siege is broken: bug or feature?

**Julius_Nepos** · 04-01-2009, 23:40

The problem is, the current system effectively gives the AI a "win", regardless of the outcome of the battle. The system works as intended when the AI sallies out on the last turn and is defeated, the town effectively is forced to surrender and you claim the territory. However when the AI comes out early and attacks, it doesn't seem to matter how many you kill, if even a single flintlock militia unit escapes, the entire pool of city defenders is replenished and the siege is broken. As if to say, because Corporal Bort managed to elude your 20,000 man army and return to the city, he was able to close the gates extra-extra tight and raise another defense force in short order. On the one hand, I guess it makes sense, but its not internally consistent with how Total War is supposed to work, in all past incarnations of the series. Can't say whether or not it will ever be "fixed" since I'm not sure its actually a bug myself.

**Slaists** · 04-02-2009, 14:59

Originally Posted by Julius_Nepos

The problem is, the current system effectively gives the AI a "win", regardless of the outcome of the battle. The system works as intended when the AI sallies out on the last turn and is defeated, the town effectively is forced to surrender and you claim the territory. However when the AI comes out early and attacks, it doesn't seem to matter how many you kill, if even a single flintlock militia unit escapes, the entire pool of city defenders is replenished and the siege is broken. As if to say, because Corporal Bort managed to elude your 20,000 man army and return to the city, he was able to close the gates extra-extra tight and raise another defense force in short order. On the one hand, I guess it makes sense, but its not internally consistent with how Total War is supposed to work, in all past incarnations of the series. Can't say whether or not it will ever be "fixed" since I'm not sure its actually a bug myself.

Not true: about that last turn sally. I have had several sieges in which the enemy sallied ON THE LAST TURN; I won the encounter and the siege was still broken...

**Slaists** · 04-15-2009, 19:50

Now that I have had a chance to play a bit more, I start to like this new 'feature' for gameplay reasons. After the first sally from the city is defeated, the siege is broken and the city is refilled with armed citizens instead of a real army. If the player renews the siege, the battle odds are heavily skewed benefiting the player side.

This, in it's order allows one to impose demanding diplomatic conditions (such as "become a protectorate!" or a ceasefire) onto the AI instead of taking the province (and taking territorial expansion diplomatic hits).* Under the previous (MTW2, RTW) siege mechanics, if the defending side sallied and lost, the city would be taken by the besieger and the province ownership would transfer automatically.

So, I suspect, "siege is broken" is actually an intended feature.

--
* Not that the diplomacy hits matter that much given the current strategy map AI late game aggressiveness or rather lack of it.

**TB666** · 04-15-2009, 22:35

I noticed this as well.
Also thought it was bugged until I noticed that it didn't say that they were sallying out like I thought they were.
They were actually intercepting my army thus giving themselfs chance.

**Oaty** · 04-16-2009, 09:07

I've noticed if you hit end battle you get the city but if you hit continue to round them up you can't let 1 escape thus a bug

**Slaists** · 04-16-2009, 14:20

Originally Posted by TB666

I noticed this as well.
Also thought it was bugged until I noticed that it didn't say that they were sallying out like I thought they were.
They were actually intercepting my army thus giving themselfs chance.

Hmm. not sure how they could be 'intercepting' if I am besieging their city. Also, in the current state of the game, the intercepting side gets to DEFEND, but the city folk are definitely attacking when sallying (even if it's not called a sally by the game).

Originally Posted by Oaty

I've noticed if you hit end battle you get the city but if you hit continue to round them up you can't let 1 escape thus a bug

Will try that out today, never imagined the outcome would be different.

**TB666** · 04-16-2009, 15:16

Originally Posted by Slaists

Hmm. not sure how they could be 'intercepting' if I am besieging their city. Also, in the current state of the game, the intercepting side gets to DEFEND, but the city folk are definitely attacking when sallying (even if it's not called a sally by the game).

No idea, that's just what I noticed.
And yes that also includes the city militia joining the "intercept"