Do you comand the castle sieges or.....

[maddog2764]

I usually just let the computer handle the sieges, what about you?

[Fianóglach]

I always Command personally, only way to get better and fully understand what all the units are good for. I find the computer wastes alot of men in sieges, so commanding personally usually saves me alot of men.

[Voigtkampf]

Depends; sometimes I do the same, but when the castles are really big and I have some good siege weapons, I go for it

It seems though that when you autoresolve you will always lose far less men than actually possible if fighting your own battles. Guess the AI forgets to calculate all the arrows from the towers... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif


And, of course, a big, warm welcome, maddog2764 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] ]I always Command personally, only way to get better and fully understand what all the units are good for. I find the computer wastes alot of men in sieges, so commanding personally usually saves me alot of men.
Precisely http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif




Quote[/b] ]It seems though that when you autoresolve you will always lose far less men than actually possible if fighting your own battles. Guess the AI forgets to calculate all the arrows from the towers...
Strange
With me it's the exact opposite... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

BTW, welcome maddog2764 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Math Mathonwy]

no hes right, u do lose less when u let the ai do it, it seems the ai counts it as a regular battle, and forgets to calculate the fortress defenses.

[Sniya]

computer im too bad at sieges

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Strange http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif
Whenever I autoresolve I always get huge losses on my men http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

So, I put 5-6 cannons in the lineup and shoot all those towers and walls down. After that I just mop up... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[maddog2764]

Thanks for all the welcomes http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif.

I always seem to lose FAR less men when the computer takes over for the sieges, so I always stick to the computer handling it for me.

Oh, by the way:

HELLO EVERYONE

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Eastside Character]

Usually I autoresolve, but sometimes I command personally.
I command http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/handball.gif

[Eastside Character]

Welcome to the Org. maddog2764 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pat.gif
Cheers http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

[Voigtkampf]

Quote[/b] (Aymar de Bois Mauri @ Dec. 20 2003,14:15)]Strange
With me it's the exact opposite... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

BTW, welcome maddog2764 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
maddog2764,

simply ignore Lord Aymar, he is an all around strange and opposite person http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/handball.gif

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] ]simply ignore Lord Aymar, he is an all around strange and opposite person
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif ...they don't believe me... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif

[maddog2764]

Hahaha http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

Oh, and kind of off-topic, but it's my topic, and I'll do whatever I want to it http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif

When can post on the other boards?

[Eastside Character]

From what I've observed, they promote patrons to junior members after some 2 - 4 weeks, but it may be sometimes more and sometimes less, it also depends on how will you behave here. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Nelson]

When I have a thousand men besieging 10, I autoresolve. When I have a thousand men besieging 300, I play out the assault.

[Ludens]

You can post on other forums as soon as you are promoted to senior patron. This is usually quite fast, after the moderators have seen you participate in discussions a few times (participate, not just post).

I understand it works about like this: as soon as he sees a new patron, moderator Gregoshi adds him to his list (and sends him a greeting http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif ). If he sees you a few times activily participating in the discussions, he will promote you. If he sees you spamming, abusing people, etcetera, your promotion will postphoned, at best.

This system is somewhat restrictive for new patrons, but they usually can get answers in the entrance hall anyway, and it keeps away spammers and people who have nothing to do with Total War. (there was new spammer in the entrance hall a few days ago. For some reason he seems to think that he will get promoted if he posts a lot of single sentence posts in unrelated threads. I wonder how long it will take him to 1: get promoted or 2: figure out that this doesn't really make him popular with anybody).

I was promoted 9 days after registering, having joined only in a few discussions, but making sense when I did. My promotion to Junior Member is another story. I still don't know why this was, because I had, at that point, hardly set foot outside of the Entrance Hall Some things, appearantly, are not for Man to understand.

Welcome to the Org, anyway.

