Economic Raiding

[Sabuti]

After reading about how you can attack and destroy oponent buildings and fields, I'm thinking of using some light calvery as disposable units to send in to enemy territory to cause havock on the enemies enomomy and production.

[rajpoot]

Despite all the stuff that has been said about a whole new type of gameplay because buildings are now outside the settlements, I am rather doubtful about it......I mean, I for one never found it at all profitable to station my armies in enemy territory and 'ruin' the land that way. Nor did I find it useful to try and sabotage buildings.
I fear that this time around too, the buildings would simply be rebuilt when the armies are gone, and there won't be much challenge.

[Polemists]

Agreed,

Despite the fact it might be fun to fight at various fields, and small settlements for purely battle ground look, I think reality it won't be that valid.

I think it will almost be like the fort idea they had back in MTW2 Kingdoms. Yes, putting your people in the little areas caused slightly morale and financial reprecussions, but they were never enough of a impact to cause your opponent to sally out, unless he had overwhelming odds.

Sure if economic raiding led to revolts, or serious financial gains, or even hurting then immensely economically I'm all for it. My experience though has been so far, the AI has always been able to build units no matter how broke it *Should* be.

[Sir Beane]

I think the fact that they are putting buildings outside the main city is an attempt to counter some of the problems you have both mentioned with the tactic of causing devastation.

If you are able to run around an enemies provence without being stopped then it should be quite possible to completely destroy a huge percentage of their infrastructure. Mines, roads, docks, fields, barracks and probably many more buildings can now be damaged when previously all that happaned was a growing scorched looking area.

I think that this time economic warfare should be entirely possible and worthwhile.

[Rhyfelwyr]

It would be good to represent devastation by causing a big population decrease in the settlement, and crippling farming/trade income. That might make raiding effective.

[Polemists]

I think the fact that they are putting buildings outside the main city is an attempt to counter some of the problems you have both mentioned with the tactic of causing devastation.

but is this really true?

I mean think back. Let's look at a previous example of this device

Docks

Since Rome they have been outside your cities, and almost since Rome you have been able to move a army on them to blockade them, and then decrease the financial reprecussions they bring.

It has a impact sure, but if you are standing there with a full army, why oh why are you going to swing downwards when you can just take the capital. I know the argument maybe well I'll just use small armies, but remeber if the AI is anything like MTW2, they arn't that great at garrisoning cities, so you could just take the province.

Maybe i'm wrong, maybe this will work, I guess we will see if CA ever shows us the new AI in action