I think my missile units are retarded.

[Hooy]

With Skirmish mode on, they wait so long before moving that they are ALWAYS hit by infantry charges. Is it supposed to be like that? Even my MISSILE cavalry have trouble running, and often times when told to attack a unit out of their range, they run straight into them. Even with Skirmish on.

[kbibs89]

lol it might have to do with the shorted charge distance for most units (but to be honest i really dont know cause i never use skirmish on my archers and almost never use HA and if i do I try no to let it come to a point to were that ai has to kick in cause ai is exactly that; Artificial Intelligence.

[Blakdust]

a little micromanagement solves the problem
I usually turn it off anyway so i can run archers right behind the enemy an shoot em in the back point blank while there engaged

[Hooy]

It worked plenty fine in Vanilla... Is there a way to change it? Or can someone create a quick patch to not make them worthless?

[Hooy]

My main issue is that horse archers aren't easily micromanaged all the time because I tend to rely on their ability to not stand there and get charged by a Hummer of a heavy knight unit going at 2/3 the HA's capable speed.

[Blakdust]

Yeah your right Hooy i remember when this wasnt a problem
at times it can be a handy feature

[kgasuns]

Yes, annoying thing indeed. Specially with crossbowmen (they practically do not react to charges, as most keep on reloading or shooting) and horse archers (they sometimes do not start moving even when micromanaged). The problem is specially pronounced with cavalry charges.

[green tea]

It worked plenty fine in Vanilla... Is there a way to change it? Or can someone create a quick patch to not make them worthless?

I think one of the main problems and a source of much trouble in M2TW is the (missing) unit cohesion, if that is the right word. They just don´t stay in formation. Only because of that, pathfinding, walls and towers/ladders, rooting, charging and everything else is messed up. I think the person that could find out how to keep the units together so that all those things that worked in Rome work here would get the TWC Modders Award for general Awesomeness.

[Point Blank]

It is to do with the skirmish settings in the battle_config.xml file. See if the following helps:

<unit>
<!-- phalanx configuration -->
<phalanx>
<intercept-range>15</intercept-range>
</phalanx>
<!-- skirmish configuration -->
<skirmish>
<infantry>
<default>
<!-- ignore targets at a distance greater than the maximum range times this scale factor -->
<max-range-scale>1.5</max-range-scale>

<!-- must skirmish if within this range -->
<min-range>25</min-range>

<!-- stop at this distance if the enemy is blocking the path -->
<min-stopping-range>75</min-stopping-range>

<!-- time to react to being intercepted -->
<collision-reaction-time>2</collision-reaction-time>

<!-- retreat buffer time -->
<retreat-time>6</retreat-time>

<!-- don't skirmish until attackers are within this fraction of the missile range -->
<range-factor>
<moving>1.1</moving>

<shooting>0.80</shooting>
</range-factor>
</default>

<gunpowder>
<!-- ignore targets at a distance greater than the maximum range times this scale factor -->
<max-range-scale>1.5</max-range-scale>

<!-- must skirmish if within this range -->
<min-range>30</min-range>

<!-- stop at this distance if the enemy is blocking the path -->
<min-stopping-range>75</min-stopping-range>

<!-- time to react to being intercepted -->
<collision-reaction-time>6</collision-reaction-time>

<!-- retreat buffer time -->
<retreat-time>7</retreat-time>

<!-- don't skirmish until attackers are within this fraction of the missile range -->
<range-factor>
<moving>1.1</moving>

<shooting>0.80</shooting>
</range-factor>
</gunpowder>
</infantry>

<cavalry>
<default>
<!-- ignore targets at a distance greater than the maximum range times this scale factor -->
<max-range-scale>1.5</max-range-scale>

<!-- must skirmish if within this range -->
<min-range>30</min-range>

<!-- stop at this distance if the enemy is blocking the path -->
<min-stopping-range>60</min-stopping-range>

<!-- time to react to being intercepted -->
<collision-reaction-time>2</collision-reaction-time>

<!-- retreat buffer time -->
<retreat-time>6</retreat-time>

<!-- don't skirmish until attackers are within this fraction of the missile range -->
<range-factor>
<moving>1.1</moving>

<shooting>0.80</shooting>
</range-factor>

<!-- reaction time for cantabrian circle -->
<cantabrian-reaction-time>10</cantabrian-reaction-time>
</default>

<gunpowder>
<!-- ignore targets at a distance greater than the maximum range times this scale factor -->
<max-range-scale>1.5</max-range-scale>

<!-- must skirmish if within this range -->
<min-range>30</min-range>

<!-- stop at this distance if the enemy is blocking the path -->
<min-stopping-range>60</min-stopping-range>

<!-- time to react to being intercepted -->
<collision-reaction-time>2</collision-reaction-time>

<!-- retreat buffer time -->
<retreat-time>6</retreat-time>

<!-- don't skirmish until attackers are within this fraction of the missile range -->
<range-factor>
<moving>1.1</moving>

<shooting>0.80</shooting>
</range-factor>

<!-- reaction time for cantabrian circle -->
<cantabrian-reaction-time>10</cantabrian-reaction-time>
</gunpowder>
</cavalry>

</skirmish>
<!-- missile units can exceed their max range by this percentage -->
<max-missile-range-extension>20</max-missile-range-extension>
</unit>