Attacking in SPQR

[Endeav]

I've been playing SPQR for 2 months now, and I've always had a problem while attacking. This didn't really happen in Vanilla as the AI was, well, more dumb.

Anyway, the problem is that when I attack another army (on a field, not a siege), I line up my troops in the formation I use. All is going well until I actually have to advance on them. Now, when I do this, one of a couple things can happen. I will have my troops in a line with the general centered behind the main line, but even with this the enemy lines will shift. Evil things happen as a result of this, especially when the ai shifts its entire army to the right or left when there's less than 100 meters between the AI's army and my own. I usually can't shift in time and the entire ai's force either takes up the incentive and attacks against one of my flanks that isn't fully covered, or I shift my units to match the AI's force and it does another shift to the other side (which gets really aggrivating real quick).

Something else the Ai will sometimes do that totally throws me off is I have my front lines and flanking troops advance in proper line, but when I close in the Ai rears up its entire army. Now my supporting missle and cavalry that I had in the positions I wanted them have to be moved up, which takes 45 seconds to reposition my army again. Advance my front line again and the computer rears up again . This goes on a couple more times and it takes 3-4 minutes of chasing the AI army before I can actually make contact (and boy was this a pain in the ass when I had a macedonian game going with a line of royal phalanxes).

So how do the rest of you get around this? Its not THAT big of an issue, but I sometimes lose a lot more units than I should because my lines became disrupted from having to chase a retreating AI.

Oh yea, whats up with the AI's withdrawl sometimes? I attack an AI army on the strategy map, it doesn't retreat, given Odds are 2:1 in my favor, but when I go to make contact with the AI in the battle map it rears up to the edge of the map, and just as I have some archers shoot their skirmishers, their entire army withdraws (wasting a good deal of time in the process).

[Sidmen]

Don't attack, seriously. In general its better to position your army on a nearby hill and let them come to you.

As for your problem, well it realy isn't a problem, just some basic AI. The enemy is positioning its army so that it has the largest advantage possible against yours, which because you have more troops killed means its working. In reality no general would have his army charge into a pike line, he would manuver untill the line is broken and then attack. Well, if he was any good.

[Lusted]

And the ai is just being smart if it withdraws when you outnumber it so much, it realises it can't win.

[Endeav]

I usually do have it so that I'm defending, but sometimes you just have to attack them... I normally do not have high quality garrisons or no garrison at all and only a governor, so I need to attack to lift a siege.

The enemy withdrawing thing, yea I know, except that they didn't withdraw on the strategy map when they still had turns left, so what I was trying to say was that I would attack an army, the given odds are 2:! in my favor but they didn't retreat on the strategy map, so when it comes to the battle map, I spend time setting up but they retreat anyways, wasting 10-15 minutes.

[Siddyus]

Well, atleast you are finally facing a smart AI that has strategy and advantage on its sleeves. Well, I myself has one strategy to conquer Rome without any SPQR armies guarding them. I would let the Gauls attack SPQR until SPQR has been reduced to only a few armies and most of their armies are currently fighting the Gallic advance. Then I would attack Rome(which is only guarded by 1-3 units) then before their main force arrives--Rome has been conquered!

[MasterAdnin]

Also, you might want to note what I do.

I basicly line my troops up and have 2 units of archers. Once the Onagers start their shooting, I get my men into phalanx, because your playing as Macedon correct? After that, once my archers, Cretan Archers preferably, open up, I advance my men and start the attack. They're supported by 4 cavalry units. Two on the flanks, the other two in the middle to get through any gaps they see. This is pretty affective.

Adnan

[mercja]

Thats why I love playing the AI in SPQR, they are smarter and stronger as a whole and it makes the fighting more realistic. Yes they do annoy you by moving around all the time and reforming their lines , but if you are close enough and see a big shift in the lines.. then initiate the attack and catch them off guard. WOrks for me every time.

[TerraHero]

putting long range units in the field, Onagers, balista, stone catapults and archers can be used to massacre the enemy from a distance and will often force him to come to you to avoid losing alot of its men prior to actually engagement. I found it a very usefull tool to have an Onager, attack an enemy and wait for them to attack you. If the enemy is really outnumbered they often stand still and get slaughtered by your onagers and archers, and when you wanna move in your infantery and cavalry they will withdraw from the field if they can.

[Tacticalwithdrawal]

ok, there is a simple(ish) way around this which is also (I think) actually fairly historical.

You'll find the AI generally shifts it's army around when you reach a specific point in relation to it. Through a bit of experimentation I've found this point is just after your slingers get into range (ie. your slingers can hit the first line of the AI army).

So what I do is to advance my army as a block with the slingers in the first rank (2-3 lines deep) and my first line of hastati immediately behind them. Then you advance your army so it is close to the AI army but still not within slinger range. If the AI starts maneuvering its army during this time then you can stop this by maneuvering so you gain the high ground (if any).

Once you are close move forward in little 'jumps' (ie. get your troops to run) until your slingers are just in range. Then you need to selct the entire army and run them forward so that your front line is only a few yards from the enemy formation (don't click on the AI troops to attack, I think it is this that causes the AI to move). You now have your troops lined up just in front of his troops in nice pilum range (if Rome), throw all your pilums and then engage.

This works 9 time out of 10, the only thing you have to watch for is the AI counter-charging when you are making your last advance (which can get a bit messy...).

A nice bonus is that the final quick advance will force the AI skirmishers to retreat, which can save you a lot of casualties.

[Hadrian]

I also use similar tactics, Tacticalwithdrawal,(man,thats a long one,cool,but long!Any suggestions for a "nickname"for you?) and the final pilum throw before the charge kicks butt! Sometimes you can shock the enemy with the first throw,hold your men,and get another off! I like this tactic especially if the enemy has archers cause it quickly closes ranks with the enemy on my terms.You take some fire creeping up but most of the casualties are skirmishers,slingers,etc...

MasterAdnin's advancing under cover of his own fire is also good for suppresing the enemy skirmishers and missile troops during his advance as well.

[mercja]

Once my slinger gained about three exp a piece by doing what you said Tactical. Thats the same way I go at it.

[DeeDee]

A good way to get your units to the enemy is to set them up in the formation before battle(wide formations work well because it makes the ai manouvering less effective).

Then select all your units and group them

then with all units in a group select them and when you drag them you should get yellow little trangles representing them(I like to get as close as a velites range fire off a few salvo take out their Chosens and then charge but if you are using A phalanx army you can place your army right on em cuz you don't have to charge.

Works a treat for me.

Before I knew how to do this I was completely on the defensive all the time and the only time i would make any ground was to sneek around their armies and siege the enemies cities but now with enemy cities so far away in 6.1.

hope this helps

[spiers]

Thats what i like doing, put my infanty in one huge long line and say "try and get round me now! just dont break through me"