Are the Romans cowards?

[Ciaran]

Is it just me, or are the Romans really cowards? As soon as things go a little awry in battle for them, they withdraw, usually with quite a big proportion of their units completely intact, and hardly ever act agressively. I´ve seen this both in the stock game as well as with the Darth 5.8 mod.

[Conqueror]

Sometimes I see in the start of battle message (in campaign map) the relative army strengths meter showing the romans having like a 5:4 or so an advantage. But when the battle map loads and I finish deploying my units, the game says that "victory is a distinct possibility" for ME. So the game thinks that the Roman army it sends against me is good enough, but in the battle map it decides that I have the advantage - even before the battle has begun! The AI tends to withdraw when it thinks it's disadvantaged, so it takes only a few casualties to trigger the wirthdraw.

[Puzz3D]

Sometimes I see in the start of battle message (in campaign map) the relative army strengths meter showing the romans having like a 5:4 or so an advantage. But when the battle map loads and I finish deploying my units, the game says that "victory is a distinct possibility" for ME.
That's because the auto-resolve is weighted to favor the computer, but the battles themselves don't have that weighting.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Sometimes I see in the start of battle message (in campaign map) the relative army strengths meter showing the romans having like a 5:4 or so an advantage. But when the battle map loads and I finish deploying my units, the game says that "victory is a distinct possibility" for ME. So the game thinks that the Roman army it sends against me is good enough, but in the battle map it decides that I have the advantage - even before the battle has begun! The AI tends to withdraw when it thinks it's disadvantaged, so it takes only a few casualties to trigger the wirthdraw.

Also note that "a distinct possibility" does not equal "it is probable," it only suggests that your chance of victory approaches 50/50 or that you have a slight advantage going in.

Seamus

[Conqueror]

It's definetly on the better side of 50/50 since there's also "defeat is a distinct possibility" and "the balance of forces is equally matched". But my point is that the computer judges the relative strengths differently on the campaign map than on the battle map.

[Ciaran]

Just yesterday I had a "battle" against the Romans with about equal strength and they fled the battle without our units ever making contact. They just retreated, all units intact. I´ve never seen that against any other faction, but the Romans are really fast to retreat. Somehow that´s disappointing, I thought fighting against the Romans would actually be more of a challenge than playing them myself.

[econ21]

Strange. I haven't had much experience fighting Romans, but in the German PBM using vanilla, the Julii seemed all too willing to fall under my phalanxes.

[Deus ret.]

Somehow that´s disappointing, I thought fighting against the Romans would actually be more of a challenge than playing them myself.
Right, Romans are rather quick to retreat at the mere sight of your approaching army. I don't think, though, that this makes war against them less challenging, on the contrary: The more units leave the battle intact, the more opposition the Romans will field in the next encounter.

It is as if the Roman battle AI knew that it usually doesn't stand a chance against a player in a roughly 50:50 fight and therefore retreats to be better prepared next time. "Never fight a losing battle" (Sun Tzu) :bow:

[Conqueror]

It is as if the Roman battle AI knew that it usually doesn't stand a chance against a player in a roughly 50:50 fight and therefore retreats to be better prepared next time. "Never fight a losing battle" (Sun Tzu) :bow:
Too bad that they actually won't be any better prepared. They'll just attack you next turn with a similar strength army again.

[bubbanator]

Too bad that they actually won't be any better prepared. They'll just attack you next turn with a similar strength army again.

At least they're trying...