Drop in Battles

[The True Roman]

Have any of you used this in the other Total war games? Its something I've always seen but never felt like waiting for someone to "drop in". I'm gonna try and use it more often in Rome 2, like almost every battle (the important ones at least), since we have fewer battles now. One grip I've had with total war is the fact that battles aren't really gambles like they are in real life, for the most part if you have good troops and don't do anything stupid you'll win. So have any of you used this to great effect or has it been something that's their but you don't really care about it.

[DarthRuanek]

It's a great idea. Like you, though, I've generally not had the patience to wait for a player to drop in. (Also, since I generally play fairly casually, I should admit that I'm a bit apprehensive of replacing a bad AI with someone who could possibly beat me....) I should definitely try it out more.

[SamueleD]

I have never used it, but I've heard that if you are playing MP and look for a drop-in battle you'll most likely end up with someone that is handing over to you the control of the AI's two yari ashigaru against his full stack of samurai, which is neither fun nor interesting to fight. This could account for the little number of people that use the feature. Also, many don't like the gamble part of the battle, or simply try to fight only when they have already won, as Sun Tzu would put it, which is not wrong in itself, it just makes for less "entertaining" battles.
Also, if you usually play only SP and end up in a drop-in battle against someone that has good experience in MP, you will get destroyed nine times out of then, if the battle is somewhat balanced.

[Coleus]

I used it in NTW and it was a refreshing change - I seldom lose battles against the AI making campaigns virtual certainties to succeed.

Playing as the British in NTW, my Peninsular army was wiped out in a drop in battle. Obviously I was fuming, but it was actually nice enough to have to then rebuild my army and restart my offensive.

A good feature, IMO.

[ISG01]

I think now that there will be less battles with tiny forces, the drop-in thing becomes a lot more attractive. And a human opponent can be a lot more interesting than the AI, especially if they're friends.

[Lockcaps]

There should be more options for the drop-in opponent. Things like "only match me up if the armies are roughly equal" and stuff like that.

[oOIYvYIOo]

Rare to use as usually the battles i have to fight for the AI are like 1 to for me 5 for the host HP.

[The True Roman]

Well in Shogun 2 you could only do a drop in battle if the forces were on equal footing. I never use it not because of fear of losing the army (which it very well could happen) but even if I won my army would be so depleted that they would have to retreat or be destroyed by any other army around them. Every MP game I've ever played I only won by the slimmest of margins and lost many men in the process, I just hope that I don't have to lose damn near my whole army to win a battle in this one. We just need more people playing Drop in for it to be exciting. I would try and do it with shogun but their so many mods out there I doubt anyone is playing vanilla anymore.

[kambiz]

Drop-in battle feature is the best thing added to the franchise recently ! I love it and hope to return in Rome 2