horse hallucination?

**Evil SPoon** · 10-29-2005, 14:58

Evenin, I was just revisiting RTW after a long break (having lost my disk). after installing the patch and starting a fresh campaign I noticed that cavalry seems to behave rather differently than I remember. I distinctly remember the cavalry, after the charge lost momentum, pulling automatically out of melee, pushing through the formation before turning quickly around and pushing through again, manuvering like a flock of birds through the enemy several times before stopping. am I just imagining things here or was this a feature that was disabled at some point? or am I just doing something wrong..

thank you for your time

**Dutch_guy** · 10-29-2005, 16:00

they still do it when facing archers and skirmishers. and sometimes other heavy cav.

Haven't seen them do it with infantry.

**Evil SPoon** · 10-29-2005, 16:36

ahh ok, that would be why, thanks alot

**Red Harvest** · 10-29-2005, 21:16

The AI will do that with infantry 1 vs. 1. It is particularly assinine when it tries to pull back with a phalanx...

For this reason 1vs.1 melee matchups vs. the AI are pretty easy, unless your unit is heavily outclassed. Inflict enough casualties and the AI will try to pull away--even if it was winning substantially.

And of course, the AI doesn't use pila, so it is seriously handicapped in that regard.

**Kraxis** · 10-30-2005, 00:44

Originally Posted by Red Harvest

The AI will do that with infantry 1 vs. 1. It is particularly assinine when it tries to pull back with a phalanx...

For this reason 1vs.1 melee matchups vs. the AI are pretty easy, unless your unit is heavily outclassed. Inflict enough casualties and the AI will try to pull away--even if it was winning substantially.

And of course, the AI doesn't use pila, so it is seriously handicapped in that regard.

That is not what he means. It is the flowing continuous fight that cavalry can sometimes do against archers. Flowing all over them, as if their charge was never spent. It looks absoultely stunning, and is of course very effective as well.

**Red Harvest** · 10-30-2005, 01:27

Originally Posted by Kraxis

That is not what he means. It is the flowing continuous fight that cavalry can sometimes do against archers. Flowing all over them, as if their charge was never spent. It looks absoultely stunning, and is of course very effective as well.

Oh, Ok, this was more of a moving through a formation than pulling back. I still see that.

**Evil SPoon** · 10-30-2005, 05:29

interesting, has there been any research into the exact conditions involved? Does it only work for missile units, or can it be applyed to everything if done correctly? hmm, I think I'll look into this..

**Kraxis** · 10-30-2005, 13:06

Originally Posted by Evil SPoon

interesting, has there been any research into the exact conditions involved? Does it only work for missile units, or can it be applyed to everything if done correctly? hmm, I think I'll look into this..

What I have notice is that the target has to be weak, in open formation (as most archers and skirmishers are), of low mass and it has to stand its ground, or at least be quite slow in running away. The cavalry on the other hand can be pretty much whatever you have at hand.

Thus I have never experienced this against real infantry, only archers and skirmishers, not even Peasants (could be their horde formations that ruins that).

**Red Harvest** · 10-30-2005, 16:43

Originally Posted by Kraxis

What I have notice is that the target has to be weak, in open formation (as most archers and skirmishers are), of low mass and it has to stand its ground, or at least be quite slow in running away. The cavalry on the other hand can be pretty much whatever you have at hand.

Thus I have never experienced this against real infantry, only archers and skirmishers, not even Peasants (could be their horde formations that ruins that).

That is what I've seen as well. It is a case of the cav running through the formation. To do that requires a formation that isn't too deep or too dense (a horde formation is deep, although sparse.) The cav formation seems to get enough separation on the backside to continue the charge without pause.