Retreat direction — choose rather than automatic

[alphus]

Hi

I'm really loving playing BotB — particularly the ability to play more than one multiplayer game at the same time.

One thing which sometimes messes things up is when a unity of mine is forced to retreat, I don't get to choose which sector they retreat to – is that supposed to represent the chaos of war, because I'd really like to be able to choose which sector they retreat to.

Thanks for creating a great game – please do more!

Al

[s_ron42na]

I had the same reaction initially, but now that I think about it a bit more I like the "chaos of war" part and it keeps the game from being slowed down by player-to-player interaction to complete an action.

[alphus]

Hmm, good point — chaos it is : )

[s_nkarp]

The decision was not so much for chaos as to minimize back and forth in game center. Not usually important enough to slow the game.

[thedudeabidez]

If you were going to fix one thing re. Retreats, have the Allied A.I. retreat units from Eupen into Verviers or Spa, not Monschau as currently happens. Retreating towards friendly lines, not away from them, would make sense, and give the Allied player some much needed support here.

[gregorit]

The Allied units in this part of the front, including the US Second Infantry Division, were not disposed to retreating 'westwards' . Having just fought hard to take Aachen, the first major German city captured by the Allies, and then getting seriously bloodied in the Hurtgen Forest battles, there was little likelihood SHAEF would countenance giving that ground up.

Of course, this is just a game - but adding funky retreat exceptions seems a bit unnecessary given that they could also be viewed as ahistorical.

[Yojimbo252]

Given the nature of war and what a body of men might have undergone that would force them to abandon their position and retreat, I don't think it's too unrealistic that they won't always retreat in the direction that is of most strategic importance.