The Game is Broken

[RADO]

Klaus - Well, if Glyn does not contact me, we may have to desert to the Pontic army, which I have always liked anyway because of its many different troop types.

RAHamey - I have read the rules & all the supporting docs, but still feel that something is out of whack. Having done game design myself, and for antiquity, I certainly understand there is a fine line between historical correctness and playability.

From my observations so far, there is definately something amiss in the AI, but it is hard for me to put my finger on it in the dozen or so games I have played thus far. I have played the same scenario, same side, & used the same moves and had greatly varying results. This tells me that the AI is not consistent.

My Romans always have units go "uncontrolled", which in itself is an issue, as off the top of my head, I can only think of it happening once in Caesar's time, and that was at Thapsus. Even then, this or that cohort did not go uncontrolled, it was the whole line.

I think I now understand how to give orders to an entire "command", but I am still unable in a particular scenario to form a new command I wish to make. Caesar used German cavalry & infantry in separate commands, and at Pharsalus, even included antesignanni in the mix. I don't see a way in the game for me to take existing units, leave one command, and form a new one.

So far, I have been unable to successfully use the "relieve the line" command you allow Romans, and must add that this tactic was no longer available once the Marian reforms were implemented. Maniples were combined to make cohorts well before Marian, and it was the smalles tactical unit in the Roman army on the battlefield. Today, we have no factual understanding of how the "manipular phalanx" operated (as in the Punic Wars). It is all speculation as posterity has not left us historical documentation on how this tactic was executed in the face of the enemy (if in fact it ever was).

Still, I have great hopes for the game. I like being able to pull it up on the computer and play a game rather than set up an 8 ft by 5 ft game board with hundreds of miniatures on it.

To the horse archer question, this should apply to any light cavalry that has a skirmish order, player control or AI. I should not have to "guesstimate" the Roman move in order for the light cavalry to stay out of reach as the unit commander would do so himself. The same would apply to light infantry that were skirmishing. Light infantry skirmishing against close order infantry simply gives ground. If one has skirmishing light infantry and they become opposed by skirmishing light cavalry, this is another story as the cavalry moves much quicker.

Skirmishing in general in antiquity is however, a much over used concept, IMO. The true infantry skirmisher we all think about was really not defined until the Napoleonic wars under Napoleon.

Pompey's light infantry at Pharsalus were caught in the open by Roman legionaries and slaughtered. How, we ask? I can only say that indeed, they were not a skirmishing entity as we today think of one.

This just brushes the surface of many of my questions. More another time.

- Greg