Enemy runs twice: your general turns into a coward...

[Slaists]

Now, tell me this is not a classic example of sloppy programming... My general (3 silver experience bars, btw) struck twice from the city during a turn. Both times, the enemy (two different enemy groups) ran without a fight. Well, what do you know, the trait he earned was: "A concern for security has given this man the habit of running from the battle before its strictly necessary..." He turned into a coward... Obviously, since there was no fight, the program interpreted it as autocalc and gave the general a "random chance" to run away from the field... Grrrrrrrrr... Frustrating... It's similar to the other sloppy battle resolution: the player fields his army, the enemy routs off the field and the battle result is "a CLOSE victory"... Come on, they ran!

[LordKhaine]

I've picked this up once and not been sure how I got it. But I don't mind too much, the morale penalty is small. It's not like MTW where a general could have quite insane penalties on force morale.

[Oaty]

I think it has to do with when your general greatly outnumbers the enemy greatly too often

[Emperor of Nowhere]

I think it has to do with when your general greatly outnumbers the enemy greatly too often

Well if that's the case then I think thats just stupid. Why should I be penalised for having a larger army than someone else. I also got the "coward" trait after fighting two enemy armies who retreated straight away without engaging.

[troymclure]

as far as i'm aware it's a bug, theres a file in the game that indicates that when a general withdraws from a fight on the campaign map there is a % chance that he will get the coward trait. the current theory is that the % chance actually affects both generals rather than the one that withdraws which is why it's possible to get the coward trait even though it was the computer that withdraws.

[Dorkus]

I don't think this is a bug or a bad game design. If the enemy flees, and you don't pursue to engage, it makes sense to add the coward trait. I mean, you get a perfect chance to run your enemy down from behind, and you sit back and watch him flee?

There are two controllable events that cause the coward characteristic:

1. General unit routs (25% chance)
2. General unit does not fight at all (10% chance)

On the other hand, if you fight with your general, it's quite easy to get a "Hero" or (if non-Roman) "Battle Scarred" or "Brave" trait. Once you attain that (anti)trait, you will never have to worry about becoming a coward.

[GFX707]

I don't think this is a bug or a bad game design. If the enemy flees, and you don't pursue to engage, it makes sense to add the coward trait. I mean, you get a perfect chance to run your enemy down from behind, and you sit back and watch him flee?

Ummm....learn to read?

[Steppe Merc]

This happened to me two... a whole lot of times.

[Lonewarrior]

This has not happened to me yet, cause I use only about 200 to 300 men in an army, but in big expeditions about a full 18 units.

[Colovion]

I don't think this is a bug or a bad game design. If the enemy flees, and you don't pursue to engage, it makes sense to add the coward trait. I mean, you get a perfect chance to run your enemy down from behind, and you sit back and watch him flee?


I disagree with you with every fibre of my being. I had two battles which I attacked an army which had 100 or 200 less guys than my army. Both times the other army sits there and then they ran away before I could even get close. No - this isn't one of those things where I was slow in getting my troops to where they are - they ran away prettymuch right after the battle started and off the field - my commander got a negative trait for this. How is this anything negative? The General attacks and the enemy makes it phyically impossible to engage them - that's bullshit.

[Bob the Insane]

There is another thread that brought this up (an older one)...

Here are the ways to get the coward trait (from export_descr_character_traits.txt):

;------------------------------------------
Trigger battle4
WhenToTest PostBattle

Condition not GeneralFoughtInCombat

Affects Coward 1 Chance 10

;------------------------------------------
Trigger random_birth1
WhenToTest CharacterComesOfAge


Affects Aesthetic 1 Chance 2
Affects Coward 2 Chance 2
Affects GoodSiegeAttacker 1 Chance 2

;------------------------------------------
Trigger battle7
WhenToTest BattleGeneralRouted


Affects Coward 1 Chance 25




You can see that in any battle where you general does not actually fight (don't know how "fight" is defined) there is a 1 in 10 chance of getting 1 point in the coward traits... But is no test on whether the other side withdrew unless it is something to do with "Trigger battle4"...


An interesting addition is:

;------------------------------------------
Trigger dads_coward
WhenToTest CharacterComesOfAge

Condition FatherTrait Coward >= 1

Affects Brave 1 Chance 20


Meaning if your dad is a coward you have a 1 in 5 chance of being brave...

[SpencerH]

One of my better field commanders picked up the coward trait during an enemy rout. The strange thing is that he was committed in the battle! Maybe he didnt have time to actually engage. Anyway, two battles later the trait was lost.

[TinCow]

I mentioned this in another thread... same thing happened to me. On the positive side, its pretty easy to get your general back into the brave virtues. Have him fight a few times and it should go away easily. Most of my generals are at least Local Heroes if not Roman Heroes. A few even get to Popular Hero. At the same time few die of natural causes. ~;)