[TheSilverKnight]

personal sieges are the way to go http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Voigtkampf]

Quote[/b] (Aymar de Bois Mauri @ Dec. 20 2003,15:42)]
Quote[/b] ]simply ignore Lord Aymar, he is an all around strange and opposite person
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif ...they don't believe me... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif
And he spams big time... Shameless... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[ichi]

Depends. If I have 700 guys and there are 3 peasants in a small castle, probably let the comp do the work. But if I want to avoid getting a certain general killed, or think that it might be best for me to do it myself, then I Command Personally.

So, the poll should have the option to vote for depends, or maybe, or sometimes. And you need to add the Gah option.

ichi

[The_Emperor]

Welcome to the Org maddog2764, http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

For myself I like to play out assaults when I have the siege engines, otherwise I might as well autoresolve the battle as I will take heavy casualties bashing down the gate, not matter what option I choose.

Still assaults can be very fun http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Assault defence I will always command personally, and nothing is quite as satisfying as brekaing an enemy assault with superior tactics and a well timed rush out of the gates http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[maddog2764]

Thank you for all the responses, I'll know go be more active on this board

[HawaiianHobbit]

I usually comand it personaly cause there so fun but if it a citedel or fortress i let the computer do it cause they get less casualties.

[HawaiianHobbit]

I forgot to say that my last post was for attacking but if im defending I always command it personaly

[Haethurn]

Usually I wait until they run out of supplies, but I've been thinking that it might be best to just get it over with as soon as I can. I'm waging war with the Germans, Sicilians, and Byzantines now and waiting for my armies to wear out a garrison really makes my offensive lose momentum. By the time one province has fallen, usually the Germans are attacking another. And just when I think I've made a breakthrough, a group of armies arrives in Normandy from England (The English have been destroyed, but the Germans control all of the provinces there). Then several provinces rebel around Arabia (they really have a habit of doing that) and the Egyptians reappear here and there and soon enough I'm back at square one more or less.

[Math Mathonwy]

Quote[/b] (ichi @ Dec. 20 2003,16:49)]Depends. If I have 700 guys and there are 3 peasants in a small castle, probably let the comp do the work. But if I want to avoid getting a certain general killed, or think that it might be best for me to do it myself, then I Command Personally.

So, the poll should have the option to vote for depends, or maybe, or sometimes. And you need to add the Gah option.

ichi
thats odd, ive never had a general die in auto-resolve. unless of course i was being seiged, or i had sent the army to a province across water. and usualle even then he gets captured, which is good i could always use a guy that has +3 moral. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] ]And he spams big time... Shameless... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif
Look who's talking... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Gregoshi]

Depends. If the odds are about 5-1 or more in my favour, I'll autoresolve. Otherwise I fight the battle myself.

As for promotion maddog, just post here. It usually take a week or less if you do some posting during that time. This past two weeks was a bad time for us moderators so the last batch of promotees had to wait 2 weeks. Whoever said 2-4 weeks is gonna get detention Just kidding. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Somebody Else]

It all depends. If the numbers are heavily in my favour, I'll autoresolve the assault, but if I have artillery, I'll command it (or if it's a low grade fort I'll count archers as artillery). If I have high quality units, and no artillery, I'll probably move those out of the province and send some low quality units in - so I don't lose valuable men senselessly. When defending in an assault, I'll always take command.
Of course, if I have overwhelming numerical superiority strategically - by which time, most of my units will be high quality anyway, a little wastage doesn't really matter, so I let the computer resolve the assault. Except of course when I have the last opposing faction leader bottled up in a castle - then, I command, no matter what.

[PseRamesses]

I always do all battles myself since I found out, when I started playing this game, that I cane save a lot of troops this way. Furthermore I can decide what or which unit to sacrifice pounding down a castlegate if I don´t have SW´s.

[maddog2764]

Whoa, hey PseRamesses, do you really live in Stockholm?

[dlundie]

i dont reallt trust the computer to do sieges, i prefer to lose by my own actions..hehe.

[Bezalel]

I've noticed that when I have a large force besieging a small one, the autoresolve has a huge ratio unfavorable to me, but when I have maybe more even forces (3:1 or whatever) I get much less casualties from autoresolve then what I could do.

