I just had this happen that for once the AI was smart that in a field battle when the first engagement went decidedly against them they withdrew from the battlefield with more than 400 men. Good AI!
However this just returned to the battle selection aka after wittling down an army in the 800-1000 strength I could simply engage them again with just 400 which made them easy to destroy (first engagement 1:1, second 2:1 advantage in numbers let alone quality) and in that case they should have stood and fought the first battle and would have been able to inflict more casualties on me. So this (actually smart) behavior is self sabotaging in the wider campaign map.
Armies/Parties really need some ability to run away effectively with some effect meaning they cannot engage anyone and probably need to gather their forces.
I could image something like everyone is in a status like wounded and the army needs to wait for those numbers to recover over some time. In the fleeing state their leaders are faster (maybe as if they are alone or a very small mounted party or even boosted ontop), but cannot attack anyone until some time has passed or they made some distance from enemy parties/entered a friendly settlement. Maybe the movement calculation is even so you don't need to boost anything
To prevent exploit by players / make it a bit more costly by having some desertion rate during that time as well. But if we take above 400 example that at least 350 men can be recovered. Or a cool down that you cannot flee the battlefield for the first minute or two meaning if you just want to run away the enemy can still do a number on you.
Kind of simulate a scattered force that still has nominally a good chunk of people but has to gather them again.
I know in reality you could use cavalry to hunt down and smash such scattered units, but I just feel there should be some way for an army to flee from defeat without the certainty of 100% casualties which is why things go so lopsided now because armies get completely destroyed easily. There is even actively a downside to flee instead of standing and fighting to the death.
PS: Another thought I would have would be if running away troops do not disappear but reappear in garrisons or the like. May be a bit messy, but would also allow for more troops that escaped are again available somewhere.
However this just returned to the battle selection aka after wittling down an army in the 800-1000 strength I could simply engage them again with just 400 which made them easy to destroy (first engagement 1:1, second 2:1 advantage in numbers let alone quality) and in that case they should have stood and fought the first battle and would have been able to inflict more casualties on me. So this (actually smart) behavior is self sabotaging in the wider campaign map.
Armies/Parties really need some ability to run away effectively with some effect meaning they cannot engage anyone and probably need to gather their forces.
I could image something like everyone is in a status like wounded and the army needs to wait for those numbers to recover over some time. In the fleeing state their leaders are faster (maybe as if they are alone or a very small mounted party or even boosted ontop), but cannot attack anyone until some time has passed or they made some distance from enemy parties/entered a friendly settlement. Maybe the movement calculation is even so you don't need to boost anything
To prevent exploit by players / make it a bit more costly by having some desertion rate during that time as well. But if we take above 400 example that at least 350 men can be recovered. Or a cool down that you cannot flee the battlefield for the first minute or two meaning if you just want to run away the enemy can still do a number on you.
Kind of simulate a scattered force that still has nominally a good chunk of people but has to gather them again.
I know in reality you could use cavalry to hunt down and smash such scattered units, but I just feel there should be some way for an army to flee from defeat without the certainty of 100% casualties which is why things go so lopsided now because armies get completely destroyed easily. There is even actively a downside to flee instead of standing and fighting to the death.
PS: Another thought I would have would be if running away troops do not disappear but reappear in garrisons or the like. May be a bit messy, but would also allow for more troops that escaped are again available somewhere.
