. This thread is for everyone who has experienced such strange moments, for example when a planned (and supposedly decisive) attack failed because the enemy simply slipped away into an adjacent region once your highly motivated force entered his region; or when a corps of your mighty army got totally annihilated in detail, whereas the other corps survived totally unscratched – even though you had them both on “synchronized movement” and in the same region. This can be very frustrating – not because you’ve been beaten, but because you have no idea why you have been beaten. Thus you might get the feeling that you cannot gauge risks and opportunities and that you have no real control over the game. This is because the game gives you very few information about stacks' behaviours once they're confronted by the enemy and the reasons for it.
I’d be very happy for any contributions and/or additions by game developers and fans alike. Everything I’ve written here either stems from the AGEwiki, which is not very clear on some topics, from my interpretation of battle-log-files, which don’t give a lot of details on matters of retreat and morale either (but you can learn very well how elements fight), and from the interesting files in Rise of Prussia/ROP/Settings.
[SIZE="4"]Some basics[/size]
Battles can be over before they've begun if all stacks of one faction decide to retreat (=voluntary retreat) prior to round 1 and are successful in doing so.
Once started, battles can end under these circumstances:
- Stalemate/End of the day (after round 6). The battle will continue the following day.
- Voluntary retreat
- Auto retreat
- Rout
[SIZE="4"]a. VOLUNTARY RETREATS[/size]
Prior to each round of combat (even prior to the first round!) each faction (not stack) tests whether it wants to withdraw from the battle. The %-chance depends on the following factors:
a1. Combat stance/Rules of Engagement of the Commander-in-Chief
The longer the battle lasts, the higher the retreat will gets. Here are the modifications per stance and round:
stance
upcoming combat round = 1|2|3|4|5|6
[SIZE="1"]All-out attack
0|0|80|90|100|100
Standard attack
100|100|100|100|100|100
Conservative attack
100|100|150|150|150|150
Feint attack
100|200|200|300|300|300
Defend at all costs
0|0|0|0|0|0
standard defense
100|100|100|100|100|100
defend and retreat
100|100|150|150|150|150
retreat if engaged
200|200|200|300|300|300
passive
?[/size]
For example you can see that if your Commander-in-Chief has a “defend at all cost” stance, his factions’ forces will never retreat voluntarily. However, they can still be routed or forced to auto-retreat. If he has a “retreat if engaged”-stance, your factions’ retreat will will be 200% prior to rounds 1,2,3 and even 300% prior to rounds 4,5, and 6.
a2. Ammunition
The retreat will is influenced by the % of remaining ammunition. There is no information available on how this works in detail and how much influence this factor has. Apparently, it makes retreat-decisions more likely in longer-lasting battles.
a3. Commandment
This factor only shows up in the battle-log-files and is not mentioned in the AGEwiki. In the battle logs, it says “InCS%”, which I assume means “In Command Structure” and is somehow linked to the % of command penalties stemming from a lack of command points. I have no clue how big this factor can get (the command penalty is capped at 35% ….). I am also wondering how a factions’ (and not a stacks) command penalty is determined.
a4. Entrenchment-level
How much does one point of trench-level alter the retreat will of a faction? And does it suffice if only one stack of the faction is entrenched in order to reduce the whole factions’ retreat will?
a5. Combat-Power-Comparison
Together with the stance-settings, I guess that this factor is the most decisive one. The combat power of the opposing factions are compared. I have no clue if this calculation takes into account all stacks present or only those that are actually confronting the enemy. I also don’t know if “Marching to the Sound of the Guns” is carried out prior to the retreat-will-decision (so that the assisting corps contribute to the power of their faction) or afterwards. In the battle log, the enemy’s power is given in % of the own faction. E.g. it says: “Power of opponents compared to us: 284.25 % Base Retreat Will: 100.00 %.” But again, I have no clue how this is translated into the retreat will %.
a6. Offensive Rating?
This factor is only mentioned in the AGEwiki. It says that the retreat will is influenced by the “offensive rating” of the C-in-C – but how much?
a7. abilities
There are two leader-abilities that might influence retreat will:
[SIZE="1"]Withdrawer: If the commander, allows an easier retreat on the first two hours of the battle.
Reckless: If the Commander, won't be able to order a retreat during the first two hours of the battle.[/size]
Both are unclear, since we don’t know weather they refer to the retreat-will-test (does my C-in-C try to retreat?), or the retreat-success-test (is an attempted retreat successful?). Moreover, it is unclear, weather “during the first two hours of the battle” actually mean: prior to round 1 (i.e. before the battle has started) and prior to round 2.
[SIZE="4"]b. AUTOMATIC RETREAT[/size]
There is a formula that decides the amount of casualties at which an automatic retreat is triggered:
20 * (cohesion+50) / 100 = amount of casualties suffered (in %) to trigger auto-retreat
Just like the voluntary retreat-will-check, this check is made prior to the combat rounds. This means that it is still possible to be completely wiped out “during” a combat round.
I don’t know whether an auto-retreat is automatically successful or whether the stacks still have to pass retreat-success-tests (see c.).
