AI units turning and charging?

[Paul59]

I have observed in recent games many instances when the AI units (especially cavalry) turn and charge in the same move, usually into the flank of my units! Is this supposed to happen or is it a bug? I am sure I cannot turn and charge with any of my units, even the light cavalry.

[rbodleyscott]

A normal charge can include or be preceded by a 45 degree turn. When a charge is not straight ahead, the overall turn required is determined from the angle between the start position and the destination position. In some unusual situations this can result in a unit making multiple turns that "cancel out" overall, when veering around another unit.

Alternatively, the units you are referring to may have been pursuing. Pursuing units follow routers/evaders, making as many turns as may be necessary to do so, and can charge enemy with 45 degrees of their next pursuit step.

The above rules apply equally to player and AI units.

AI units follow the same rules as player units in all situations.

[Paul59]

Thanks for your reply Richard, that is my understanding of how charges should happen, but I am sure the charges I have seen have involved turns of more than 45 degrees. The example I have just noticed was more than a 90 degree turn. The AI unit was facing away from my unit! I do not think it was a pursuing unit.

I have only noticed this behaviour in the last couple of weeks or so, maybe something has changed in the last update?

[rbodleyscott]

Thanks for your reply Richard, that is my understanding of how charges should happen, but I am sure the charges I have seen have involved turns of more than 45 degrees. The example I have just noticed was more than a 90 degree turn. The AI unit was facing away from my unit! I do not think it was a pursuing unit.

I have only noticed this behaviour in the last couple of weeks or so, maybe something has changed in the last update?

No, nothing has changed in this part of the program.

You should bear in mind the way that combat and pursuits are sequenced in the melee phase. Pursuing units don't make their charge while they are actually moving in pursuit, but only after all non-pursuit melees have been resolved. They move adjacent to their pursuit charge target and temporarily halt there until all other melees are resolved. Then they make the charge. You can get some quite odd looking turns if their next pursuit move (if they had not switched target) would have involved a turn, and then they turn to attack a unit within 45 degrees of the direction they would be facing after that turn.

The pause between the pursuit move and the charge can make it look as if they were not pursuing when they charged, but is necessary so that the results of each combat can be reported and give the player the chance to see the reports. (In reality the results of all of the other melees have been determined before the pursuit move occurs).