CA, Bring Back the M2TW Reinforcement System, Please?

**NimitsTexan** · 03-30-2009, 06:55

The M2TW Kingdoms Reinforcement system was great, and ETW's a serious step backwards, and one that prevents "epic" battles. Please bring back old Kingdom's system (were you could palce reinforcement armies under AI control and give them basic orders). At the very least, give what we had in vanilla M2TW, where we could at least place an reinforcemnt army under AI control to have it show up alongside the player's army. Having to trickle in reinforcement 1 unit a time under the player's 20 unit cap is both frustrating tactically and a "mood" killer in as much as it prevents having actual "Army" sized battles and isntead limits us to "Corps" sized engagements at best.

**pevergreen** · 03-30-2009, 08:30

+11111111111111111111111111111111.

I don't like it. You should still be able to throw it in as AI or have it trickle in.

**Rothe** · 03-30-2009, 09:23

I think it also makes the issue of "One superior troop stack facing two or more stacks of mediocre/poor troops" very unbalanced. The superior troops will be able to smash the initial stack easily and mopping up the reinforcements is really really easy when they enter one by one.

**Monk** · 03-30-2009, 09:47

Signed.

The reinforcement system in ETW is both bugged and rediculous. Units don't appear where they should and you can no longer tell the AI to take control of your reinforcements. Sure it was at times a bit suicidal with them at times in M2, but it was still nice to be able to bring your numbers to bear against an invader.

**al Roumi** · 03-30-2009, 09:57

I wholeheartedly agreee with this recomendation!

For me the most frustrating element is the disconnect between campaign map location and battle entry point. A definite step backwards from MTW2.

What's the point of holding a strategic location if the enemy are somehow able to get around you? It's nonsensical and really annoying -enough of the AI exploits!

**rajpoot** · 03-30-2009, 10:44

If they need to have a unit cap, let it be a general one....like they have in Mount&Blade....if one has 100 troops facing off against 500, then the ratio of the army in the battlefield starts off as 1:5.

**DisruptorX** · 03-30-2009, 22:29

There is an inherent problem with the M2TW reinforcement system (or option, rather. I always, always set it to be like the MTW1/ETW system). That is to say that the reinforcement are controlled by the AI. Given the tactics employed by the computer, using such an option would be condemning the majority of your reinforcing army to needless death as they marched back and forth in front of enemy lines, being shot to pieces.

**NimitsTexan** · 03-30-2009, 22:41

Well, your reinfocements are no worse off than your AI opponents . . . so at the worst, it is something of an equalizer. And I will gladly accept a few extra casualties on occasion for the chance to get 2-4 armies in battle at once.

Besides, as you pointed out, you have the option in M2TW. That's the big thing I (and I believe alot of other people) are asking for, the choice. If you don't want the troops under AI control, you don't have to put them there, and instead can simply have them reinforce as they do currently. But for those of us that prefer to be able to bring large armies on the field, we too would like to have the option, at the very least, to put the army under AI control as in M2TW, and preferably to be able to give it basic orders is in Kingdoms. I, and others, find the bigger battles more immersive and, in their own way, more interesting.

**Ardri** · 03-30-2009, 22:54

I agree that ETW is a large step back from M2TW Kingdoms. Isn't the 20 unit cap a relic from the MTW days? Glad CA jumped back, what, like 5-6 years.

**sassbarman** · 03-31-2009, 07:44

I agree aswell i loved some of the huge battles i had with the retrofit mod. I got pretty good at controlling the second army with the basic controls.

**Husar** · 03-31-2009, 08:44

Maybe there will be a "reinforcement management" downloadable content pack for "only" 5$.

Seriously, sounds like a big step back, I'd rather expected them to improve the system instead of rolling it back.

**MikeV** · 04-06-2009, 01:15

Originally Posted by DisruptorX

There is an inherent problem with the M2TW reinforcement system (or option, rather. I always, always set it to be like the MTW1/ETW system). That is to say that the reinforcement are controlled by the AI. Given the tactics employed by the computer, using such an option would be condemning the majority of your reinforcing army to needless death as they marched back and forth in front of enemy lines, being shot to pieces.

Well, I liked the Kingdoms version. I would usually put the AI-controlled reinforcements into Defensive stance, then march them around to where the actively controlled units deployed. I would use the actively controlled units to get the battle to a critical point, then put the AI-controlled units into Bombard or Attack mode and direct them forward (usually, on the flanks). Great fun -- I miss it, since 18th-Century battles were generally larger affairs that Medieval ones.

And I hate being limited to 6 capital ships in naval battles. Anyone ever heard of Trafalgar?