destroyed at all.

I wish everything can be collapsed and the soldiers may able to walk on them. I wish they put the aiming for the houses and burning to the ground just like in RTW.