[Court Jester]

I usually resolve the battle myself. Although I have found that the AI does a half-way decent job -- in my experience, sometimes I lose more troops on auto-resolve, sometimes less, than if I had personally commended -- I still prefer to resolve the battle personally. The problem with the AI on auto-resolve is it will proportion losses among all my troops, including my precious swabian swordsmen (or whomever). Whereas if I resolve the battle myself, it's a great way to thin the ranks of peasants, fanatics, slav spearmen and other crap troops -- they do a perfectly good job of knocking down gates, catching arrows, and roasting under boiling oil. Then some fast mounted sergeants ride in, and end it all quickly.

[Ashen]

I always auto resolve unless its against a fortress. That way I loose about 300 troops instead of 3000 :/

btw Sniya, Where in Northern Ireland? I didn't think there were any other TW fans around here http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[L`zard]

Something about MS Froggy's guide comes to mind concerning the way the game handles sieges........

Something particular vis auto-calc being resolved as if there were no walls in the equation, eh? Just troop vs troop.

Correct me where I'm wrong, eh?

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[spud_gun]

I prefer to command the sieges personally due to the AI being slightly less smart than me on auto calc. Plus there's nothing more fun than sending 400 peasants to kick over someones fence then following up with dis-mounted cav and then we'll all sit on the lawn and have tea and crumpets http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Hokkien]

I've read only 6-8 posts down but I'll add my two cents anways, regairdless of whether its been said or not.

On a campaign in MTW;VI, MTW campaign, I always command the seiges, why? Because its so easy to conserve men if you have seige units. I find the computer must rush for the gates of the castle everytime, because everytime the computer gives big losses.

A way to reduce arrows, is imho, to seige each circular wall, which leaves only the main keep or castle firing, that way, if you keep your swordsmen (primary castle attackers), out of the way, you generally lose less men then by besieging (unless the unit size is really small inside the castle), or by letting the compute auto-resolve.

just my humble two pence.

[Gregoshi]

Welcome to the Org spud_gun and Hokkien. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif Thanks for laying siege to us.

[bighairyman]

well i have those citales(sp) in almost evryone of my provinces, i always command personally in defensive seiges. with the timer on, i almost always win in castle defenses. but in attacking. i always autosolve. because i always hire so cheap mercanries for seiging, and then disband them. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

[kiwitt]

I take charge. It just a wonderful battlefield win or lose to take down a castle.

However, Here is a Question.

How best can you take over a province in combat and minimise the loss of buildings ?

[iforgotmyname]

I like sieges. I bust down some walls and rush em'.

[Ludens]

Quote[/b] (spud_gun @ Dec. 25 2003,21:38)]There's nothing more fun than sending 400 peasants to kick over someones fence then following up with dis-mounted cav and then we'll all sit on the lawn and have tea and crumpets.
Are you incidently also playing Neighbours from Hell? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Random Ronin]

Depends.

I usually command myself, since you can better exploit the less than ideal AI for castle sieges. I can also use up units of little value, saving food for the more important ones. If I got 200 Yari Ashigaru, I send them out to kick as much ass as possible, pretty much letting them get murdered, but I usually get a number of those pesky archers and best of all, I save my better troops, so fewer starve next round.

It also helps if you got special units like Battle-field ninjas or Kensai, because to auto calculate means the computer will kill a small, roughly equal, number of all your units, rather than just heavily killing off your spearmen, while your archers remain safe inside. Many times have I lost a Kensai in castles, by automatic, while if I personally commanded, he not only kicks complete ass, but leaves the field with tons of honour. I even remember a time when my Daimyo was trapped in a castle, with just himself (plus 3 of his bodyguards) and a single Kensai left, and when I auto calculated, I lost them all, taking just 15 enemy with them, plus the game (My next heir being 14 years old), but when I reloaded the game (having saved it just before making the fateful decision) I not only survived the assault, but broke the siege, saving my clan, and inflicting 680 casualties.

