Auto-Resolve Battles: Changed, still the same?

**Ciddler** · 11-15-2006, 14:01

I only auto-resolve battles against rebels. Sometimes I don't even resolve those, I fight every battle which is why it takes so long for me to finish. I'd rather put my men's fate in my hands than in their own ;)

**darsalon** · 11-15-2006, 15:01

I think the auto resolve ismore weighted in your favour than it was in original Medieval for instance. I'm making far too good progress as a result I think. For instance in a game as the Byzantines last night I was besieging a Viennese fortress holding foot knights and mailed knights (I think) with spearmen and horse archers. Did an autoresolve and I lost only 40 men. Should have lost far more than that.

Really must try and avoid taking the easy option but if I'm losing, as I was in that game fairly heniously, then it was far too tempting to at least get a small bit of revenge.

**Ciddler** · 11-16-2006, 14:37

Originally Posted by Ciddler

I only auto-resolve battles against rebels. Sometimes I don't even resolve those, I fight every battle which is why it takes so long for me to finish. I'd rather put my men's fate in my hands than in their own ;)

I was going to bed yesterday, saved and still had a battle and a siege open, I thought I would just autocalc those then go to bed (1 more round, 1 more round...). Well I lost the siege even though I outnumbered them 2:1 and I lost the battle with 1:1. So I don't think it is always in favour of the player. I do not recall the losses but Milan asked for a ransom.

**tonedog** · 02-02-2007, 18:42

how realistic does auto resolve work, does it take into account general skill, troop type and terrain etc?

**GeorgeBush** · 02-02-2007, 18:56

Supposdely the auto resolve does take into account all of those factors

**tonedog** · 02-02-2007, 19:25

supposedly? what r peoples experiences of it?

**Carl** · 02-02-2007, 19:37

It takes the nto account, trust me, the bar also lies badly, that just uses attack, defence, and numbers, it dosen't take into account any unit attribbutes that might tip things. For example i've had 3 units of mailed knights try to take on 2 units of italian Spear militia in Auto-calc and accordding to the bar it's well in my favour, but i've lost with 2:1 losses (i.e. i lose 2 knights for every 1 spearmen I kill).

Likewise it dosen't take animations into account so 2-handers are not affected by the animation bug and the sheild bug also dosen't seem to have an effect, neithier does the pike bug, needless to say this makes auto-calc VERY EASY when it would be VERY HARD on the battle map itself if you fought the battle.

**Midnight** · 02-02-2007, 19:40

In my experience it doesn't take into account castles or cities! I've fought some battles through auto-resolve that have led to my winning with very low casualties (given walls with defender fire, defender wall bonuses, narrow street fighting, etc) and with the enemy having men left at the end (not possible as they should run to the centre and rally, then fight to the death)! These men subsequently disappear as I capture the city\castle.

I don't for one second believe CA when they say auto-resolve takes everything into account - something funky's going on here with settlements.

**Ironside** · 02-02-2007, 21:15

Originally Posted by Midnight

In my experience it doesn't take into account castles or cities! I've fought some battles through auto-resolve that have led to my winning with very low casualties (given walls with defender fire, defender wall bonuses, narrow street fighting, etc) and with the enemy having men left at the end (not possible as they should run to the centre and rally, then fight to the death)! These men subsequently disappear as I capture the city\castle.

I don't for one second believe CA when they say auto-resolve takes everything into account - something funky's going on here with settlements.

I suspect that settlements is back to the old MTW style. A force multiplier instead of a multiplier+defence structure by itself.

Playing a H/VH (correct order? VH on battles, H on campaign) campagin, I've seen some oddities in some cases.
Elite troops seems to be valued very highly (I lost a battle vs 2 foot knight units, whom I could win against without barely any casualities the turn after with weaker troops than the first time), pure cav armies are weak vs spears (3 feudal cav lost vs one unit of spear militia and 1 peasant archers).

But compared to RTW, the results are much better on average. Auto-calcing is viable again.

**JCoyote** · 02-02-2007, 19:44

My only thing is, they said it takes into account "maneuver", but I don't think that means enfilade fire or things like that. It seems more like it takes into account maneuverability, and gives a bonus to attack or defense depending on what kind of battle it is.

I'm pretty sure autocalc uses a set of rules closer to a tabletop strategy game... terrain probably means an extra point in defense for the defenders, etc. I seriously doubt it actually simulates the armies actually moving around each other in any meaningful way.

And apparently having any siege equipment whatsoever eliminates the castle from consideration for the defenders. If you want to win, autocalc taking settlements, but defend settlements yourself.

I just had one exception though... FYI elephants are insanely overvalued in autocalc. Always best to fight them yourself.