Do you play with battle timer on ?

[Forward Observer]

In all the past total war games I always played with the timer on, but for some reason the first time I played MTW2, I chose not to use the timer and now I never use it.

I have since found several valid (valid to me anyway)reasons to continue to not use it.

1. There was no timer for battles in real life unless you count the approach of darkness. The game is unhistorical enough without adding a timer unless you also consider adding referees, cheerleaders, and a penalty box

2. I like to roam around the settlement battlefields gawking at the beautiful scenery and taking artsy-fartsy screen shots before I assault or sally.

3. I know the constraints I am facing when I conduct an assault, or I sally, and the dangers therein by playing without the timer. I know that when sallying, I have to satisfy the the win conditions to defeat whatever is outside the walls or take a loss.

I try to plan for this, and for me that is just an added challenge in a game that too many people already complain isn't challenging enough.

Cheers

P.S. My key ingredient to winning assaults and sallies

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

a high proportion of ballistae and mortars(if available)

[Betito]

Anothe situation that leads to the 'do nothing' AI bug is river crossing battle:

I noticed this on my turk campaign, facing the Tims in the two river crossings north of edessa: If the AI has got artillery, then it will try to use it first, and send its troops only after 'something' happens. That something is either:

1. The art runs outta ammo
2. The art is destroyed
3. I launcha a full - scale attack

If i didnt have art on my side, none of the three things happened, and the AI would just stand there without doing anything... just like me, except that they were the attackers, meaning they had to... well... 'do something'

[Didz]

I found that by withdrawing from the crossing points I could persuade the AI to launch its troops across the bridge, then close in on them before they changed their minds. However, this is really another scenario where the AI ought to suspend the battle and let the game proceed to the next turn.