AI formations suck.

[AeRo412]

Ok, i like the "idea" of them. But this is rediculous.

Every single battle, no matter who against, i have to march my soldiers across the WHOLE map because the AI likes to get into the battle, sit in a big line, and wait for me to do all the walking. It takes 5 minutes to just get to them. (Real time)

In the regular diplomacy/pbod mod i was able to turn it off. How do i turn this off now? I see no option. Or is there a fix to this?

Looters shouldnt be in a formation at all..they are men with daggers and no armor..they should be running at me imo.

 

[Mooncabbage]

I have never seen looters in formation. Usually only AI lords use formations. You can turn it off under mod options on the camp menu however. Not that you really need to, if desired you can usually break an enemy formation just by killing a few of them, a relatively simple task if mounted.

 

[Sobakozoid]

Hint.
No need to move your army to enemy line. You can order them to hold position. Then ride and kill one enemy. That will break their formation and they start moving.
This feature is very helpfull when you in minority. Because you need time to occupy good location.

 

[NacroxNicke]

Hint.
No need to move your army to enemy line. You can order them to hold position. Then ride and kill one enemy. That will break their formation and they start moving.
This feature is very helpfull when you in minority. Because you need time to occupy good location.

That's more like a workaround than an "Hint"

And it doesn't work for people that like to play on foot (horses are like using speeders lol)

 

[AeRo412]

I dont see the option is mod settings...is this because im running IR? And its not the matter of formation that annoys me, its the fact that the AI doesnt march to me in formation, they get in formation and sit there.

And riding all the way to the enemy just to taunt them to come to me is pretty silly. Armies should march to eachother.

And to be honest, in native "diplomacy/pbod" when i used to turn AI formations off, the AI would still use formations, but they would come to me as well, which was pretty great. So idk why even enable that feature.

 

[AeRo412]

I just double checked and theres nothing that says anything about formations in mod "preferences"

 

[AeRo412]

Anyone have an answer?

Now whats weird is i just fought a battle where someone attacked me with 150 troops. and i was able to hold position on a hill and they marched to me...So sometimes they do?

I dont understand. What makes the AI march to me, and then other fights the AI sits there. Is it who attacks who?

Oh and another thing...when i chase someone down and attack them, why is it coming up as me getting "ambushed"?

 

[Hypno Toad]

I dont see the option is mod settings...is this because im running IR? And its not the matter of formation that annoys me, its the fact that the AI doesnt march to me in formation, they get in formation and sit there.

And riding all the way to the enemy just to taunt them to come to me is pretty silly. Armies should march to eachother.

And to be honest, in native "diplomacy/pbod" when i used to turn AI formations off, the AI would still use formations, but they would come to me as well, which was pretty great. So idk why even enable that feature.

"Armies should march to each other"

So, it shouldn't be up to the player how they want to play? Nor should the enemy suffer from fear or uncertainty in combat? When Im facing an inferior number of enemies and they are holding formation, usually sit on horseback and fire my composite bow at them until they just rush at me and then I cut them down with my cavalry when they are in a flat area... and frankly I dont see why that wouldn't be a viable tactic. May not have been traditional, but if you start killing people in a shieldwall from a distance and they have no way to stop you, Im sure they'd probably break formation eventually.


It seems to depend on the quality and volume of troops. Franks, Dena raiders and Unright Gang generally always rush because they seem to be insane... wheras if you face an army they may be more inclined to let you go on the offensive... there's often a stalemate that you need to break by harassing enemy troops... either that or you need to tell your troops to move at their shield wall, and you need to make an effort to break up their lines so your troops can get amongst them.

 

[Mooncabbage]

So, it shouldn't be up to the player how they want to play? Nor should the enemy suffer from fear or uncertainty in combat? When Im facing an inferior number of enemies and they are holding formation, usually sit on horseback and fire my composite bow at them until they just rush at me and then I cut them down with my cavalry when they are in a flat area... and frankly I dont see why that wouldn't be a viable tactic. May not have been traditional, but if you start killing people in a shieldwall from a distance and they have no way to stop you, Im sure they'd probably break formation eventually.

Similar events occured at the Battle of Hastings. More particularly, the retreat of the norman infantry caused elements of the english shieldwall to pursue, breaking formation, and they were in large part destroyed by the norman cavalry. Also there is the story of the bard Taillefer, who rode out juggling and singing in front of the english line, presumably in an attempt to enrage the english into breaking formation.