Anyone else encounter this life threateningly annoyig bug?

[Foonslice]

There is a huge bug in the Mongol Invasion that is rapidly draining my will to live (well ok then, my will to play the game).

It seems to happen at the start of every battle and basically it involves troops wandering off on their own without being told to! It always seems to happen to a couple of troops just after you've carefully lined them up and more often than not they tend to move forward or back a few spaces. One example was when I lined up my light cavalrymen behind a row of spearmen. I had my heavy cavalry lined up and ready to charge through to support the battle. After a few seconds, one of the light cavalry units(I had about four) decided to run forward and stand in front of the spearmen.

This bug keeps happening ALL THE F*!#@IN' TIME and it's really quite annoying. I can also rule out any logical explanations. The units were not placed in ground where they weren't supposed to be (like the edge of the map or next to structures). There was also no enemy nearby to cause them to run away.

I'm an experienced Shogun player and this never happened before the MI addon so I was just wondering if anyone else has encountered this bug. It's otherwise such a fantastic addon!

[Anssi Hakkinen]

You're deploying the units too close to one another. There needs to be a space maybe 1-2 men wide between them. This is not a bug, and has been very much present since at least STW 1.00.

Tight formations are usually unnecessary anyway. It makes for a bit of micromanagement, but personally I don't mind - that's what we have the pause button for (and that's why I'm dreadful in MP http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/rolleyes.gif ).

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"When on the battlefield, if you try not to let others take the lead and have the sole intention of breaking into the enemy lines, then you will manifest martial valour. This fact has been passed down by the elders. Furthermore, if you are slain in battle, you should be resolved to have your corpse facing the enemy."
- Yamamoto Tsunetomo: Hagakure

[Foonslice]

Thanks for the help nut I'm afraid that's just not what is happening. The units don't usually move until a short while after the army has been standing. My units are usually as far apart as the AI keeps them so it's not that they're too close together. I've deliberately tried keeping units to tightly packed just in case this is what's happening but they react differently to what is happening here. Another reason why I think it is not a bug is because it sometimes happens when units are standing on their own.

[ishikawa2]

Setting up "too close" is the usual suspect, but I think another possibility is that some part of the unit has been told to stand on terrain they don't like... such as a spot that is too steep. I have seen some of my units wander off to "more comfortable" terrain from time to time.

[Nyarlathotep]

It could be because the units are impetuous. That means they can't wait to draw some blood and maybe they think the general's a little too much of a pansy - so they take matters into their own hands.

[Lord Aeon]

NO! It's a bug, i tell you!!! A buuuuuuuugggggg!!

lol, j/k.

Just to add a little, Nyarlathotep's analysis is also my experience. Impetuous troops tend to do this alot... But you should seriously consider moving your units a little darher apart. That should really eliminate your problem... even if you don't think so right away, move them even a bit farther.

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"You have offended my family, and you have offended a Shaolin temple."

[Khan7]

the only times I've observed it, it has been because troops were too close together or because some of them were in red zone (red zone could be anything, including river or cliff). It takes a while for them to move, tho, which is good cuz it gives you some leeway.

Matt

[The_battlefield_geisha]

What bothers me the most is with archers defending near a bridge. If their line is irregular due to being too close to the river they will ocassionally just decide to rush across the bridge.

That can drive me ---*NUTS*---- when it happens at a bad time.

[Erado San]

I have tested this a bit because you're not the first to report this.

I only have this problem when I set up the units too close, on too steep slopes, or irregularly near river lines, or partially in red zones.

When units are too close to eachother, one unit will start moving until he is WELL clear of the other units. Sometimes this may ne quite a big move.

If I set up properly I NEVER have this problem.

So, while I think that the engine is a bit too sensitive for these issues, I won't call it a bug. You can easily avoid it by setting up properly.