Personal just works better, but if you are rushed for time, then autocal is adequate, if not a bit costly.

[spud_gun]

Gregoshi: ty http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Ludens: Yep http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif That'll teach 'em to have a BBQ when the winds blowing in my direction http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[spud_gun]

BTW Happy New Year to one and all, all the best for 2004 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

[Rhyno]

I won the Spanish faction starting in early period without having to siege a single castle; partly because I did not create many siege weapons so I let them starve all the time or tried to bribe their army. I personally commanded only 2 battles, the rest I allowed the computer to do the calculations. So far I felt more confident letting the computer resolve the battles than putting my self at command since I found the battle management difficult enough to induce costly mistakes that would result in defeat for me.

[Random Ronin]

All I want for Christmas is a Big Bertha Howitzer for those pesky Castles I have to assault, and a few dozen Maxim Machineguns for those I have to defend. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[Hokkien]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif Hey Gregosha, Thanks.



Rhyno... You are trepidatious to command yourself because of rash descisions in battle. Well, I'm not sure if this is your problem, but I know I always noob myself during battles because didn't know about P, the pause button.

It is a world of help. Maybe you know about it, but I sure didn't. heheh, I gained 20x the skill in about... 10 minutes. :P

[Rhyno]

Hokkien:


My problems were not about not knowing about the pause or faulty decision-making, it was a matter unfamiliarity and convenience. It is just that I am a long time Age of Empires / Cossacks (2 dimension) player in transition. Two dimension games allows you to see everything going on in the battle within the monitor while 3d battles cover much more land area than I am use to (at least the camera angles in MTW). However, I found MTW battles kind of time consuming since I tend to be sort of calculative not wanting to loose any of them. I was mostly distracted and having my hands full by monitoring all of my provinces year after year as after conquering many of them I was having some hard time keeping track of everything (enemies and neutral faction moves, special agents, chances for local uprisings, troop and building creation, province finances etc) so I was just more eager to press the “end year” button than spending more time managing battles in taht same year.

[Random Ronin]

You do know that you are supposed to represent a king, not a general in battle, in these games, and kings actually have to run the nation as well as fight the occasional battle since the Civil Service has a few centuries to go before it forms... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I find the best way to really enjoy the Civil Service aspect of these games is to concentrate on building your nation up really strong before starting to expand your empire aggressively, which allows your nation to effectively run itself while you are pre-occupied with waging wars of domination. The risk is that you may be rushed by an aggressive player, but it is btter than being halfway across the map, and 3-4 or more turns from home and suddenly having a rebellion erupt in your best troop producing area. One time on STW, I was only 4 provinces from conquering the map and winning the game when a rebellion erupted in my principal troop training province (Where I give them full armour/weapon/morale/rally bonuses)and not only did I lose the province, but also lost 3 of my troop producing regions, losing the ability to make Nodachi, Naginata, cavalry of all types, warrior monks, and my best source of muskets. I also lost 15 provinces to my enemy while I ran like hell to retake my main provinces and salavage the bulk of my quality troop production. If I had just built border forts on all those provinces, the shinobi hiding in them would have all been killed... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/idea.gif

[Jomsviking]

Most often I starve them out. Then I got an patch which caused losses in both teams. Now I command the attack myself unless there is at least 5-1 in manpower I let the computer autocalculate for me.

[mbrasher1]

I have noticed that since I got VI the sieges are costlier when asaulting and leaving it up to the 'puter. In regular MTW, the computer got whalloped. Now, assaulting citadels, I can lose lots.

Just me?

[Drewlake]

sorry about this but how do you attack in a siege which units do you find most usefull and tactics etc. I've had a look roud the forum but a pointer would be good http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-help.gif

[Sun Tzui]

Hey Drewlake

Just started a new topic for you at Siege Battles (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=14247;r=1;&#top), keep track of it, hopefully tactics and advice will start to be posted there http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-thumbsup.gif

[Pruneau]

So far I try to besiege the castle until it falls, unless when pressed for time, or when I need the units elsewhere. In that case I always personally command the attack, since the result with AI always seems inferior.

