Unit ability idea

[zonabalona]

I was doing very intensive training today and something happened that made me think... what if every melee unit had 2nd wind/inspire ability hard coded into them just like berzerkers have berzerk ? This ability would be randomly triggered on a unit that is (for example) surrounded, exhausted, loosing decisevly and has 20% of its men power left.
It would represent 'fight to the last breath' when all odds are against you. I dont know if any of you do a lot of exhausting training like i do, but there is this phenomenon when you push your body to its limits and when you think that you reached that limit, you exhausted and done, something kicks in, that 2nd wind that unlimited willpower that makes you forget all the pain and exhaustion and just pushes you forward.
I dont know how game mechanic works, and if its possible to do, but if it is possible i think that would a great and reasonable mechanic to implement into melee units. What you all think ?

Im sorry for the crappy english, i hope that made sense.

[Aethyr]

Interesting idea, but it would need to be circumstantial.

[gornoviceanu]

Well, back in the day we had the "Fighting to the death" morale status in game. If a unit was literally surrounded and had no escape route, they would just fight until the last. I think their combat stats were lowered in that stance too. I don't know if it can be implemented in this game, the last TW I know of that had this was Medieval 2. Since then, the game engine changed so I don't know what to say..

I miss that stance myself, sometimes you can see a hoplite formation being surrounded that just decides to break and run into a wall of spears. Don't think it happened that way in reality

[Ygraine]

Well, back in the day we had the "Fighting to the death" morale status in game. If a unit was literally surrounded and had no escape route, they would just fight until the last. I think their combat stats were lowered in that stance too. I don't know if it can be implemented in this game, the last TW I know of that had this was Medieval 2. Since then, the game engine changed so I don't know what to say..

I miss that stance myself, sometimes you can see a hoplite formation being surrounded that just decides to break and run into a wall of spears. Don't think it happened that way in reality

There's still something similar to this in Rome 2. I've had situations where enemy units did more kills trying to flee than when they were fighting me normally.

[PhillySouljah]

There is some validity to the idea of giving your enemy an egress route.

Sun Tzu recommended as much stating that a completely encircled enemy, with no avenue of escape, would be forced to fight to the death, resulting in heavier casualties for the surrounding force than if they were allowed to flee. It is instructive to remember that in pre-modern warfare, the majority of losses were after the battle was decided as broken troops were run down by the victors, usually cavalry. Actual engagements were relatively light in casualties.

Of course, a completely encircled enemy could also simply surrender, but this is not reflected in the Total War series.