Reinforcements

[dfeal]

Here's a quick question I have never quite worked out for RTW; how do your reinforcements work?

I try to backup my main force with 1 or 2 extra stacks but I can hardly ever retreat my unit (say a Velite unit after all javelins are spent) in order to gain a new unit for the battle. I find that when I send 2 to 3 stacks against the AI's 3 or 4 stacks the AI always gets reinforcements before me. I sometime have to survive 3 or 4 of the AI stacks before my reinforcements arrive, and they were placed right by my side!

So, what is the best way to control the reinforcements feed?

[century x]

Play near the end of a battle field. So when a unit of youres retreats. It will take less time for them to leave the battle field. Multiply this by a army and you can use your reinforcements a little better.

Or let the stupid AI control them.

[Lucius Tiberius Vorenus]

Man I wish you could "prompt" when you want your AI reinforcements to join the battle, when AI is controlling them.

There's nothing worse than seeing your AI army RUNNING across the entire battlefield, arriving exhausted, spread out all over the battlefield, then your AI reinforcement general charges in alone headlong into enemy phalynx.

I'd personally like to be able to maneuver to a strategic location(high ground preferrably), let my archers or skirmishers do their thing, let my infantry start wearing down the enemy, then call in my AI reinforcements.

Too bad there's no way to script this, so your AI reinforcements stay put until your prompt the script.

[dfeal]

Play near the end of a battle field. So when a unit of youres retreats. It will take less time for them to leave the battle field. Multiply this by a army and you can use your reinforcements a little better. Or let the stupid AI control them.

Yep, I know that. But in many battles I cannot issue the withdraw command. It is grayed out.

And I'd still like to know how the Hell you get your armies to arrive in time. Mine hardly never arrive on time, whereas as I've said before, the AI can see several armies arrive.

I wonder if destroying a stack triggers then next arrival? If so, how do I force reinforcements without killing my units? When a unit has fought well and increased its veteran status I would like to withdraw it and save it. But if you can't issue the withdraw command, you're stuck. =o(

re: AI control
Erm, no. The AI just charges straight into the enemy with no tactics at all. M2TW does this a tad better as you can tell the AI controlled army to move, defend or attack.

[century x]

In the preference file DO you have unlimited men on battle field set to true.

[Nellup]

As century said, make sure you are allowing unlimited men of the battlefield.

The reason the withdraw button is greyed out is if withdrawing would destroy your army, because it has nowhere to retreat to on the campaign map.

[dfeal]

If I enable unlimited men wont the AI bring all its stacks in at the same time? I could then face 8000 or more men at the the same time. Bear in mind I can only control 20 units (approx. 3000-4000). Also, my PC would struggle with over 8000 men on the battlefield at once. With my high settings two full stacks is enough.

What do you suggest? Do I lower all the settings temporary for any multi-stack engagement?

[Coldcall]

If I enable unlimited men wont the AI bring all its stacks in at the same time? I could then face 8000 or more men at the the same time. Bear in mind I can only control 20 units (approx. 3000-4000). Also, my PC would struggle with over 8000 men on the battlefield at once. With my high settings two full stacks is enough.

What do you suggest? Do I lower all the settings temporary for any multi-stack engagement?

Thats the conundrum :-) I find with unlimited men the ai reinforcments show up immediatley, but of course as the player, you are still limited to 20 units at a time. So you must withdraw a unit before bringing a new one on.

Also another issue i have with the whole reinforcements lark is how the enemy reinforcements can show up right next to you if you are close to the red lines. This is kind of silly as they used scouts in ancient times and were usually very well aware of who's army was where or how close.

I find the whole reinforcements lark one of the most annoying aspects in the game.

[martyr]

is this unlimited men thing the reason why enemy reinforcements are never late?

[Nellup]

If you have unlimited men enabled, then no reinforcements should be late.