Light Infantry... what the ****

[Vicious Love]

I definitely agree with the skirmishing suggestion. Makes LI much better at their designated role without changing the gold=stats resources=equipment rule.
I'm also inclined to support the terrain+encumbrance=initial fatigue at start of battle suggestion, though I'm more than a little worried about this giving AE Ermor and its 0 encumbrance troops an unfair advantage.
Then again, it sure is thematic.
Setting game balance concerns aside and tackling this strictly from a simulation arc, the defenders in difficult terrain should either get only half the fatigue similarly encumbered attackers would get, or none at all. Swamp/Mountain/etc. survival units should also gain either half or none of the standard fatigue.

Edit: Accidental BBCode. Hate when that happens.

[ April 14, 2004, 22:02: Message edited by: Vicious Love ]

[MStavros]

The main problem is that the AI loves to use these useless units as well. This is a part of the 'weak AI' problem.

[HotNifeThruButr]

This isn't really about LI, but I'd like it a lot if the timed orders like Hold and Attack and Fire and Flee gave you an option for timing. Like 1 turn of firing if your troops are javelineers, so the HI can't catch up to you before you run or 3-4 turns if you're using archers and you don't want them to fire when your infantry lines clash.

Also, if the battlefield were longer on both ends, so that both sides would have to run farther in routs, lighter units would be able to run down retreating heavies if you have no national cavalry and you actually managed to beat them.

[Jasper]

Originally posted by MStavros:
The main problem is that the AI loves to use these useless units as well. This is a part of the 'weak AI' problem.

I agree. Improving the use of LI in battle won't by itself address this single player issue, as you still wouldn't want as many LI as the AI builds.

The AI should avoid building (most) LI unless desperate. Instead, higher priority should be given to buying mages or castles. Giving the AI players a prediliction for high admin castles and a good production scale would likely help as well.

[Daynarr]

Originally posted by Jasper:
I agree. Improving the use of LI in battle won't by itself address this single player issue, as you still wouldn't want as many LI as the AI builds.

The AI should avoid building (most) LI unless desperate. Instead, higher priority should be given to buying mages or castles. Giving the AI players a prediliction for high admin castles and a good production scale would likely help as well.

I agree that both should be fixed, but fixing one wont fix another. The thing I've learned about AI in SP is that he will build his troops in castle as much as he has gold or resources, but remaining gold will be spent on building units in non-castle provinces - usually militia and LI. If AI could build forts this issue would be much reduces and if LI gets fixed (improved) the problem with AI building masses of weak units will be solved.

The problem with castles was already discussed and the main problem seems to be that its hard to make rules on how would AI decide to build his castles. I would suggest discussing this in another thread since its pretty large topic and it wouldn't be good if this one loses focus on current issue.

[Pocus]

Originally posted by Jasper:
Faster fatigue during the battle gives me mental dissonance, as there is no terrain on the battlefield. If the field _were_ uniformly covered in rough terrain, then units like HI, cavalry, and archers should be useless.

Partially covering terrain would be ok, but is just too complex for the dominions battle engine to handle (and is perhaps better handled in another game...).

Accruing fatigue from terrain throughout the battle seems to be more realistic compared to receiving an allocation of fatigue at start of battle. Moreover a relief spell cast at start would render the rule even less plausible, whereas the added fatigue rule would not be as easily circumvented.
Thats all IMHO anyway.

[Vicious Love]

Methinks the LI of such nations as Machaka and Mictlan would be made a lot more cost effective if the "fire and stay behind troops" or "fire and flee to one region/the same region if victorious" suggestions were implemented.
Couple that with skirmishing, and you've got a troop type every bit as a viable as heavy infantry, but with substantially different capabilities and tactical/strategic roles. You might not even have to tweak the AI's propensity for stocking up on the little bastards.

Update: Besides, it's about time we had some guerilla tactics beyond driveby priestings, strikes behind enemy lines, and funky mage combos. And consistent use of these tactics/their countertactics could add a whole new meaning to battlefield mobility, maybe give light cavalry another two of their RL roles back(Either fire and flee or mow down whoever tries to flee).

C'mon, this game isn't nearly complex enough at the moment.

[ April 15, 2004, 12:13: Message edited by: Vicious Love ]