Decline in AI

[TheGrayMouser]

After playing SOA/1.25 a while, I really like the new movement rules for drilled undrilled troops, especailly that medium bows can no longer do an about turn, run and turn and shoot..It is so much better now, except that is for the AI. It appears the Ai has no problem turning tail w medium bows, however it never seems to undertsand that it need to do an about face to be able to fire again... Just played Agincourt and all the bowmen basically turn tail and run for the woods, never once turning to take a pop shot. I have also seen them in a canned scenario or two and in dag battles pull back from danger, but then just get stuck, never bothering to do an about face and get back in the fray even when no unit was threataning them....once they turn and run they never re-enter the battle..
Also, does the ai know how to deploy stakes?

[rbodleyscott]

They regularly retreat to their rear board edge then stand with their backs to the enemy waiting to be charged in the rear.

Some tidying up of the AI needed, methinks, to catch up with the new rules.

[IainMcNeil]

Ahh this is an oversight. We need to stop Medium Foot bows retreating all the time. Well spotted. I must have not met any significant numbers of bows in the testing.

[GaiusMarius]

linked to the good point raised by TheGrayMouser,I would like also to point out that the standard AI behaviour in using Light Infantry armed with bow is too prone to shoot from maximum range with the result to exclude them from the fight earlier than optimal (they run, even if they're not forced to evade, for cover of heavy/medium Infantry when the two lines of battle are still distant).

[EricS]

Good point. In the next update, the AI will no longer try to do skirmisher-style movement with MF and Cavalry shooters.