I'll tell you what the unexpected error was - that wasn't supposed to be a timed batt

[NeutralZone940]

I am SO mad at the game that I took the DVD out and I'm going to play Oblivion for the rest of the day instead.

I'm fighting as Spain against the Mongols in defence of Jerusalem (whee!).

Got killed the first couple of battles - fine - but I managed to kill one of their generals in each battle (hurray!) - and my forces are, at the moment, without an actual general! (in hindsight, that may be a good thing!).

Anyway, three bugs occured in the game which drove me nuts:

1. reinforcement unit of feudal dismounted knights get stuck behind a rock. I can't change their "entry direction" despite all my attempts - they're from a second army entering the field. like 44 of the 48 guys are on the field, but 4 guys are stuck behind a rock? WTF?
2. The TIMER KICKED IN! I'm 99% sure I said "no timed battles", but the game chose to ignore that (unless there's that 1% chance I screwed up and enabled them - which I very much doubt!).
So the game ends, just when I'm about to kill another enemy general! Gah!
Interestingly enough, the Mongols - who've been sniping me from a hilltop - bastards - rushed me when the timer started counting down! WTF?

- Mongol General looks at sundial -
"'bout that time, eh chaps? Very good, onwards with the raping and the pillaging"

3. To add insult to injury, the game crashed when the battle ended and I returned to the campaign map. Gah!

Hence the error message in the subject line. Please tell me someone else has experienced something this ridculous before too.

Also, what is UP with the sheer cliff faces in the hills north of Jerusalem or west of Damascus? I've had battles where the opposing armies can't touch each other because they're on opposing cliffs! Gah!

[Dearmad]

LOL sounds the game has had enough of YOU too. LOL.

[Gray_Lensman]

...Also, what is UP with the sheer cliff faces in the hills north of Jerusalem or west of Damascus? I've had battles where the opposing armies can't touch each other because they're on opposing cliffs! Gah!

This is by design. The developers made a few areas on the strategic map accessible only from certain specified other areas. Personally, I think it was poorly implemented. Maybe the strategic map should somehow show when an area is attacked from a certain direction it will be blocked, as I don't believe armies would just line up to attack another army, then discover that they can't get to them. At the moment it is up to the player to determine the best approach area for these types of areas.

[Quillan]

VERY poorly implemented if that is the case. The attacker moves on the campaign map and engages another army in battle, only to find when it gets to the battle map that his army is unable to reach the opposing army in any way, shape or form. This wouldn't be so bad if it allowed you to treat that as sieging a fortress, where the defending army had to force you away within the next 2 turns or so or be destroyed, but the only choice you have when that happens is to end the battle and take casualties randomly determined by the computer when the opponent can't even reach you! I've had this happen a few times, and every time it does I always end the battle, reload the save, and use the auto-calc on it.

[ArchieGremlin]

2. The TIMER KICKED IN! I'm 99% sure I said "no timed battles", but the game chose to ignore that (unless there's that 1% chance I screwed up and enabled them - which I very much doubt!).

Yep. This happened to me the night before last. I spent ages working my way into a suitable attack position and bomarbarding the enemy with cannon. Suddenly a 3 minute timer appeared!

Like you, I've got the timer switched off. I've certainly never seen it in any other campaign battles.

cheers,
Archie

[Quillan]

If you got a three minute timer, then the attacker had taken control of the city square. That will happen regardless if you have the battle timer on or off. If the attacker gains control of the city square and holds it for 3 minutes without losing it, they win. Battle over.

[NeutralZone940]

If you got a three minute timer, then the attacker had taken control of the city square. That will happen regardless if you have the battle timer on or off. If the attacker gains control of the city square and holds it for 3 minutes without losing it, they win. Battle over.

Except it looks like he was attacking, not defending.

And my crazy battle was in open terrain, not in a city.

This just reminded me why I put the game down for a week an indulged in some CoH, Oblivion, and BF2142 to change things up.

After the 'break' I'll give the war another shot. :)

[ArchieGremlin]

If you got a three minute timer, then the attacker had taken control of the city square. That will happen regardless if you have the battle timer on or off. If the attacker gains control of the city square and holds it for 3 minutes without losing it, they win. Battle over.

I wasn't fighting in a city either and I was the attacker.

In fact, this is why the battle took so long. I had to work my way up a mountain where the AI was camping.

cheers,
Archie

[Carl]

Whilst I do symathise with you, (and i'm afraid I can't shed any light on it except to say that maybe their is an absolute limit even for untimed battles), I have to say that the thread title is one of the funniest i've ever seen on ANY forum.

[NeutralZone940]

Whilst I do symathise with you, (and i'm afraid I can't shed any light on it except to say that maybe their is an absolute limit even for untimed battles), I have to say that the thread title is one of the funniest i've ever seen on ANY forum.

I'm glad you liked it; it was born of a moment of furious inspiration