defensive tactics, -they are people not lemmings!!

[yeoman]

hello, I just have to say that this is by far one of the most enjoyable games i have ever played, and the developers show true talent in there ability to make a game this good in the beta stage!

but on to the topic.

I have been playing this game for quite some time now, and i have noticed that although the enemy shows some skill with assulting they lack any real defensive skills. for instince, when I charge head on towards an river pirate, you would think that they would have the common sense to move out of the way but no, they respond with a frontal charge of their own.

the result being a short and brutal battle. with the emphisis on SHORT

I think that the game would be more enjoyable if the battles were longer and the AI not so suicidel, even if this resulted in a less agressive AI.

any opinions
any suggestions

 

[Ilex]

River pirates are maybe the most suicidal of them all. IF they try to block at all they lower their block just so my well aimed blow can find it's target. Others do this too, but not so often. The problem I see is that they try to attack when the horse or the players is about to enter the radius of their swing and start to swing but player while riding can swing his already readied attack. This happens often. Yeah I find suicidial people are kinda lame (in games, don't get offended if you are suicidal or some other way weird)... but that's just me.

 

[Voldy]

Yeah I find suicidial people are kinda lame (in games, don't get offended if you are suicidal or some other way weird)... but that's just me.

Sorry, I find that oddly funny

I agree that longer more difficult battles would be better. I think that better troop commands would help with this, along with better AI.

 

[yeoman]

ok bad example, but one would think that a standard foot soldier would try to seek saftey in numbers ,"formations?", or perhaps block more instead attaking every opertunity it gets.

how many here have played blade of darkness?
i mean sorta like that with circling and feigning attaks and stuff

P.S off topic but there is NO WAY a swadian crossbowman with some junky one handed sword, and no shield is going to block a war sword coming at him at about 20mph my great blade bounces off his pig sticker as if the weapons were made of styrofoam

 

[Fidelis]

P.S off topic but there is NO WAY a swadian crossbowman with some junky one handed sword, and no shield is going to block a war sword coming at him at about 20mph my great blade bounces off his pig sticker as if the weapons were made of styrofoam

He might not block it entirely, but he could probably deflect it while ducking out of the way.

 

[jackx]

That's the biggest gripe I have with the combat system... you block, both with shields and with your weapon, when you would try to deflect whenever possible (not only because it is less stressful for your equipment, but because it also makes it alot easier to follow up with an attack of your own)...


And yes, infantry needs better tactics... right now, it's more random than anything else...

Every now and then, you'll witness a proper infantry attack, which, besides looking cool, is also a lot harder to beat... I think I still have nightmares of that one group of Vaegir Veterans I tried to kill together with my Crossbowmen, only to see a solid line of shields advancing, with the Vaegir with polearms/great weapons safely in the 2nd rank... a few were wounded and one was killed, if I remember correctly, but then their attack hit home, my Crossbowmen moved to meet it and once the battle had become bogged down (both fighting ranks carried shields wich prevented swift kills), the Vaegir with the great weapons swerved round on the sides, cutting at the unprotected flanks of my men and slaughtering them in a matter of heartbeats...

 

[alesch]

I've never seen that happen I'd love to see something like that... AI is certainly one of my bigger gripes. My main other gripe beign that you can't join the Khergits!!!

 

[ChiefTroLL]

well, River Pirates are the lowest of low enemies, they arn't very skilled fighters and don't realy know how to handle themselfs in battle, they are supposed to be that easy and i like it, i mean what else can you take on when you just start out?

As you start to take on other things you see that they get better at defending themselfs, and i have noticed many times that when you start to aim an arrow at an enemy they start to zick zack to make it harder to hit them, they also take cover behind trees and such stuff.

I can't realy complain on the AI, and i am using the easy level, i hope that if i put it on higher level the enemies would show even better defencive capabillities...

What i realy love tho is that when they attack, they use their horsemen exactly how they are supposed to be used, they go for flankingmissions and use diversive tactics and stuff....

i can't realy find anything wrong with the AI in battle... but maybe thats just me =)

 

[Tarrak]

As you start to take on other things you see that they get better at defending themselfs, and i have noticed many times that when you start to aim an arrow at an enemy they start to zick zack to make it harder to hit them, they also take cover behind trees and such stuff.

What i realy love tho is that when they attack, they use their horsemen exactly how they are supposed to be used, they go for flankingmissions and use diversive tactics and stuff....

Oh yeah... Those Sea Raiders dodge quite well. I usually wait for them to set up their own ranged attacks, that also eliminates their shields.

I think the cavalry are just acting like that because we often try to hold the high ground. So while your cavalry is bogged down at the foot of the hill, the enemy cavalry is forced to go around the hill because it is too steep or something from the front. Thus you fail to see them. On flat ground it is simply because the enemy often charge in at high speed, then they have a wide turningradius and come back at you from one side.

 

[ChiefTroLL]

well yes that could be but i have seen other things like them gong round on flat ground and such too...