Melee Attack Rear

[NTJedi]

I've noticed that for flying melee units when I give the order for Attack_Rear..... 70% of the time they don't. They just seem to randomly fly and attack one of the Groups on the battlefield.

Also with Melee units I have set for Attack_Rear. I will notice it working fine for about 4 turns.... then without reason they switch to attack whatever is closest ! So many times I've screamed at my spider knights saying ignore the mindless goons and ATTACK_REAR... unfortunately they don't.


Has anyone else seen this ? I know how to position units on the battlemap before the battle... but like I said by turn_4 they always attack whatever is closest.

[Shael]

the air unit thing really bugs me
as for the ground orders
they try to flank the enemy
and attack CLOSEST enemys rear
not commanders

[Truper]

Well yeah, the whole point of the attack commanders order being replaced by attack rear is that singling out commanders was just too cheesy.

I wonder if unit "scripts" run out after 5 turns just like they do for mages, and the units start doing whatever they think best.

[trebuchet]

I think applying this change to troops is an improvement. I would like it if the commanders were a little more flexible; for example if I have my old standard Black Servant fitted up with flying boots, poison bladder, and a medallion of vengeance, there ought to be a way to tell him to go after the command Groups in the *real* rear, rather than just the back of the front line. And, given there's no room for the typical confusion involved in giving orders to large units, chain of command, etc, he ought to be able to carry them out very accurately.

From a game balance perspective, I don't think that this would be cheesy or overpowered either.

[PvK]

Often units do make it to the far rear, but not always. I'm not sure why, but it seems reasonable and interesting if they don't always find the same type of rear, so to speak.

As for what the rear units do... Last night my prophet (Hypaspist commander) was sitting in the rear yelling surmons of courage when eight mounter Marignon royal guards made it to the far rear where he was, and charged right up next to him and started hacking at him. For several turns, my prophet basically just parried and dodged, and continued to yell surmons of courage at the front-line troops. None of the archers or other rear fighter-commanders reacted to the attack for several turns. The first to do so were actually a couple of brigands I'd hired as quick archers, though the slinger militia corps did hurl stones at them after a while. The ironic thing is I think the surmons may have nearly won me the battle. In the end, my prophet only took 8 of 24 points of damage, and the royal guards ran away. My main infantry killed or routed most but not all of their archers, and then we all ran away while a couple of grail knights and a few archers held the field for Marignon. Anyway, my point is - the flankers seem interestingly varied in whom they end up attacking, which I actually like, so far - but it seems like commanders in the rear might more be more reasonable to fight back when attacked at sword range.

PvK

[Gandalf Parker]

They seem to angle in too soon. "Attack Rearmost" needs to have a Knights move added to it (like in Chess). Two down and then one over.

What I do to get around it is use a commanders more complete scripting. Have him hold on the flanks for a round or two to give the enemy time to move past him, THEN have him attack rearmost. Keep the units with him by having them "gaurd commander"