Quote Originally Posted by [b
Quote[/b] (GhengisPawn @ Nov. 22 2003,03:43)] In real life an army mounts an attack because it feels it has the advantage, which is generally numerical. Other advantages may be technological, superior troops, or it simply has the initiative and thinks one more good push can do it. The defender is generaly defending because it is inferior with the amount or quality of troops. It is assinged an area to defend or it simply isn't a good time due to outside factors ie. weather, politics, supplies etc.
However in MP its mostly even teams with equal florins going at each other on a flat, featureless map. This makes it almost even except the defender still posses a small advantage that their ranged units are in place and firing as soon as the opposing force comes into range.
I like your post, it was very thought out. Actually, I believe that its not that simple. Firepower and striking range factor in as well. When it comes to ranged units, firepower is the amount of damage projected onto an enemy unit, and striking range is the distance firepower can be utilized in. When both unit's striking ranges are unequal, firepower becomes less important. When striking ranges are equal, firepower becomes the decisive factor.

Suppose I have a unit of longbowmen facing a unit of archers. My striking range is greater than theirs - which means that if my longbowmen stay out of range all day, they will eventually shoot up everybody without getting hurt. The archers have to make a decision, do they close in so they can shoot back? Or do they move out of range to not get shot? Striking range is the factor that provokes reaction.

Firepower the decisive factor only when both firing units are in each other's striking range. Obviously, if I can shoot more arrows at you and receive less in the same amount of time, I will be the victor. If I shoot first, there will be less of you to shoot back. In a continuing trend, it is not hard to see who will win.

Your assumption is that striking ranges are equal, and firepower of the advancing party suffers because the defending party is already in place to shoot. Could it not be that the attackers have brought units that have greater striking range in play? I'd imagine that given enough time and ammunition, a battery of culverins could force the defenders to become the attackers.