Autoresolve

[Atamari]

Is there some sort of scripting causing the PC to automatically lose every autoresolved battle, regardless of such factors as army size, unit strength and experience, unit mixes, etc? I just installed today (0.81a), tried various battles with various factions and mixes of units. I'm about 0-50 now. My most recent was as the Arvedui(sp?). 3/4 of a stack of mixed units, spears, swords, slingers, and light cav, versus a single unit of levy spears (rebel). No units had any experience (mine or the AI unit). I lost about 2/3 of my army, he lost 20 or so troops. This is on easy campaign difficulty, bear in mind. I ratcheted the difficulty level down to test it out.

At any rate, I like the mod otherwise, but this is a game breaker to me. No matter how I immerse myself, there is simply no way I can play a campaign where I have to fight every battle personally, no matter how inconsequential. Or am I just missing something?

[Atamari]

Jumped back in to get a screenshot:

http://www.likelysuspects.org/images//eb_prebattle.bmp
http://www.likelysuspects.org/images//eb_postbattle.bmp

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Fighting in a town there are certain inherent bonuses that probably apply. But more likely even than that is that your general isn't that good and his is great. If he has supplies, isn't worried by the siege, is good at defending sieges, and such, while your guy's troops are starving, isn't good with supply lines, isn't good with attacking cities, has exhausted troops, or any other number of combinations, then you see how it makes the odds even out?

We haven't done anything special though - to answer the question - that makes autoresolve battles harder. It's just that all those other factors must be considered now too.

[Veris]

use auto_win (auto_win attacker or auto_win defender). It will save you tons of time that you'd normally have to waste fighting out those meaningless battles versus completely inferior armies which you know you'd win anyway.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Autoresolve looks alot at command stars. In EB, the AI is given extra command stars and it is very hard for you to get them. For some reason, unit number and strength is second to command ability for autoresolve in RTW.

[Lowenklee]

Here's a suggestion, cheat. I don't let it get out of hand but having to fight every battle is just too time consuming, especially towards the middle of a campaign.

So, what I prefer is to take an honest assesment of my army's strength, my enemy's strength, and the likelyhood of a clear victory for me. If I can honestly say that I'd have little to no problem winning that confrontation I simply use the "auto_win defender/attacker" cheat. I never use it while besieging or being besieged and try to use it only against either rebel armies or non-general led enemy armies. It's not ideal but house rules are sometimes the only way to avoid tedious micro-management.

However, most of the quirks of auto-resolved battles can be either mitigated or outright avoided with the following advice...

If being ambushed or having fielded armies attacked is the problem the failing may be a strategic one on your part. Always try to scout ahead of the main body of your army with a spy or trivial unit if in enemy territory or if you suspect nearby enemy activity. And, if you must have an army fielded for prolonged periods of time be sure to make ample use of forts. If you have no accompanying general to enable forts for your army keep them hidden in ambush points if possible, if nothing else the ambush element may very well help with the auto-resolved outcome. Perhaps choosing river fords, or bridges as temporary waypoints for their strong defensive positions may also help.

Even for the purposes of offensive campaigns the above can be of good use. I prefer fighting defensive battles even while on offensive campaigns. So, I often attempt to anticipate or manipulate enemy army movements and goad them into attacking my armies usually by blocking narrow passes or river fords. Perhaps the use of forts while blocking these bottlenecks would help with auto-resolve?

But, while good field position and fortifications may make the likelyhood of victory in auto-resolved battles much higher as mentioned by Teleklos, the nature of your generals is also of great importance. To make the most of them you are well advised to conscientiously cultivate admiral martial qualities early on in their careers for just such occasions:smash:

Hopefully that will prove as helpful to you as it has in my campaigns, best of luck!

[LusitanianWolf]

I have to thanks too, I hate to have to cheat, but its realy boring having to fight personaly every single batle or to lose it in auto resolve even if the enemy wouldnt have a chance...

