SP - General Reserve - a simple on/off button (in the unit screen?) to keep units from spawning/fighting in battles

[not_a_viking]

By putting a unit in reserve, it will not spawn into combat, independent of you joining or if you send troops, independent of field combat or siege. The units simply are on standby and not fighting.

If you lose a fight, you have these troops as reserves to fight again or to try to escape.

The main reason I wish for this is to that I can auto resolve combat to train up troops without risking troops I want to keep. The second reason is so that I can better control which units I use and train.

• Want to train up troops but not risk your veterans? Put your veterans in reserve.
• Want to siege a castle/city but not risk your mounted units? Put them in reserves.
• Want to train up your own "Rohirrim" (i.e. Vlandian recruits) without risking the mounted units you already have? Put them in reserves.
• Want to only contribute with melee/archers/mounted units in a battle? Put all other units in reserve.
• Want to join a risky battle, like when you are in an army or joining to help out an ally, but want to spare some units in case you need to make an escape? Have some units in reserve.

Having an on/off toggle button for this in the unit screen may be less than optimal as you cannot enter the unit screen when engaged by an enemy, so this would need some planning ahead (but that might be a good thing). It would also require an extra option after a defeat, where you would be able to choose "Send in the reserves" and perhaps "Surrender reserves".

How I can activate/deactive this is less important, the important part is the core idea of being able to travel with troops and being able to select which ones that do fight, and which ones that stay at the sidelines.

EDIT: Something similar was suggested here, but my request is not unit selection when battle start, but more as a preplanned unit deployment plan/strategy. Fewer clicks and more of a longterm plan that you still can revise based on circumstance.

 

[murtega]

yes, please. especially for sieges.

 

[Calabanar]

Brilliant idea!

 

[Pejot]

I love the idea. Current reserves system is so annoying. Basically if You're in defence and You destroy the first vawe You win even if You're outnumbered cause enemy is all over the map in small groups, easy to handle. The same goes for You if your first attack is not effective your reserves will just die.

 

[Tryvenyal]

I like this idea!

With a small change, I´d love it! :

The units simply are on standby and not fighting.

If you lose a fight, you have these troops as reserves to fight again or to try to escape.

Instead of this, troops in reserves are spawned last in each battle.

Alert the player that now reserves are starting to spawn.
Reserves spawns defending their spawnnig area - NOT running towards battle.
AI - AI lords thats´s not commanders in the army or very brave put themselves as reserves.

With this change, the suggestion would not affect how battle works but allow mainly the player to do some planning.