prisoners are back!

[GiantMonkeyMan]

linkage: http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=142571

Mercilessly slaughter the prisoners you capture during a battle (a feature reprised from the original Medieval) and your general's 'dread' rating will rocket, making enemies fearful on the battlefield and civilians more obedient within cities.

there is some very good news in there apart from:

What strikes me most though isn't the French tactical naivety, but the breathtaking level of detail that these battles contain. Gone are the clone armies of Rome, replaced by rows of unique soldiers, their armour acquiring blood and mud as they duel with their opponents, before visibly scanning their surroundings for their next victim.

they were talking about a group of cavalry charging into some spikes ... surely that won't happen in game i thought they were going to improve the AI to make battles more realistic... all the game companies care about is the graphics which annoys me

GMM

[TB666]

they were talking about a group of cavalry charging into some spikes ...

No, they weren't.
The cavarly never charged into the spikes, they tried to flank through the woods.

[Salazar]

"the French infantry launch an audacious bid to turn themselves into gallic kebabs as they march straight onto a row of spikes placed down by his archers"

Ok, it's not the Knights, but just as stupid

[GiantMonkeyMan]

oops my bad... but still, cavalry may be surprised by spikes and not manage to stop in time if they are charging full pelt, but infantry should be able to stop or even go through spikes unheeded...

i'm more happy that they decided to include prisoners but whatever, bully me for my crappy observation skills

GMM

[econ21]

The colourful phrasing of the "kebab" line suggests to me that the reviewer should not be taken as literally saying attacking stakes causes casualties to infantry. If I were CA, I would have the stakes negate the cavalry charge bonus, not cause casualties and until I hear definitively otherwise, that's what I'll assume is going to happen.

Extending that negate charge effect to infantry would be defensible - pallisades, field entrenchments, abatis etc have been used throughout history to take some of the bite out of an assault. If you had a choice between receiving an infantry charge in the open or behind stakes, which would you choose? In game, the effect would probably be mild as infantry charge bonuses are modest.

[IrishArmenian]

Yay! Prisoners! Time for my dread rating to skyrocket.
Yes, the stakes would slow down infantry. They are best used against knights because knights cannot stop too fast and horses/knights would get implaed, scared horses would buck riders off and amidst the confusion, the Archers could shoot the calvary.