Retreating Navies During AI Turns

[BeastG33]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed or not, but it was something that bothered me a bit with Shogun 2, and I just started playing Napoleon last week, and since navies in Napoleon seem to have unlimited range, the problem is worse than ever. There are two main issues I have with navies withdrawing during AI turns:

1. If I have a ship raiding a trade route and 3 ports within spitting distance from its location (where the ship can go and be protected), if a superior enemy force engages me, can my ship PLEASE retreat to the port where it is safe, rather than sailing past 3 dockable ports to the middle of nowhere to be hunted down and destroyed?

Even better, I had a huge navy very close to the single ship (this was all in the English Channel), that again, was within an arms reach of at least 2 ports. Could the lone ship retreat and merge with the main navy after I withdraw from combat? Rather than sail past it to nowhere?

I'm aware it's my responsibility to keep track of my ships, but this is something that doesn't make sense from a logical standpoint. I should be able to break off 2 ships from my main fleet to raid a trade route that, if given the opportunity to retreat, could IRL and in the game simply return to the main fleet.

2. The AI knows exactly where my navy retreats to when this does happen. The same navy that ultimately destroyed the ship in question, I had chased away twice but lost them in the fog of war when they withdraw from combat. The AI ALWAYS knows exactly where my navy fled, even if they're halfway across the Atlantic and certainly concealed beneath the FOW. This needs to change as well.

Anyone else have a similar opinion?

[Greve Af Göteborg]

I've always wanted to be able to control where the army/navy withdraws to, right now it's completely random.

[The Despondent Mind]

Retreating of armies and navies was always one of the worst parts of tw games.

[Ichon]

Retreating of armies is not as bad because at least they normally retreat towards friendly territory unless path is blocked. Navies on the other hand are completely crazy with retreats away from friendly ports and fleets into the deep ocean.

[Lord Baal]

If your troops retreat after a heavy, really heavy casualties and the general is death or captured then the remaining units would fleet at random. But not a random random! They would flee back to a friendly city or port, that's only logic. And if you actually order the retreat and the general is still alive or you retreat before battle then you should be able to control where the troops will be retreating.

[BeastG33]

If your troops retreat after a heavy, really heavy casualties and the general is death or captured then the remaining units would fleet at random. But not a random random! They would flee back to a friendly city or port, that's only logic. And if you actually order the retreat and the general is still alive or you retreat before battle then you should be able to control where the troops will be retreating.

I agree. If the game gives you the opportunity to retreat, then you should be able to dictate where. Failing that, CA needs to vastly upgrade the "retreat logic" so that friendly units seek out realistic desitnations (pots, friendly navies, etc.) rather than the middle of the ocean.

I'm sure this is hardcoded stuff being that it's been the same for well... ever, but I hope it's corrected for Rome 2.

Have you guys noticed the AI heat seeking your withdrawn navies through the FOW as well? Or does that only happen to me?

[Reiver]

This has been one of my biggest complaints with the TB system so any improvement on it would be great. It seems so random with ostensibly slow moving armies managing to dance away and fast monile ones moving a few yards.