A missile bug (units bunch up together)

[Sethik]

Sometimes when my missile units start peppering troops that are far away (before melee has been engaged at all) the attacked units bunch up together. You get 3 seperate units that just march to the one thats being fired upon and stand there. Now theres like 400+ units in a place that usually suppose to have 100. My missile troops (especially crossbows) slaughter these guys. Its like the AI is using a human shield technique with its own troops! I had a battle one time where 3 units of albs wiped out two thirds of the enemy (around 440 troops!) The only reason I stopped was because I ran out of ammo.

Has anyone gotten this really wierd missile bug recently?

[KillerKadugen]

Yes, it happens frequently when the enemy has no missile troops of its own. I don't know why, but the enemy also frequently turns around, so that I am shooting them in their backs, which causes more of them to die. The only explanation is that the enemy is trying to moon me to make me so overconfident that I recklessly charge!

[ThijsP]

Yep it happened to me. They just walk too eachother. Another thing that happens is that they get in loose formation(wich is the right thing to do). But they go to thight formation within a few seconds, just in time to catch some arrows.

[Red Harvest]

Yes, this is a common occurrence when the AI: 1. Lacks sufficient infantry cav to overpower you directly. 2. Lacks sufficient missile units (or missile range) to hold you at bay. 3. You spread your missile units enough that it is sort of paralyzed.

I'm not sure how the AI decides to stack the units into a kill zone, but I wish they had addressed that flaw in the tactical AI.

[katank]

also, this occurs with reinforcements frequently with the horde when their troops are all crowded into a square and become perfect missile fodder.

there's also the holy spot bug where they would stand in position and orientation even when you roll into their rear with melee units and they never move. weird.

only happens in late stages of a large battle for me

[ichi]

Sometimes when my missile units start peppering troops that are far away (before melee has been engaged at all) the attacked units bunch up together. You get 3 seperate units that just march to the one thats being fired upon and stand there. Now theres like 400+ units in a place that usually suppose to have 100. My missile troops (especially crossbows) slaughter these guys. Its like the AI is using a human shield technique with its own troops! I had a battle one time where 3 units of albs wiped out two thirds of the enemy (around 440 troops!) The only reason I stopped was because I ran out of ammo.

Has anyone gotten this really wierd missile bug recently?

Quite common and of the AI flaws in battle mode, this is one of the worst.

Many of these little flaws exist: the AI does not manage missile units or hyrid units well; the AI will attack with 3 or 4 artillery in fixed locations, out of range of the player's troops, and yet those arty crews will sit there, out of range, while the AI attacks with 12 or 13 units; AI units will pursue an archer or HA unit until the AI unit gets isolated and overwhelmed; RKs will charge straight into spear walls; etc.

I can only imagine how hard it would be to write the code necessary to make the AI as good as a human.

Try this next time the AI bunches infantry and cav into a kill zone - set your archers to fire-on-command-only and tell them to stop shooting. The AI will regroup, many times into a more realistic (intelligent, fun, correct, whatever) position. Once that happens you can (sometimes happens) start your attack again.

Same if you def, and the AI just lets a unit sit in range of your arrows. Just turn off and stop archers, let the AI get real, and then start in again.

Otherwise I think it will be a while before they code out all of the AI flaws. Maybe try the online game - altho be prepared for real people to make some pretty bad moves, just like the SP AI!

ichi

[katank]

ichi's right.

I've had instances where I would have been destroyed if the AI didn't do the unthinkably stupid of tying up no less than 4-6 slots with arty that can't do anything and getting beaten wave after wave since I had the extra few units to flank/rear attack.

the AI is still incapable of acting decisively in face of high valor missiles and often just freeze, being pelted by the missile fire and then charged and routed whereas pitching their troops into charging might lose that unit but give other units a chance to overwhelm this one.

AI never learns...

[RedKnight]

I third that - I play archer heavy, and the enemy often bunches up stupidly on me. I could try to make them play more intelligently... but then, what am I paying all those archers for?