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I'm not sure you boys are aware just how tough some of these rebels really are. Try actually fighting some of these battles and see how amny men it costs you.

[Underhand]

Another reason is that the results of auto-resolved battles are tied to the campaign difficulty, not battle difficulty. If you are playing at the recommended difficulty settings for EB (VH campaign, M battle) then auto-resolved battles will be heavily weighted towards the AI. It's annoying and illogical, and makes naval strategy a farcical affair consisting of jumping breathlessly from port to port, but that's the price we pay for a more challenging campaign. I second the advice to use the auto_win cheat for battles that you would definitely and easily win yourself.

[mAIOR]

I'm also a auto_win apologist. I mean I don't even fight those battles you just mentioned. It makes the campaign to tedious and boring. Still, with auto_win you'll still loose more men than if you do it by hand.


Cheers...

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I'm not sure you boys are aware just how tough some of these rebels really are. Try actually fighting some of these battles and see how amny men it costs you.
Good point, these guys are fighting for their homes, their families, and their freedom from tyranny (your tyranny).

And from a gameplay point of view, they have the defensive and their units aren't necessarily crap.

Personally I play out all fights with rebels. The only time I use auto_win is either to cheat to help an ally or help history repeat itself (I hate seeing Parthia die off early), or when I'm fighting swarms of levies from a giant empire that I've already fought tons of.

[Plebian#10]

I fight 95% of all battles - does it get a little boring you bet - but I have discovered some new ways of crippling my enemies. I find that using junior generals to attack rebels is a good way of getting some easy, early stars for them.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Another issue is using auto with, for example, Companions. It's perfectly possible to bring a unit of Makedonia's finest through without scratch whilst having them repeatedly rape the enemy.

Your AI is never going to be that good.

[Pharnakes]

Personally I play out all fights with rebels. The only time I use auto_win is either to cheat to help an ally or help history repeat itself (I hate seeing Parthia die off early), or when I'm fighting swarms of levies from a giant empire that I've already fought tons of.


Man, you built that massive roman empire in the game play guides forums, and fought every rebel stack along the way? I take my hat off to you, you must have spent about a hundred hours alone just waiting on loading screens...

[Sakkura]

I fight 95% of all battles - does it get a little boring you bet - but I have discovered some new ways of crippling my enemies. I find that using junior generals to attack rebels is a good way of getting some easy, early stars for them.
Another option is to have a general attack a sizable enemy army completely on his own. Just make sure it doesn't have loads of missile units or light cavalry. Then withdraw him off the field. Minimum casualties, result: close defeat, and due to the odds being stacked against you, there's a good chance to pick up some nice command traits. It's been so effective for me I consider it a bit of an exploit and try to limit my use of it.

[d'Arthez]

Another option is to have a general attack a sizable enemy army completely on his own. Just make sure it doesn't have loads of missile units or light cavalry. Then withdraw him off the field. Minimum casualties, result: close defeat, and due to the odds being stacked against you, there's a good chance to pick up some nice command traits. It's been so effective for me I consider it a bit of an exploit and try to limit my use of it.

I did that once near Vindelipopidos. Lone general vs. 2500 troops or so (was not intentional). It was a close victory for me. 3 of them dead vs 1 of mine. As a result the whole garrison of the city left. :sweatdrop:

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Man, you built that massive roman empire in the game play guides forums, and fought every rebel stack along the way? I take my hat off to you, you must have spent about a hundred hours alone just waiting on loading screens...
Well in 080, at a certain point the rebels couldn't sustain their economy and would go into debt. So after about 200ish, there were no more rebels being trained.

And I would use autocalc against the small rebel armies, I just wouldn't use auto_win. Usually they would be easily defeated (especially with Vigiles, autocalc loves Vigiles), but for the stronger groups I would take a garrison and general and autocalc, lose, retrain, attack again, lose, retrain, and keep doing that every turn until I widdled them down. Doing that you can build up command stars in generals that you could never get fighting out huge battles against actual factions.