I don’t know how the amount of casualties is calculated. I guess that they only refer to casualties suffered in this very same battle? We also get the additional information that support-elements (artillery) are weighted differently (namely only 50%) than battle-elements.
Then I also don’t know how “cohesion” is determined. Maybe it refers to the average cohesion in % of maximum cohesion of all elements of the faction present in the region (or battle)? This would give the following results:
A faction whose forces have an average cohesion of only 30% (of their potential maximum cohesion) will be forced to auto-retreat when it suffers 16% casualties. A faction that is still fresh and rested (100% cohesion) will be forced to auto-retreat when it suffers 30% casualties.
[SIZE="4"]c. RETREAT-ATTEMPTS[/size]
Whenever a faction decides to withdraw (due to voluntary retreat; also due to auto retreat?), each stack that belongs to that faction has to test individually weather it successfully retreats. If only part of an army (one of two corps) manages to retreat, the other one, left behind, can be mauled really badly because all the enemies can concentrate on it (if there’s enough frontage). Such an incident can lead to very heavy and one-sided casualties.
There are a lot of factors that come into play when a stack tries to retreat:
c1. Combat Stance/Rules of Engagement (of the stack! not of the C-in-C!)
stance
upcoming round = 1|2|3|4|5|6
[SIZE="1"]All-out attack
0|0|60|65|70|75
Standard attack
100|150|150|150|150|150
Conservative attack
100|150|150|150|150|150
Feint attack
100|150|150|150|150|150
Defend at all costs
0|0|0|0|0|0
standard defense
100|150|150|150|150|150
defend and retreat
100|150|150|150|150|150
retreat if engaged
100|150|150|150|150|150
passive
?[/size]
Generally speaking, a retreat prior to round 1 is harder than attempts when the battle has already begun.
c2. Strategic Rating of the Stack-Leader
According to the AGEwiki, the stack-leaders’ strategic rating influences the retreat-success-chance, but only prior to round 1. I would be very interested in how big this influence is.
c3. Other stacks have already retreated
This factor (the AGEwiki speaks of 15% - this applies to RoP as well, I suppose) obviously is meant to help stacks that have failed to retreat prior to previous rounds and have been left behind by other stacks. This makes me wonder weather it’s a good idea to have a small stack composed of a single unit of Hussars present at battles. They don’t increase the retreat-will, because the retreat-will is calculated on a faction-basis. But if a retreat is triggered, they’re very likely to withdraw successfully (being small and fast), thereby increasing the chances for other stacks that have failed to withdraw in the next round. I don’t think that one-unit-stacks are targeted by big corps-stacks (this would be an awful waste of power!) – One has to test whether these small Hussar-stacks survive battles or are indeed targeted and destroyed.
c4. Mobility of the retreating stack
Apparently, it helps if a stack has a high “hide” or “evade” value. I quote the whole section for I don’t know how to interpret it. The hide value as well as the evasion value of bigger stacks is practically almost always 1, so there won’t be a big bonus. Cossacks with the "retreater"-attribute seem to help a bit, doubling the effect of the evasion value of the stack for retreat purposes.
[SIZE="1"]retreat bonus from evasion, x2 chance if 50% of SU have the *Retreater* attribute
RetreatBonus := Round(RetreatBonus * cbtRetreatCoeffAttribRet_/100);
Increase Result by value of RetreatBonus (coming for either Evasion or Hide value)[/size]
c5. Duration of battle
The chance to make a successful retreat increases with the duration of the battle. I guess it’s about 10% per round already fought. E.g. prior to the last round (=6), your chance to make a successful retreat is increased by 50%.
c6. Size of the retreating stack
Another quote from AGEwiki, unfortunately, no exact values are given:
[SIZE="1"]Determine if force is "small" or "medium"
if the Command Points used are <= CP given by a 1 star general (this is 4 for RoP) then
Increase Result by value of cbtRetreatBonusSmall_ (Unfortunately, I can’t find this factor!)
else
if the Command Points used are <= CP given by a 2 star general (8)then
Increase Result by value of cbtRetreatBonusAverage_ (Unfortunately, I can’t find this factor!)[/size]
c7. Abilities
see a7. I don’t know whether “reckless” and “withdrawer” refer to retreat-will or retreat-success-tests.
c8. Ambush
Obviously, ambushing forces have a higher chance to make a successful retreat. The value - labelled “cbtRetreatAmbushMod_” - must be hidden somewhere.
c9. Some opaque factors
The manual also mentions the “evade fight” special order, and the presence of skirmishers. I always wonder what the “evade fight” order really does – in contrast/addition to the combat stances…? And also the presence of cavalry (both friendly and enemy), is mentioned in the manual. This would be the only factor that the non-withdrawing faction can probably influence.
