How do I get these guys to attack me!?

[Ignopotens]

I always turn the timer off after having battles end suddenly back in MTW

[Celtic_Punk]

Exactly is way too frustrating to put so much blood and sweat into a battle to have it ruined by a bloody unrealistic timer. It kills the immersion completely.

[Praetor Diego]

But the timer has a limit of 30-40 min... thats not enought?

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

I never use the timer. Sometimes, in vanilla pre-1.5, the timer only allowed some 13 minutes. Your bad luck if you were trying to storm Alexandria. You were forced to abandon all caution and rush to the center as fast as possible. And just before you had finally killed of the General who didn't want to die the last 5 minutes, you lose the battle because of the stupid timer. I only once encountered a problem with the timer not on, when I was forced to leave a city as the defender and confront with Horse Archers... I would have liked it better to just wait it out.

[Cbvani]

But the timer has a limit of 30-40 min... thats not enought?

No, it isn't, depending on your army composition. I, for one, am slow and methodical if I have an infantry-based army, because I prefer fewest number of casualties as possible. You have to get on good terrain, protect your flanks on the move, keep an eye on the enemy, decide how to assault their line (if on the offensive) or lay out mine (if on the defensive) so I can eventually flank and rout them, or at least hold them (I have never had a battle where it could go either way the whole time. It is usually decided by who can get the other guy to rout first). Have to figure out how to kill their general, etc. This takes a while. Now, if I have a cavalry-based army, like a lovely steppe one, battles are shorter and more brutal. If I have ranged cavalry, expect them to run around like crazy, firing on whoever has their backs turned at the moment (or the enemy archers and slingers), get the high ground, flank, disrupt, and confuse, and, when the moment is right (when every last arrow has been fired) to charge at a weak spot.

Facing ranged cavalry with any kind of army is a real problem, because they use the same tactics I do. In those cases I go after their infantry first. If I have a steppe faction, I don't USE infantry except to take over cities when a long siege isn't an option.

Oh, and on siege battles with stone walls, expect an hour or more to be used as I take the city slowly, first by getting on the walls, then by doing a lap around the city with my units up there to get all the towers to fire inward, and FINALLY do I bring in my main force when they will no longer venture out of the city center, which can take a while.

I do this, because I am often short on funds and far from a reinforcement or retraining point. Every man is precious - if he dies today, he won't fight tomorrow, when that enemy full stack arrives.

Oh yeah, and if I've fired every arrow with ranged cavalry and still think the battle would be to costly (or impossible) to win, I run away. The computer should do this more often, I think. I hate chasing cavalry that won't engage all over the map.

[Praetor Diego]

I agree with you in multiplayer, but during a single palyer game the IA doesnt represent a big challenge, and you can win with minimal casualities easily. And in short time. Even in sieges. And defensive battles are even easier.

[Nobo]

I have never had any problems with the timer... the 40 minutes are usually more than enough time for me to finish (or be finished off)

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I just roleplay that the timer is when the sun is setting. When the sun sets, I'm (or the enemy is) forced to disengage to prevent disorder amoungst the ranks.