In early periods the castles are still weak, but as development advances, things can get a bit harder, things like arrow towers can add quite some complication to a castle siege.

[altti]

I do them myself especially if i happen to have 12 or so siege cannons with me. When there's only a pile of shattered rocks i move in with my killer infantry.

[Komutan]

I never use siege engines to assault a castle.I send my cheapest unit to break the gates.The defending units are usally not many and 1-2 units can defeat them.

[Selborne]

For me it really depends on the situation. If I've got a thousand troops seiging the province, and only a few measly holdouts in the castle, I'll let the computer resolve it just to save time. But if there's a strong garrison force inside, and I have a decent array of siege weapons, then I'll command it personally to keep my casualties lower.

I've played around with save games a few times, and I'm now convinced that letting the computer resolves battles almost always results in higher casualties than when I command the battle myself.

[Athénian]

It depends on the situation and my mood...

On most occasions i starve them out,but if i really need to take the province immediately,or i happen to have brought the ''tools of mass destruction'' with me http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-rifle.gif ,then i definitely have to play it out...

[The Tuffen]

I never usually have seige weapons so I just auto-calc seige attacks, i lose a lot less men then if i did it myself

[Gregoshi]

Welcome aboard Drewlake and The Tuffen. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif Thanks stopping by and joining in our discussions.

[Lo Rez]

pretty much always command myself

set up my catapults and knock holes in each wall (usually speed time up abit, but seeing boulders shoot across the sky really wrecks the feel for me, so only 10-20% sped up)

then send in sum kind of spearmen in looseformation untill they get into combat

anyone every had the super unkillable general? had a sige where he singlehandedly massacred and routed 2 of my units b4 finally falling to the sword http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-stunned.gif

if i don't have any sige engines & they have massive defenses, and i can't starve them out + want troops elsewhere or no cannonfodder - then a spy can save alot of men/trouble http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-curtain.gif

only really a good idea if theres not many defenders..

[Jammies]

Have never won a siege battle.

Tried once, was so proud to set up my siege engine. The opposition's arrow towers killed all my catapult engineers (or whatever they're called). http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-embarassed.gif

I have no idea at what range to set siege equipment. I hate lugging around that junk which is useless in most battles and then find it useless for a siege, too.

So I just starve the bastards and move onto the next province.

[HopAlongBunny]

I know the feeling Jammies.

Group your siege engines and set them up; check range; move siege engines back; check range; do this until you feel you are definitely out of arrow range, but still in catapult/cannon range.

I always set up on on side of a castle; allows me to target keep wall and curtain wall at the same time. Four cata's per group brings down any wall within a reasonable time...towers are more difficult. Magonels flatten towers quite nicely, but have restricted firing-arc so must be placed very carefully.

If you can set up a practice siege under custom battles. it would be the least painful way to learn the relative ranges http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Nelson]

Jammies, if your engines are in archery range of the defenses then you will have casualties. Placing the artillery at maximum range from the target (green cursor indicates range) may avoid this but the best solution is to show up with many engines and smash the nearest towers as soon as you can with concentrated fire. Artillery is mostly useless in battles as it should be. It does do an outstanding job at wrecking castles, though.

Avoiding prolonged sieges enables you to consolidate faster and begin earning from the new conquest sooner. The turns spent sitting on a castle waiting for it to fall don't earn a single florin while the upkeep expense of the besieging army is increased.

[Monk]

I only command the siege if the Enemy King is trapped within. Call it a sense of honor or w/e, but i have to give him one last fight, no mater how many of my men die, even if my general dies. He is a King, and he deserves a final battle. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-book2.gif

[Sir Zack de Caldicot]

This is to the guys who were disscusing promotions, im a member and have only been registered for less than 10 days http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif
Id hate to have to wait 3-4 weeks http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif
( I have only done below 50 posts to, still some people have less than 20 posts and are members http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-dizzy2.gif