Questions (do you use time limits)

**econ21** · 12-11-2006, 13:38

I couldn't imagine not using time limits. I often fight very outnumbered and sometimes it is great fun, desperately trying to survive until the counter runs down. I feel like Wellington at Waterloo "Give me night or give me Blucher".

**John Johnston** · 12-11-2006, 14:53

I always use time limits. It feels more realistic, to me, that there should be some time pressure on. It also offers the possibility of more "even" outcomes to battles.

That being said, I rarely find that field battles take a long time to resolve - the only occasions when the time limit actually expires are in siege battles.

**Dave1984** · 12-11-2006, 15:06

I never used to use time limits in MTW and RTW because as far as I was concerned a lot of battles used to take all day, certainly not 45 minutes max.

But then sometimes on Rome I'd notice something which have become much more prevalant with M2TW- passive ai.

So now I do have them on just because when I'm on the defensive it forces the ai into action.

Although sometimes it winds me up because I've got at fantastic defensive position and the ai just doesn't bother to try and assault me at all.

**R'as al Ghul** · 12-11-2006, 15:20

I've always had the time limit on in all TW games. I can't remember that it ever was a problem, like not having enough time for an assault (Maybe the one or other castle attack in MTW, not sure). There's plenty of time for all battles and I always play them out to the end.
As it is now I need to have it on, because when the AI siege-attacks you and runs out of possibilities to break/scale your walls, it will just stand there and wait.
I'd prefer it when the AI would consider retreating rather than us waiting for sunset.

**Quillan** · 12-11-2006, 15:27

I always use time limits. Only once or twice have I ever come close to the time limit, both times when I was assaulting a city in the RTR mod. Once I ran out of time, and once I killed the last greek pikeman in the city square with 10 seconds left. Both times I was assaulting a city with 16+ defensive units, mostly pike. Killing them took time.

**dismal** · 12-11-2006, 15:43

I use time limits.

In M2TW I think they are a must because the AI will just stand there when it is the attacker sometimes, and I'm not going to come off my hill or from behind my walls.

The other thing I do which feels like a bit more of an exploit is win battles on the 3 minute city square rule. For example, if the AI has a small garrison but a lot of reinforcements coming I'll make a mad dash for the square and occupy it for 3 minutes before it can get the reinforcements brought up. I've also been known to blow the gate with cannon and run my army right past the guys on the walls to the city square.

As a side note, the city square clock seems a little buggy in M2TW. Sometimes I will get credit for occupying the square while there are still enemies in it.

**Quillan** · 12-11-2006, 16:25

That's not buggy; it's not the same mechanic as it was in RTW. Back in Rome, you only controlled the square when you had troops in it and there were no enemy in the square at all. Even one enemy trooper in the square and you didn't control it. In this game, it's based on the number of troops on both sides in the square. I'm not sure of the exact number, but generally if you outnumber them by 2-3:1 you'll have control of the square even if their entire remaining garrison is standing there.

**Dan.o6** · 12-11-2006, 16:29

I only use it when enemy forces are besieging my settlement.

**Blackboots** · 12-11-2006, 15:34

Originally Posted by R'as al Ghul

when the AI siege-attacks you and runs out of possibilities to break/scale your walls, it will just stand there and wait

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this behavior is tied to the AI's siege weapon ammunition stock. I've had two sieges now where the AI busted down my walls and then just kept on flinging rocks for a while. None of their units were moving, so I decided to wait it out. Then, when the timer was about at the halfway mark, the catapults quit firing and the army started to move.

Back OT, I have played every TW game with the timer on and never had a problem. Sometimes the AI will get stuck in a bunch of rocks or something, and it's the only way to end the battle without losing.

The timer in MTW used to scale to the battle; you'd get like ten minutes to fight off the suicidal attack of the Danish king and his six sons, but you'd have a 3-hour + slugfest when the Mongols appeared in one of your provinces.

Since the advent of RTW, I've found that I never need the full amount of the timer to kick the AI's tail in a field battle (or occasionally lose because my stupid general runs away or gets himself killed) and I've only even come close in a really huge siege.

**Basileus** · 12-11-2006, 15:39

The AI tends to become passive in sieges so playing with time limits is a must for me, even waiting for the the time limit to end gets annoying when you have the AI do nothing and just wait.

**Aelwyn** · 12-11-2006, 15:39

I never used to have battle time limits. I use them in my current campaign because of several battles that annoyed me. I was attacked on a bridge more than once by a large force, when I only had 5 or so very experienced units of infantry. I would have been cut down by the opposing archers if I tried to cross the bridge, and the AI was attacking me...but they just stood there.

They should have attacked me. I attack in 95% of situations, but not that one.

I have yet to actually encounter a battle that expired, so its been a non-issue for me. The closest I got was about half of the time remaining, and I spent a good portion of the first half creating 6-8 holes in walls/heads.