Stupid AI on stupid bridges makes stupid things

[eeyoredragon]

We all know that the AI have a tendency to fall in the water with 60% of its army during their attack. But if the AI stands on the bridge and then routs, they make a breathtaking jump - down into the water and of course loose all their men. Anyone else noticed this? It's rather silly as you get the kills for it as well.

[Red Harvest]

I've seen one amusing and surprising quirk that favored the AI...once I had a phalanx warband at the end of the bridge trying to push across with a supporting phalanx pressing into it from behind as well. The AI swarmed in and I watched as a couple of AI men dipped their toes in the water as their units wheeled beside the bridge. I was expecting yet another mass drowning so I didn't bother sending up reinforcements (wanted the rear of the bridge clear for cavalry pursuit of routers.) I watched in stunned amazement as the wet footed infantry climbed up the embankment, then the bridge and now enveloped the rear of my two phalanx units. I had to rush across another unit to kill them before my phalangites wavered.

[woptsufp]

I got the "Enemy General is dead" cutscene from the AI trying to get over a bridge. He got jostled into the water by his own men.

Seems his armour was too heavy for him.

/wop

[Red Harvest]

I got the "Enemy General is dead" cutscene from the AI trying to get over a bridge. He got jostled into the water by his own men.

Seems his armour was too heavy for him.

/wop

Must be in the units stats:

stat_buoyancy -2

Of course if it is a horse general then it will also have

stat_ability_to_leap_tall_pikes_in_a_single_bound 3

[Akka]

We all know that the AI have a tendency to fall in the water with 60% of its army during their attack. But if the AI stands on the bridge and then routs, they make a breathtaking jump - down into the water and of course loose all their men. Anyone else noticed this? It's rather silly as you get the kills for it as well.

Yep.
No later than this morning, I had a big battle against Armenians. They sent huge packs of eastern infantry on a bridge, and I received them with a circle of phalanxes.
Needless to say, they were easily slaughtered. Then they wavered, routed, and as soon as it happened - BLAM. All dead. What's weird, is that they didn't fell in water or anything. They just dropped dead on the bridge.

[RZST]

haha ya, units falling on bridges is funny to watch, better yet, foot soldiers RUNNING IN THE WATER is funny to see.

i hate it though when im trying to smash my cavalry ala LoTR battle of helms deep style, where theoden rushes the uruks. ya well, that was the plan, but instead, my stupid general ran headlong into the water. yup. he even jumped. "CHAARRRRRgrgrgrrgrggggggg..." needless to say when my cav did charge without my general the enemy routed and pushed themselves of the bridge. it was schweet.

[solypsist]

search for an earlier thread and you'll see the Devs explain that this will (probably) be fixed on a patch.

[RZST]

wait, which part are they going to fix? the one where your units blindly charge the water? or the enemy falling on bridges?
coz it seems to me that i just have to be more carefull where i direct my units next time :p

[eeyoredragon]

Now, I don't wanna go and make a new thread about this so I'll post it here:

Stupid AI in stupid sieges doing stupid things

Let's say you're playing as Greece (as I am right now, and therefore it makes an excellent example) and have stone walls in most of your cities. Let's also say that you have 3 units of Hoplites/Armoured Hoplites and 1-3 units of Archers. Then it's completely impossible for the AI to take your city.

The cursed AI ALWAYS builds 2 ladders, 1 ram and 1 siege tower. Now, as you all know only one unit can climb a siege tower/ladder at once. These units will be utterly slaugthered as soon as their feet meets the wall. The remains of the enemy army will just stand outside the walls - so close that the archers can kill them.



My archers normally rack up 200-400 kills each.



It wouldn't be so bad if the AI build some catapults as well (or stayed out of distance), but they never do! I've played some sieges on custom (Ancrya) and if you give them two units of catapult it adds a whole new dimension to the whole thing about sieges. Then it's actually FUN to play. As it is now, it's just tedious as you know you're gonna win.

BAH!

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Re: drowings

I just had a small battle (Germans vs. Gauls, Hard, Rome: Total Realism Mod v3.2) involving a bridge. Sent a skrimisher unit across to lure them out... got a cavalry charge into my skirmishers, who were massacred, and only a few men & horses fell off the bridge - no problems with units going directly into the river. Good fun, really.

[MajorFreak]

Re: drowings

I just had a small battle (Germans vs. Gauls, Hard, Rome: Total Realism Mod v3.2) involving a bridge. Sent a skrimisher unit across to lure them out... got a cavalry charge into my skirmishers, who were massacred, and only a few men & horses fell off the bridge - no problems with units going directly into the river. Good fun, really.

I checked out the site for realism MOD and noticed they'd done some changes to wardogs and naval ships that removed my desire to use such a tool. I like wardogs, but use them sparingly since i've noticed their handlers don't get experience for the kills. am i correct? They're great cheap cavalry.

Naval ships...hmmm...i like the idea, but the thought of my favorite admiral going to davy jones' locker over something i have NO tactical control over less appealing. And making it easier for him to die sounds crazed. (i'd rather surround the enemy and slaughter them)

Bridges: you think bridges are funny? you should see fords. omg! i had the germans bunched up and trickling across (routing instantly) and running all over the place.

*shudders in rememberance of holding a bridge for half the hourglass and watching a horde of No-Dashi come over the far horizon. aieeeeeeeeee