The 1 guy alone in the back no retreat strategy ...

[Cohen]

Well, I've noticed is commonly used to put a single man in the back, usually crippled, or to have a lot of single-unit group to fake the arrows, area spellcasting and so on.
This is usually done with massed mages behind or such things.

These forces are so minimal and insignificant that seems me an exploit of the fact the commanders won't retreat if there's a troop platoon in the battlefield.

I'd like to see this corrected in the next patch, to see having this platoon a minimal starting size, to be effective to prevent the rout of the commanders.
Or based on numbers or on the hitpoints of the troops or on the cost/resources. (if we put minimal number to 10 cercatin nations like Ulm or Abysya could have great problem in starting expansion with troops).

I hope I've explained myself.

[Gandalf Parker]

One guy standing at the back of an army looking important enough to draw enemy actions, doesnt sound like an unrealistic thing. Make him heavily outfitted with armor and defense items even if he fatigues and it seems like a workable tactic.

The problem might be that the results are too predictable. Machine-like in its action/reaction. Of course machine+random=more-human so maybe we need to get the randoms increased.

-- (sig line)
Do you wish for Artificial Intelligence?
Or do you wish for Artificially Human?
The two are very different goals.

[tinkthank]

I'm afraid I don't see your point at all. What do you feel is being exploited? That commanders won't rout because there's some crappy troops left? Why is this an exploit? If you can't kill those crappy troops, then I don't think those commanders should have to rout just because you want them to. I would not like the current system changed.

[Cohen]

A massed 10 unit of militia will rout easily and quickly.
A 10 unit of militia spreaded in the battlefield in single unit group will take a lot of time to take out by arrows, spellcasting or even troops that have to reach them all.

You can gain a lot of spellcasting turns before eevr routing with this strategy.

[tinkthank]

This does not seem like an exploit to me, since there are pros and cons.
The con would also be: a single militia may rout without being hit at all when he just sees the enemy coming (I am sure you have seen this happen). Also, a single militia is also still easier to wound or frighten than a group of militia.
Similarly, a group of militia may actually slow down incoming enemy troops at least long enough for them to get killed; and if they rout, the enemy will usually follow them and try to kill them all. A single militia will just get mowed down and that's the end of him, and will not even slow down a group of approaching infantry or cavalry at all.
Remember, a commander can have only 5 squads max, so you cannot infinitely spread out your troops anyhow.
I think that spreading out troops is not an "exploit" which need be addressed.

[Vynd]

If there is a problem here, I think it is that it is so easy to use small Groups of weak units as decoys. What I want, in this situation, is for my troops to ignore the individual militamen sprinkled about the battlefield and go for the mages that are actually hurting them. If my men would kill the mages instead of wandering from one clump of miltia to the next, then who cares if the militia keep the mages from routing?

[PvK]

Yes, I think the actual issue is with some of the AI decisions, mainly Fire Closest firing 30 missile attacks at one crippled slave.

I think spreading up the light units is a valid tactic - it's just that in some ways the AI's response is too simple, inefficient and predictable. As Gandalf said, it makes sense to be able to create decoys - the replay reveals the ruse, but the men on the field don't have such an omniscient perspective, and at a distance can't always tell Sir Supertough apart from Ugh the crippled slave with a costume on.

I don't think routing should be increased, though. Wizards in particular would appreciate the value of an intact diVersion. If anything, I'd suggest tweaking the AI so it attacks a bit more judiciously in the problem cases (taking target unit size/strength into account a bit more, such as distributing missile fire better amongst the available targets, rather than concentrating everyone on the one closest unit).

PvK

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Cohen:
These forces are so minimal and insignificant that seems me an exploit of the fact the commanders won't retreat if there's a troop platoon in the battlefield.

This isn't an exploit: This is a fix for an obnoxious behavior where commanders, your *ACTUAL* fighting force, automatically retreat without any regard for morale when your decoy and distractionary force dies. Fix the first behavior, and the second behavior will immediately cease, since it serves no other purpose.