Toggle function for Skirmishers hit and run

[Jovi07]

So i really hate it how my skirmishers are allways running away from the artillary i tell them to hunt. I think it would be a nice addition, if there was a toggle function for this mechanic.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Jovi07

[jamieva]

I wish my skirmishers behaved the same as the AI's does, but they dont.  they run at the site of anyone too often

[Wright29]

You can make them hold position and that will work most of the time. But they have to be in the position you want them to hold at. 

It can be used to your advantage though. Keep skirmishers on the flank, give them a quick order and after firing they run away before the enemy arty can rotate to return fire. More importantly you don't have to give manual fallback orders to every unit. So you can focus on other parts of the battle. 

[Jovi07]

I am quit aware how their functions works. But the hold postion functions stops the skirmishers from chasing the fleeing units. I also think that the function is really nice if you just want to poke a unit from the side or the flank. The problem with artillary is, that the skirmishers mostly run away when they a targeted by the unit they are shooting at. But especially in this situations, you dont want them to run. My main goal is allways to make the artiallry unit rout und then kill it.

[MishaTX]

I agree. Most of the time the skirmishers do exactly what skirmishers are supposed to do, which is to say run in, hit, then fall back. It's perfect when that's what you need your detachments to do. I many times watch let's plays when the player is complaining that the skirmishers are skirmishing. They're not front line regulars, that's why we call them "skirmishers." And I do like the fact that they do that, because that means I don't have to babysit them all the time which, by the way, would also be wildly unrealistic. I can tell them to hold but, as already mentioned, that will keep them from following through if they're successful, same as regular infantry, meaning that I have to babysit them again, which, again again, I shouldn't be able to do. "Move to attack. OK, you're in attacking position, now hold. OK, they retreated/routed, undo the hold command, tell to attack again, then hold when you are close enough, then don't hold", etc etc until I go nuts.

Which is why I'd like, too, a command to tell your skirmishers to act like normal infantry until you tell them not to. Still unrealistic, since you can't be everywhere if you're a real general, but at least it's not plain silly like it is now. After all, the only alternative to babysitting skirmishers is to send a full brigade after those 6 guns in the woods.

Edited April 20, 2017 by MishaTX

[Fred Sanford]

Imagine if the AI used 'detach skirmishers' to hunt the players artillery as aggressively as the players. 

[veji1]

46 minutes ago, Fred Sanford said:

Imagine if the AI used 'detach skirmishers' to hunt the players artillery as aggressively as the players. 

exactly, at least make the players sweat by having to micromanage that, otherwise it's just too easy...

[MishaTX]

On 4/20/2017 at 6:32 AM, Fred Sanford said:

Imagine if the AI used 'detach skirmishers' to hunt the players artillery as aggressively as the players. 

Good point. I hadn't thought about the game balance aspect of it, it was mainly a convenience thing, but you're right. It definitely would make human (ab)use of skirmishers even more overpowered.