[SIZE="4"]d ROUTS[/size]
The AGEwiki tells me, that when a certain, secret proportion of elements of a faction routs, there is a certain test to see whether the whole faction routs. From what I believe to know, an element routs when it has been hit in battle and has failed its thereby triggered morale test (which depends on the elements’ current cohesion status). Heavy and medium cavalry with the "charge" attribute can be especially devastating as it can target elements with already low cohesion and inflict extra cohesion and hit-damage. I guess that a rout is an automatically successful withdrawal with increased pursuit casualties (see e; a routing force suffers 2,5 times more pursuit casualties than a force that withdraws). So, basically, forces that are low on cohesion (due to several battles in a short time or due to long marches) are prone to routs and additional casualties.
And, unlike retreats, a rout can probably happen at any time, even during a combat round?
[SIZE="4"]e PURSUITS[/size]
Pursuit casualties are excellently explained in the AGEwiki: http://www.ageod.net/agewiki/Pursuit
They’re calculated in a quite complicated manner, but that’s fine. Stacks that retreat or rout get pursued by (all elements of) the enemy stack that has been targeting this stack. If we forget about special abilities (disruptor and screener), we come up with this formula:
number of hits that the retreating stack will suffer = number of pursuing elements * (14- number of days that the pursuing element needs in the terrain in which the battle has taken place) * assault damage/ranged damage of the pursuing element * 50+current round of combat*10 / 100 * 8/100
This result is then modified if the pursued force has not retreated but routed (*2,5), and depending on the size of the pursued stack:
+ 1% (of the casualties calculated according to the formula) casualties for the 76th and any further element in the pursued stack. E.g. A stack that comprises 100 elements suffers additional 25% casualties if it gets pursued. This is capped at 200% of the pursuit-casualties calculated above.
-1% casualties for every element less than 75. E.g. A stack that comprises only 25 elements substracts 50% from the pursuit casualties calculated above. (capped at a lower limit of 25%)
To sum it up: pursuit casualties will be higher when 1) the battle has lasted long, 2) when the enemy has a lot of cavalry in cavalry-friendly terrain and weather, 3) when the enemy force is very big, 4) when your force is big.
Finally, you should have some (ideally 25% of the elements in the stack) medium or light cavalry with you, as Dragoons and Hussars have the "screener" attribute (it's an attribute, not an ability, so it doesn't show up in the element-details-window; it's not the same as the "screener"-ability of cossacks). Heavy cavalry does not have this attribute! In accordance with the weight of elements with screener-attribute in the stack, pursuit casualties are reduced up to a maximum of 50%. The AGEwiki gives an example.
E.g. If your force of 60 retreating elements gets pursued by a homogenous force of 20 cuirassier-elements after close combat in clear terrain and fair weather (3 days to enter for heavy cavalry), and after a battle of 3 rounds of combat, you’ll suffer 36 pursuit casualties (90 if routed). Ouch! If the same thing happens in wooded hills and bad weather (9 days to enter for heavy cavalry), it’s down to 16 pursuit casualties (41 if routed). That’s not much, given that your 60 elements have about 600 hits. If 10 elements of your retreating force were Hussars and/or Dragoons, they would reduce pursuit casualties by 2 (most cavalry units have a weight of 2) * 10/60=33% to 11 casualties (27 if pursued).
The only thing I don’t understand is how the distance at which the pursuit starts is determined, which in turn decides whether the assault or ranged damage is used (quite important when you think about cavalry which doesn’t inflict any ranged damage!). Retreats are carried out in between combat rounds. So how can one determine the range? Or maybe this rule takes into account if the battle has lasted more than one round, i.e. there has been a melee in the course of this battle. This would then apply to both routs and retreats. Basically, cavalry would get much more dangerous in pursuit if the battle has been raging at range 0 at any point of the engagement – which is always the case if one side is not “routed” in round 1 at ranges >0.
I assume that the pursuit hits are distributed randomly.
[SIZE="4"]f FAILED RETREATS[/size]
A stack which has failed to retreat has to endure another full round of combat (unless it routs in the course of this round) and will try to pass another retreat-attempt prior to the next round, with increased chances.
In the battle log files, you can easily make out elements belonging to a stack which has failed to retreat: “Defender failed to disengage. Defender get a prot and TQ penalty for failed retreat”. So apparently, these elements get a protection malus (increasing the chance to be hit by the enemy) and a Troop Quality Malus (increasing the chance to get hit, probably also increasing the chance to fail a “shaken” test at the beginning of each new round of combat).
[SIZE="4"]g DIRECTION OF RETREAT[/size]
If you ever wondered why your forces always retreat in the wrong direction, take a look at this:
[SIZE="1"]ctlRetreatAdjCity = 5 // Interest in retreating toward a region with a city (per level)
ctlRetreatAdjFort = 30 // Interest in retreating toward a region with a fort (per level)
ctlRetreatAdjDepot = 25 // Interest in retreating toward a region with a depot (per level)
ctlRetreatLandLink = 10 // Interest in retreating toward a region, value per land link (i.e.: the nore landlinks a region has, the more attractive it becomes for a retreating stack. This is quite helpful in order not to get trapped)
ctlRetreatPrevSubSpaceCoeffH = 250 // Coefficient applied to the interest if the region is the one where we are coming from[/size]