Kamakazee skirmishers...

**Joshwa** · 01-08-2007, 16:08

Anyone else experienced terrible AI when using cavalry skirmishers? I can just about deal with them not actually running away in time when charged by cavalry, but in my last game, the captain of my army, a vardotaroi, actually charge into the back of a unit of royal bodyguard and got killed, when the rest of his unit were keeping their distance and shooting at them, as i had ordered. Arg!

**Ars Moriendi** · 01-08-2007, 23:48

I feel your pain, brother... The skirmish AI works sometimes, but is absent on many occasions, especially when there's not enough space for the horse archers to manoeuver freely. Never ever take them into towns.

Short illustrating story :
Me as byzantines assaulting a large turkish city. Break the walls, storm the breach with heavy inf, move my troops inside, pushing slowly along the main street. Now, I don't usually take cav on sieges, but I just happened to have one unit of byz cavalry. I order them to run alongside the walls towards a latteral entry to the plaza, figuring if I have them I just might as well use them to put some arrows in the backs of the defenders. Well, not. The turks had some reserves in the plaza and moved a unit of spearmen to intercept. I say "okay, that didn't work", so I pull them back, set them on skirmish and fire-at-will. I shift my focus to the main battle for a minute or so, when I notice on the radar a red arrow almost covering my byz cav. "You retarded morons, skirmish means : run like hell when dudes with long pointy sticks come at you !" I yell and fly over to order them out - guess what : the turk spearmen are simply standing at arm's length from my cav, doing nothing except trying to dodge the arrows that my "skirmishing" cavalry are calmly firing at point blank. I laugh quietly, and go about my bussiness elsewhere on the battlefield.

Moral : the only thing dumber than your troops skirmishing AI is the enemies' AI - it all evens out in the end.

**Mega Dux Bob** · 01-09-2007, 00:05

I've noticed since RTW that mounted missile troops try to ride arround your army by themselves (apparently so you can easily destroy them one at a time)

I've seen bits of other units go beserk and charge the enemy in ones or twos, not just mounted troops.

**IrishArmenian** · 01-09-2007, 03:39

Same thing happens with my Cossac Musketters, Pavis Crossbowmen, really any missile unit. I have to watch over them and tell them to stop when they get in range. Then, and only then will it be safe to give the fire command.

**baron_Leo** · 01-09-2007, 03:58

Yeah in SP AI dumbness evens out skirmisher AI, but in multiplayer... Man, how I love it when I send my horse archers to flank the enemy and my friend pulls his cavalry to intercept and those nice little bastards get themselves killed. Yeah you lose against chivalric kngihts without armor. Even with armor often.

**Scotsmanforlife** · 01-09-2007, 07:04

What ticks me off the most is when i try to withdraw my general from a fight and the idiot keeps fighting. Having to force him to leave multiple times is annoying. It's almost like their ignoring you on purpose.

**baron_Leo** · 01-09-2007, 08:36

Sure he is ignoring. He is the general. You are under his command:-) But right it is annoying, the most annoying is to lose a general in a piece-of-cake battle this way.

**Von Nanega** · 01-09-2007, 10:10

Originally Posted by baron_Leo

Sure he is ignoring. He is the general. You are under his command:-) But right it is annoying, the most annoying is to lose a general in a piece-of-cake battle this way.

Isn't the general unit counted as an "impetuous" unit? If so, I find these units HATE to break off.