Useless legionaires?

[Bitt3rSteel]

So...how does troop morale even work in this game? it seems that i lose every fight, even with a 2 > 1 advantage because my troop morale just takes a dive the second combat starts? the enemy troops just stay nice and high and the roman soldiers just seem like children and break and run at first contact, ruining the entire war, because the enemy just chases my army around untilll its destroyed

 

[loki100]

hi

a wee bit hard to work out from your post where the problem lies. But here are 3 suggestions:

a) do you have military maintenance <100%, if so that triggers low cohesion etc
b) Roman commanders do tend to be rubbish, so you often have to fight at a malus (esp vs barbarians in that respect)
c) the game's unit model system is rock/paper/scissors. So some units are very good and effective against some troop types and easily beaten by others. Check its not army composition, in the main mixed armies are the best rather than the pure heavy infantry model.

In addition - look for terrain, look for attrition etc.

 

[Bitt3rSteel]

let me put it like this: I use a core of Heavy infantry, backed up with light infantry and archers. my maintenance is at 100% and i rty to use terain where i can. it just seems that my morale always breaks within seconds and my troops lose to armies half their size

 

[loki100]

do you have any screenshots or can provide more info? I mean yes, I too have seen Roman armies beaten by smaller forces but its usually either because they had already lost (so had very low cohesion), were badly outgeneralled (all the times you need to appoint on the basis of loyalty not competence) or were poorly structured in terms of the opponent's troop mix. Its not as such, endemic to thhe game design.

Just it would help if you could be more precise and provide a wee bit more info.

 

[Manic Eskimo]

The "light infantry" are completely useless I'd never go into battle with them except for possibly against rebels but even then they'll still eat up your manpower unnecessarily. Just don't build them ever. Also what is the martial score of your general?

 

[Slavick3000]

Are you attacking into mountains or over a river? Those give penalties. In addition, barbarians have decisions that up their morale quite a bit that aren't accessible to Romans.

 

[Bitt3rSteel]

I believe i have found the issue, most of my losses were against greek armies making liberal use of elephants and Cavalry. Could those be responsi le? As For terain, i avoid mountain areas where possible.

 

[loki100]

I believe i have found the issue, most of my losses were against greek armies making liberal use of elephants and Cavalry. Could those be responsi le? As For terain, i avoid mountain areas where possible.

yes cavalry in particular gets a huge bonus against HI in the right terrain - I got a complete beating by the Numidians in my recent game as I sent the at-start (ie cavalry light) legions to N Africa. When I came back for revenge 15 years later, I had 30-40% cavalry in the formations I used. Rome had its revenge.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Yeah I think an Elephant and Cavalry heavy army explains it. The Cavalry will run circles around your Infantry and the Elephants can crash through their lines. The Legions really need some solid Gallic/Germanic Heavy Cavalry as support.

 

[fmurciap]

Against Elephants HI backed by Archers is the answer. Also standard Cavalry is inferior to HI. With Horse Arches is the contrary, they are the worst enemy of Heavy Infantry. But against Cavalry they suck (remember, rock-paper-scissors). The only use for LI is to make a line longer than your enemy's, but you need Cavalry to outflank or they will crumb. So I don´t think your army composition is the problem. Most usually the problem lies with the general, yours or the enemy.
Another issue is the technology level and the type of army you have chosen when the opportunity came: If you have chosen the greek type your infantry will be of lesser quality. Also there are NI that con be of real meaning: if your enemy has chosen Cathafracts and you have not the similar NI for infantry (don´t remember the name) your HI will be doomed.

 

[tuareg109]

Your troops could be all militia.
Playing as Sparta (first game ever) I had 2,000 heavy infantrymen, I freaked out when Achaean League attacked with 13,000 militia. Battle was joined and...I lose 13 men per day, they lost 386. Thank you based troop heirarchy.