Beach Landings

[The True Roman]

As cool as it sounds to be able to command Beach landings do you really think You'll use it that often? I feel like I'd Rather find a safe place to land rather then risk so many lives trying to take the beach head. IDk its a great Idea to have in the game but I don't think I'll risk my mens lives just to have something cool to look at when I have so many more battles ahead of me still. I mean we just got there

[Aanker]

In order to avoid desert attrition from marching from that safe place, maybe.

[swoosh so]

To be honest the thought of beach landings doesn't really interest me in the game in either sp or mp.

[MasterBigAb]

I think it is a nice feature - if you see the enemy fleet coming you might move your troops to the coast so your enemy has no "save place to land" - may be the AI will try that as well, would be a good idea IMO as the defenders have a little advantage. But may be you can use and fire with/from your ships on them as well already

[jaca42]

I quite like the idea, even if it isnt used that often its still a nice feature to have.
Not only does it add variety to the game but it gives even more freedom for players who want to try new strategies/challenges.

[bob_2000]

I love the idea because it allows for an instant surprise attack instead of landing, giving the AI a turn to materialize defensive units, and THEN try to attack.

[swoosh so]

So easy tho just to move your ship a little to the left or right to land. Only an incapable ai is going to fall for it in the campaign as a player will just move that bit extra to get on unblocked land.

Unless they have some sort of system where an army near a coast can "defend" a massive area not just the area that its currently sitting in? thats one possible way to make sure these battles take place i guess and not stretching the imagination too far.

[nameless]

The beach landings would probably be restricted to the ports since those could be garrisoned and coastal cities. That and if the ships land in an army's zone of control then they could be intercepted.

In FOTS you couldn't simply land anywhere, it had to be a beach. If you took control of a port though then you could land your troops right afterwards.

[jaca42]

Yes its easier but what if i want to take part in a landing invasion?

For example in fall of the samurai the coastal battles were optional but i still fought them. Why? Because they were a lot of fun and challenging and and in a few occasions time was against me and i needed to pull off these risky attacks.

I understand your concern with the addition of this (ie CA could be spending time on something else instead of wasting it in beach landings) but im 100% in favor of this system, it brings something that total war kind of lacked in previous titles which is the "gambling/risk" factor to the table.

Do i attempt this risky invasion to save time and prevent the AI from reacting to my attack or do i land somewhere safe and risk a fight against overwhelming odds.

Its a matter of choice, and the more choices they give us the better i think since it adds even more replayability and freedom to players.

[The True Roman]

I guess I could see myself doing a ballzy attack if I don't have that many men going ashore, I know In FOTS if I invaded with only one army I was almost always outnumbered and couldn't really capture anything. I know I'll try beach landings when I first get the game "always boot up some Custom battles before I do anything" I just hope there not to costly in terms of men, I feel like they'll prob be like that part in Troy and if so should be fun.

[BeastG33]

Unless they have some sort of system where an army near a coast can "defend" a massive area not just the area that its currently sitting in? thats one possible way to make sure these battles take place i guess and not stretching the imagination too far.

That would make sense. Give them an extra large area of control around the coast so if you land anywhere near, they have an opportunity to force you into a beach battle.

That should also come with some risk though, as now the defending army has to deal w/ enemy warships and off-coast bombardment as well.

[petertel123]

That would make sense. Give them an extra large area of control around the coast so if you land anywhere near, they have an opportunity to force you into a beach battle.

That should also come with some risk though, as now the defending army has to deal w/ enemy warships and off-coast bombardment as well.

I don't think there is any naval bombardment in Rome 2, catapults and ballistas couldn't fire as far as modern cannons

[The Glorious Moldovan]

I don't think there is any naval bombardment in Rome 2, catapults and ballistas couldn't fire as far as modern cannons

Too bad,it would have been awesome tho

[Princeps]

they make sense in sieges but oyherwise resisted landings were very rare.

[Punic Hoplite]

I wonder if it could be done in reverse though. Say you suffered a defeat on enemy soil and need to get that army back to a friendly city to get back up to numbers, and the only friendly city is across the sea. You need to get your army onto your ships, all the while the AI is attacking you, harassing (and further depleting) your army.

[Du Silence]

I'm personally looking forward to this, if nothing else for the flashy aspect of it.
I'm also wondering about something here.

At the much fabled assult on carthage that Reporters have been shown, both land army and fleet participate in the attack, I wonder if beachassults are the only way to get ships to participate in a siege battle, or if they'd also participate if you simply had them float next to the city when the troops launch the attack on land.
At any rate, I have no intention of NOT trying to have these kinds of attacks.

[katsusand]

Here's the thing: You can't return to boats if you want to retreat, so its do or die situation.
I'm a bit skeptical about it.

[Pheidippides]

The existence of siege ships and ships with catapults makes me think it would be unwise to oppose a beach landing by a force that is probably much stronger than yours (if coming to attack your lands directly). So these ships would provide cover for the landing.

[Razor]

I'm a bit skeptical about this as well, especially as it appears that the general is presumably holding is speech to his units when the units disembark, which feels kinda slick and hollywood-style. Also, beach landings in a pre-modern setting reminds me of the terrible end scene of movie Robin Hood (starring Russell Crowe) which was almost an exact copy of the opening scene of the movie Saving Private Ryan, but then with spears, swords and bows. Yuk!

[Muizer]

I can see the sense in depicting naval blockades as part of sieges of coastal settlements. The idea of actually staging an assault on a settlement from a fleet when there's not alraedy a siege on land going on sounds kind of silly