what causes archers to get bugged?

[dmcheatw]

sometimes i look at my archers and fire is on and it says they are firing, but when i zoom in they are just standing there. how do i prevent this or at least detect it in time?

[Khopesh]

Have they run out of ammo?

[TotalWarker]

It may be that

1. Enemy has just come into range so they are warming up their first volley
2. Only part of your unit is in range so only part of it is firing (im fairly sure this happens)

[MysticM]

I'm actually more interested in archers bugging out when you order them to switch targets.

Archers --------- Enemy Melee - Enemy Archers

I initially order my archers to take out the enemy melee units as they charge my archers. When the enemy melee units get close enough, I pull my archers back, engage with my own melee and order my archers to shoot over the melee units at the enemy archers who are in range. What often happens is my archers still end up firing at the enemy melee who are by now engaged with my own and I end up inadvertently shooting my own in the back.

Does this happen to anyone else?

[Amos]

If they are in a grouped formation they sometimes choose their own targets. I think? I ungroup them for individually selecting targets.

[MysticM]

If they are in a grouped formation they sometimes choose their own targets. I think? I ungroup them for individually selecting targets.

Huh, I'll have to try that. I always group my archers out of habit more than anything. Thanks!

[themichaelx]

It may be that

1. Enemy has just come into range so they are warming up their first volley
2. Only part of your unit is in range so only part of it is firing (im fairly sure this happens)

My guess would be the latter, especially if you archers aren't parallel to the oncoming enemy.

There could be one or two archers in the unit firing while the others are still waiting for the enemy to come into their individual range.

[MysticM]

Shouldn't they attempt to reposition themselves until the entire unit is in range of the target if that were the case? Why would they get locked in and wait for the target to come closer?

[themichaelx]

Shouldn't they attempt to reposition themselves until the entire unit is in range of the target if that were the case?

Not if you leave the archers in their current position with fire at will on.

If commanded to attack another unit, they will move so that all of the archers are in range.

[Hafnium]

Haven't had that, but some other issues are really annoying me.
1. Selecting several archers and ordering fire on a single unit rarely works, they just fire at whatever they want, I have to order them individually.
2. Even though a unit is just in range (attack icon doesn't go red) and doesn't move, they often aren't in range anyway and my archers have to walk forward (preferably into my melee line!).
3. They like to turn 90 degrees occassionally even though their target wasn't in that direction.
4. Not a bug, but it would be nice if "fire at will" made them shoot at units that aren't engaged in melee so I don't have to micro them all to stop. I'll praise the person who can mod that in along with priorities in targets (for instance (cav>arch>inf and/or number of units). =)

Other than that I'm finding the AI surprisingly good, and the melee clashes are drool-worthy!

[dutch81]

sometimes i look at my archers and fire is on and it says they are firing, but when i zoom in they are just standing there. how do i prevent this or at least detect it in time?

Was it in a siege? Or was it at the very edge (left or right ... not range) of the unit range cone because then I have seen most of the unit not involved either; sometimes you just have to alter their facing a bit.

[Inazuma]

I get a bug where if they're on the wall, they won't stop firing even after I've unchecked fire-at-will and cancelled their action.