View Full Version : Archer fire!!!Attack.
HATAMOTOKILL
07-21-2001, 02:32
Archers,when do you let loose with those arrows?As soon as in range.if not approx at what distance or how many sec"s.
Hato!!! http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif
VoodooChild
07-21-2001, 03:12
depends on how long i think the battle will last.
If its one sided in my favor or the enemies favor, I let loose as soon as they are in range. No matter what, I know the battle will be over long before I can fire all my arrows.
If it could be a long drawn out affair, or I know the other side has reinforcements, then I let the unit commander give the order (fire at will) since this will give me the best chance to inflict the maximum casualties.
BanzaiZAP
07-21-2001, 03:57
Unless I need to take out a specific unit, I usually leave everyone at Fire At Will, partly so I don't have to worry about them, and partially because it reduces friendly-fire casualties - Fire At Will units will change targets if a friendly unit engages.
If a unit has orders to attack a unit, they will continue firing, even at the risk of their own friends. The only time I worry about actual range-to-target is if it's an archer duel, or I'm trying to out-fake their cavalry archers or something.
When left on Fire At Will, they will actually let the enemy get within 3/4 - 2/3 range before opening up. I assume so they can keep showering the enemy as they retreat. If you tell a unit to specifically open fire on an approaching unit, they will start firing while the enemy is still farther out.
I tested this by setting two archers on a flat land, on Hold Form and Hold Pos. One unit set to Fire At Will, and one to Hold Fire. I had an attacking spear unti approach. The Holding Fire unit had their attack pointer turn green (and the unit could then open fire) well before the other unit began firing.
-- B)
[This message has been edited by BanzaiZAP (edited 07-20-2001).]
I use fire at will to because you wast arrown on range if you dont.
NinjaKilla
07-21-2001, 21:04
I think that it all depends on your own position. Firing from high ground inflicts way more casualties than if you're lower. If you anticipate that later in the game, you'll be higher than your opponent, I'd save 'em.
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- Our girls fall for samurai and they'll go chasing after them.
- If the bandits come they'll cut our heads off. We'll worry about the girls later.
From: Seven Samurai
Koga No Goshi
07-22-2001, 03:26
Careful, archers stop firing at a unit when it is running away. If you have an excellent view of that unit and want to do as much damage as possible, you have to tell your archers to keep firing at it after it's started to run away.
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Koga no Goshi
"Nandai"
Since time began
the dead alone know peace.
Life is but melting snow.
If archers are bugging you... Missile shield!
Kraellin
07-22-2001, 20:42
here's another little quirk with missile units. yesterday i played a free for all (ffa) game with tosa and dragmar on tosa's zoi map.
i got a starting position of being down on the beach in a low position with cliffs overshadowing my position and tosa was set up next to me on the high ground.
well, i wont drag this whole story out, but dragmar was able to also come up on my other flank and i was in a very bad position. flanked on both sides, my back to the sea and on lower ground than both my opponents. not where i wanted to be.
i decided after a little gun skirmishing in 2 directions that this was an untenable position and that i had better get out of there or i was going to be shark bait pretty quickly.
i decided a rush move straight out in front of both of them wouuld bring more acceptable losses than just slowly being chewed up by guns on 2 sides. and, there was good high ground on the other side, if i could make it there.
i hit control-a and double clicked on those far hills. my army responded as it shld and the run-for-the-high-ground was on. what i forgot was that missile units set to fire at will will stop and shoot. so my infantry units mostly kept going while my skittish missile units began to stop to pick some daisies. lol. not a good place to do that, right between 2 other armies.
needless to say, my opponents took advantage of my error and only 2 of my original 6 missile units made it across that field of fire and they only made it because i realized my mistake half way across and corrected it. the rest became fertilizer.
so, there's a reason for not always having your missile units set on fire at will.
btw, i ended up in 2nd place in that game. as my 2 opponents closed in on me from both sides, i eventually got some of my guys thru and as they closed on me, they met each other :)
also, that is a very good map. i forget the complete name, but it's one of tosa's recent ones, the one with 'zoi' in the name. kikujiro gave it his highest rating ever and it deserves it. very scenic and lots of tactical variety. nice job, tosa!
K.
Greetings,
Fire at will seems to be one of the better options for your archers but even at that setting they waste a lot of ammo. On the plus side, fire at will seems to reduce friendly fire a lot in "normal" situtations.
What works for me is to set them to fire at will but only when the enemy is at a good distance so they don't waste ammo.
-J
HATAMOTOKILL
07-26-2001, 02:33
great stuff!will try it!!!! http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif
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Hato!!!
genie of the lands!!!
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