How to be owned

[Connacht]

I expected to crush the enemy with this battle, but instead things went worse:



The bulk of my army is here, on the top of the hill, ready to engage the enemy (tired for the climbing).

You can see on the right some hidden units, other ones are on the left within trees and my companions aren't seeable but are still ready for a mortal ambush from the rear (later I also put the cataphracts in the woods in order to charge and kick some asses when the enemy will have passed and left their units uncovered).
Besides, another army of mine is coming, ready to engage the second enemy army and surround survivors.

Everything is supposed to resolve in an onslaught of enemy soldiers.

Instead... I said that also the enemy has a second army. Where do you think will it come? From the rear of the first enemy army?

Nope:



I had to suddenly turn all my units, ruin the ambush and trees didn't allow to use cavalry at 100%, while the first enemy army engaged my reinforcements who, alone, suffered too many casualties. I managed to still win, but my general/basileus was also slain in a melee and since casualties were too many (because reinforcements fought alone, controlled only by crappy AI), I had to load the game again.

Lol, but also a bit boring.

Men, always take more than a look on the campaign map when more than two armies go to battle, in order to be 100% sure of the direction they will come from. :)

[Chris1959]

Not fair to re-load they got you bang to rights. Take your medicine

[Connacht]

When the character is your faction leader that you roleplayed a lot with, imho it's fair to reload instead of letting all you did with him go to the bin.
If they they were commanded by another minor family member I would have simply forgotten him. ;)

[Recoil]

ouch, seems you had a really sour victory there. as for the whole re-load thing, i dont like to do it myself but i understand it can totally screw up role playing. good luck at any future battles with the king, hope he doesnt try to investigate the sharp end of a spear anytime soon

[Apgad]

Yeah, I've had that happen to me too often! I always have a close look at the campaign map when it zooms in before going to the battle. I use the numeric keypad to help me remember where reinforcements are coming from ie enemy coming from 4 and 8 (west and north), allies from 3 (south-east).

[Narhon]

When the character is your faction leader that you roleplayed a lot with, imho it's fair to reload instead of letting all you did with him go to the bin.
If they they were commanded by another minor family member I would have simply forgotten him. ;)

When one's faction leader dies one should roleplay that also I have had many great generals whom I was grooming for the future faction leader and I had to find someone else to fill the spot. Now I usually groom 3 generals. usually one in the north of Italy who will fight the Gauls and Germans. The other two will fight in what ever area I am conquering at that time. First I they stay in Rome for 2 years for education and off to war when they are finished with school.