Questions (do you use time limits)

**Brighdaasa** · 12-11-2006, 16:44

i never use the timer, i had a few multiple stack fights in mtw where the ai defender won when the time ran out, even tho i was kicking its ass and it still had reinforcements on the way. never turned the timer on again, and even turned off the second rtw and m2tw was installed. Just as i turn off the green arrow markers and use the minimal ui. those are the first changes to the game i make when i (re)install.

**Bob the Insane** · 12-11-2006, 19:28

Originally Posted by Brighdaasa

i never use the timer, i had a few multiple stack fights in mtw where the ai defender won when the time ran out, even tho i was kicking its ass and it still had reinforcements on the way. never turned the timer on again, and even turned off the second rtw and m2tw was installed. Just as i turn off the green arrow markers and use the minimal ui. those are the first changes to the game i make when i (re)install.

Exactly the same here...

**Test112345** · 12-11-2006, 21:04

the green arrow markers that show you where you're going? also, the mad dash technique to the square has gotten me soooo many regions. what you do is get spies in there to give you an open gate (i usually do it so i have a 100% chance, but you dont need to...you can have whatever you like but sometimes it doesnt open) and then you run in your guys to the square and win it before reinforcements arrive. you dont even need that much more superior of a force.

**Test112345** · 12-11-2006, 21:16

How can you tell if armies are causing devestation on your land?

**Shahed** · 12-11-2006, 22:35

Originally Posted by Test112345

How can you tell if armies are causing devestation on your land?

On the campaign map there is black/grey darkened tiles on the land which has been pillaged.

On the settlement details scroll, under the income heading there is a "devastation" outflow.

**gardibolt** · 12-11-2006, 22:46

I always played with the timer in RTW, but never really relied upon it---battles almost always ended pretty quickly and decisively. I think I ran out of time on a siege once when most of my siege equipment got torched and it took forever to get the troops up a single ladder. In M2TW with the passive AI you have to have the timer or else you end up with nothing happening (or being forced into a suicidal charge in order to get it over with).

**Shahed** · 12-11-2006, 22:52

I'm getting curious now... does this passive AI happen to people in every single siege battle ?

**IRONxMortlock** · 12-12-2006, 05:16

Originally Posted by Sinan

I'm getting curious now... does this passive AI happen to people in every single siege battle ?

Yes, I have never once had an AI army actually attack me during a siege they started.

I don't like having time limits in my battles so they are turned off. This means I that I have to run some light cav out of the walls and lure some of the enemy into the range of my towers. I repeat this over and over and I can generally destroy their entire army in this manner.

**R'as al Ghul** · 12-12-2006, 14:23

Originally Posted by Sinan

I'm getting curious now... does this passive AI happen to people in every single siege battle ?

The AI isn't really passive, imo. It brings siege gear and starts the attack properly. Tearing down walls, ladder and tower assaults. When breaches are made it will charge one opening. However, as your defenses get stronger it is reluctant to attack even when the walls are breached. Sometimes it will empty all its ammo and then attempt a charge. Sometimes, when no useful units remain it will just stand there and sit it out, sometimes it even retreats.

For me, two situations prevail: either it attacks a breach or it becomes passive after it runs out of viable options.

**magnum** · 12-11-2006, 22:54

Always use time limit. Tried without for a short time but had 2 or 3 battles where I was defending and greatly outnumbered yet the AI sat there. Only way to end the battle would be to attack the AI (suicide) or end the battle with a loss. At least if the AI attacked me I'd be able to inflict reasonable losses on it before I'd have lost.

Anyway, after those 2 or 3 experiences, I went back to always using the timer.

**IsItStillThere** · 12-12-2006, 00:03

I'm getting curious now... does this passive AI happen to people in every single siege battle ?

If the AI realizes it doesn't have enought troops to take the city (or just successfully attack you on a normal battle) it will just sit there and do nothing, even if it was the attacker. So time limits are essential to end the battle. I don't mind that either, since the limits are generous enough that I have never been pressed to end a battle because of time.

**BigTex** · 12-11-2006, 22:52

I use the battle time limit's always have. They help in sieges were the AI just stands there. They also truly put a bit of a worry when attacking a settlement, trying to take it in time can take a bit. They also allow for more even outcomes in large field battles involving a few stacks.

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.

In MTW the timer scaled with the number of troops. I've had one that had a timer near 6 hours. It really used to help with those 30,000+ battles. Quite honestly the battle speed is the single greatest improvement from MTW to M2TW, no longer do you have those 4 hour fights between you and the next biggest kid in europe. Which I might add became pointless after 30 minutes

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**dismal** · 12-11-2006, 22:09

Originally Posted by Brighdaasa

i never use the timer, i had a few multiple stack fights in mtw where the ai defender won when the time ran out, even tho i was kicking its ass and it still had reinforcements on the way. never turned the timer on again, and even turned off the second rtw and m2tw was installed. Just as i turn off the green arrow markers and use the minimal ui. those are the first changes to the game i make when i (re)install.

I don't think you'd likely have this problem anymore. MTW produced much longer, more epic multistack battles than RTW or M2TW. I can't recall ever coming close to time limiting out while on attack.