Linking/AI Command

[captainbloodloss]

What exactly does linking, the game's term for placing a group under AI command, do? I was kind of hoping it would control the main line of battle while I focused on other, more tenuous aspects like springing an ambush or something. But it acts differently every time I use it.

[Hex Khan]

to my understanding you forfeit your control of those units to the ai, which means usually you can kiss your strategy goodbye. Since the AI usually goes on a suicidal charge for the enemy lines. Personally I've never used this fuction after the accident, when my beautiful phalanx wall was cut to pieces

[Teodosio]

What exactly does linking, the game's term for placing a group under AI command, do? I was kind of hoping it would control the main line of battle while I focused on other, more tenuous aspects like springing an ambush or something. But it acts differently every time I use it.

It could have been a very good feature but actually it's a mess. The problem is not only with the AI's tactical choices (that are decent from time to time); there are several bugs and some important shortcomings that make this feature almost useless.
1- You cannot give guidelines to the AI lieutenant, such as "advance", "protect this spot", "cover my flank", etc... [SEVERE]
2- You can only use it when defending. The AI assistant will almost never advance to attack the enemy, so if you are the attacker you will have to command yourself every unit (but this was fixed in M2TW). [SEVERE]
3- If a unit under AI assistance routs, and then rallies, it won't be under assistance anymore. You will have to re-add it to the AI group, otherwise it will just stand still, and it's not easy to notice a unit rallying during a battle. [ANNOYING]

In roman times major engagements involved several legions, each of them strong of about 5000 men. It would be wonderful to do such massive battles in a strategic game: the AI assistance would allow us to do just that, if only it didn't have the shortcomings I described.

[Domitius]

I can't see any strenghts that will be added by giving the AI the control over some of the troops. If you want to spring an ambush just pause. This will give you the time needed to check both the lines. I've never seen the AI being tactical, for example, when I was Brutii and advanced into Macedon (On VH/VH difficoulty) they attacked me with a superior force and just had to crush me! But they didn't. They had a lot of cavalry and every single one of them charged into the line of principes. This was unpatched, so the light lancers who were charging had a charge bonus on 15 (!). But anyway, it would've been more effective in every other way! Using the most ineffecient tactic when set on VH is a lack of intelligence. It may've been fixed a bit on the latest patch but I doubt so.