Non-optimal retreats.

[jamespcrowley]

In the last few games that I have been playing (MP) I have noticed several instances of routed BGs taking a poor choice of retreat path, such that they pass through friendly BGs and disrupt/fragment them. There was an obvious alternative, away from enemy BGs and into clear spaces but in each case they chose to go through a friendly.

This, of course, used to happen all the time in earlier versions of FoG but it got corrected and I haven't seen this behaviour for a long time. I've only seen this since 1.3.1 but may just have not noticed it before. Just wandering if anyone else has noticed this or has this always been the case (just to a lesser extent than before)?

[Blathergut]

Routers must move directly away from the enemy who broke them. Given that option, they will avoid friends if possible on the initial rout turn. I haven't seen this not happen lately. But after that, they do not seem to follow the same logic. After the initial rout move, they may very well move through friends even though an adjacent hex is open. It is just that initial rout move that seemed to be improved upon.

[TheGrayMouser]

I have noticed that it occasionally happens but i think it is by intent ie units will GENERAlLLY rout thru clear hexes, but there still is a chance they will plow tru friends.... I dont mind this behaviour..

What is annoying is that the break off issue seams to have come back in force (if it was ever corrected)

It is totally illogical when an enemy lancer can break off, slide between 2 of your medium troops in rough terrain and is now behind said troops safe, (and now able to get a rear hit on same because now its your opponenets turn )

Break offs should be absolutely prevented if it takes the unit adjacent to any non friendly troops

[TimW]

It is totally illogical when an enemy lancer can break off, slide between 2 of your medium troops in rough terrain and is now behind said troops safe,

Only 2 units? I've seen a break-off run down a three hex long, one-hex wide alley lined with cavalry and phalangites. To end up nicely positioned to hit a general in the rear.

Break offs should be absolutely prevented if it takes the unit adjacent to any non friendly troops

Agreed. I'd also like to see breakoffs generally being conducted towards the opponent's rear (map side), not further into the middle of the opposing army.

[deadtorius]

I have seen and had lots of those ridiculous break offs too. the most ridiculous one I have seen was my cav broke off weaved between 4 or 5 enemy and ended up right in the middle of the enemy, to say the least I did not see him on my next turn. On the TT enemy would block a break off if they were in the break off path which can't weave about but has to be straight back. Hexes make that some what difficult but right now some of them are simply stupid.

[Morbio]

I'd say that generally routing units behave very well now. More often than not they will move directly away from the routing unit, but sometimes if the direct path is blocked they will take a free path - but always away from the routing unit. I've not seen any silly routs like there used to be.

Once away from the immediate routing incident I'd say it is now very rare for a routed unit to push through a friendly unit. They generally navigate round friendly units, where possible, or completely disband, or only where no alternative exists do they go through a friend.

I'm really not seeing any of the incidents as described, but maybe I'm more lucky, or maybe it is because I generally try to leave a rout path free.

As far as break-offs go, I still see the odd silly break-off. I agree with the comments that break-offs should not be able to weave through enemy units with impunity. Personally, I'd like to see no break off allowed if it involves going through a hex adjacent to an enemy unit (what is often described as zone of control, although it isn't ), certainly it shouldn't go through a hex that an enemy unit could attack! I know the argument goes that the cavalry gallops past the enemy, but I don't think it should happen at no cost. At worst, if I'm to accept the gallop past argument, then it should be able to go through no more 1 attackable hex.

As far as the break-off direction goes, then I think it should be able to break-off in any direction, arguably if one direction is more favourable for the next attack, perhaps by going behind the enemy line, then why not. I'm sure an enemy officer would choose this if he could. However, having said that, I'm also betting that in the heat of battle and looking to break off to charge again, the officer would not have an appreciation of all going on outside of the immediate battle, so would generally break off back towards their own lines and what may be perceived as a safer area. The last thing they'd want to do is break off into the middle of the enemy and risk being cut-off, surrounded and destroyed.

[deadtorius]

Routing through friends, had a MF unit rally to fragged, then the MF unit in the next hex that was broken decided to run through their rallied friend, he broke and routed through my fragged cat, who also now routed. In all cases there were clear hexes behind all those broken and fragged friends, but they chose the direct path through everything that was in their path, and in the case of the cataphract there was at least 1 empty hex before the fragged gone broke unit routed through them. All this took place on a steep hill hexes, behind the hill was some scrub hexes, but they decided to rout along the steep hill.

[CaptainHuge]

I hate when my troops rout and start a domino effect, when they could have just avoided friendly troops.

I love when it happens to the enemy!

[deadtorius]

Back in beta days half your army could end up disrupted fragged or routed as the dominoes fell and routing through friends was the prime rout path. I am glad those days are long gone