AI using siege weapons far too much?

[moldndecay]

If this has already been addressed, please disregard.

In the larger battles, the AI will have multiple siege weapons on the field, while bringing out only a few troops to actually fight. To get the best brawl going, I will send some horses to destroy the seige pieces while the first wave is routing. After the field is clear of the first wave I can fight the full sixteen units. I had one last night where they had 8 ballista, a treb, and two cats on the field. That left them 5+ to dislodge my 16+ from the hill. Just takes the fun away. Is there any chance of the AI not brining on every siege piece at the beginning of a battle?

Thanks for reading.

[Dragon]

Siegepieces dont move. If the AI is not deploying them at the start of the battle, it will not be able to use them at all.

What I think is wrong here:

The AI is not using siege weapons correctly.
They place them idiotic in the center of the setup zone, and then do not protect them at all. If the AI would place them more to the front, and protect them, everything would be ok, and you would maybe complain "I get showered with boulders as the defender, and my best troops break after a few hits, even though I hold higher ground, and could easily defeat a direct assault by conventional troops. What can I do ?"
Siege weapons ARE quite good in the offensive against large defending troops, believe me http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif .

(No insult intended, I am sure you would NOT complain, but think about a counter-strategy)

[andrewt]

I think that this defect on the AI's use of siege is the reason why they almost don't miss as a compensation. Mine rarely hits but the AI's kill a lot of troops even those of scouts that are in loose formation. I send cavalry to attack AI catapults, use loose formation and still lose around 1-3 units per volley and the AI catapults don't have that high of a valor too.

[MajorPain]

I used 13 culver... cannons 1 serpentin attacking a big defending army after their amu was out the defending army withrew every men they had.

Ive used only a cuple of these pices but then they arnt effective.

If your going to use that many cannons in a fight be sure that u have alot of other units in reserve, cause after the cannons dont have any amu left there aint any use for them anymore.

But I do agree that A.I. use them to often on weird places and not defended

[This message has been edited by MajorPain (edited 09-17-2002).]

[el_slapper]

My record : a rebellion in Lybia(not sure of zone's nale in English) with 16 Ballistas. Period. I launched mu cavalry, and they all fled. Killed 4, captured 3. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuseless battle.

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War is not about who is right, only about who is left

[moldndecay]

Guess I wasnt clear but what I meant by 'multiple', more than 8 at a time. This is what Ive experienced so far: they bring on those siege pieces and Im all the way back on a hill defending, they are useless. The range isnt enough to span more than half of the battle field. Im all for a few pieces on the field, as you never know when you will get a nice river to cross and have masses of troops to decimate, but to bring on > 8 at a time is not sound tactics or fun for the defender. I was defending last night and the AIs mangonel and 3 ballista sat there doing aught. They got off a few shots in anger when I was routing the other troops but otherwise werent instramental in the fight. Either the AIs shouldnt deploy more than 3 or 4 on an attack or the ranges should be increased so that they are the wrecking force they can be up close. Just my .02

Thanks for reading





[This message has been edited by moldndecay (edited 09-17-2002).]

[solypsist]

the AI's use of siege equipment is being looked at in the patch, so expect changes once that's out.