A change to cavalry charges (distance, not damage)

[Telrunya]

But in actuality a battle would be continuous. You wouldn't have the battlefield neatly divided by lines and troops only moving one line at a time and then waiting till the Archers took their turn. The turn system is just a way for BM to show the battle as it progresses, a representation of it.

It's like you take a photo or pause the battle every minute (one turn) and then describe what happens. Then you wait another minute and take another photo / pause the battle (another turn), and you describe the effects again. The Cavalry will only have moved two rows of distance between two photos, but they will still show to be moving on the photo.

[Velax]

Stue, if you're still not getting it, I don't think anyone can explain it any better to you. How about we say some of us believe the cavalry charge system is faulty and leave it at that.

[Foundation]

Again this is an instance where either massive changes, not only to cavalry, are needed to account for continuous battles, or we keep the current system out of simplicity and gameplay.

[vonGenf]

Again this is an instance where either massive changes, not only to cavalry, are needed to account for continuous battles, or we keep the current system out of simplicity and gameplay.

Is that really true? I could see a simple charging/not charging field applying to cavalry. It seems this would do the trick.

[Foundation]

Why should Cavalry be special?  Why can't infantry spill damage from one round to the other if they fight small units?  Why can't archers shoot the enemy as they approach?  Why can't MI make decisions better as a continuum rather than per turn?

[Velax]

Because "spilling damage" from one turn to the next is not the sole reason people get infantry. It's not even a blip on the radar. The charge bonus <I>is</I> the sole reason people get cavalry, aside from perhaps RP reasons.

Secondly, spilling damage is an ability that infantry have never had. Charging is an ability cavalry have always had, but it does not work correctly. There's a difference.

[De-Legro]

oh, I always assumed it was a feature that Cavalry weren't guaranteed to charge. Much like DC said I always assumed that the positioning of them to get an effective charge was part of the challenge for the marshal/troop leader.

[songqu88@gmail.com]

And the movement bonus, and the jousting experience, and the inability to dig in, and the inability to do anything against walls unless they have infantry siege support.

But seriously, cavalry as they are now have a nasty charge that can be devastating if done correctly. They are basically the knockout punch, so if you didn't knock the guy out then you hopefully have some contingency plan. To allow cavalry to have more than one charge might skew open field battles a bit too far towards cavalry. That might mean open fields use cavalry going against cavalry, in which case typical metagame evolution means people will try to counter with long range archers and special forces behind box formation infantry. Then that means a counter for that, possibly heavy infantry line. Then we go back to heavy cavalry charge, and so on.

It's ok for a cycle, but it just might lead to some unforeseen balance alterations. Cavalry as they are now seem to be pretty good and are clear in their purpose. If used correctly they can be the big power finisher. They could also serve as a strong opening to breach a hole for the infantry to mop up. But that is their purpose, and they serve it well.

[Bedwyr]

Cavalry can already charge more than once, I'm 99% sure.  They just need enough room to build up speed.

[songqu88@gmail.com]

Two spaces seems to be the number. That would mean they could charge into the frontlines, then possibly charge the ranged units behind them.

[Bedwyr]

If I remember correctly, and I may not, the time I saw it was when cavalry had hit the infantry rank, and while they were fighting some infantry broke through to the archers, which then fell back to try to run away from the infantry, so when the cav finished up the front line they charged into the fleeing archers.

[Velax]

I don't understand where, anywhere, I was asking for cavalry to be able to charge more than once a battle, particularly seeing as they already can. They don't need to be two lines away to do it - they can charge if the enemy is only one line away.

The major issue here is that if cavalry is three lines away from infantry/archers and both units move forward, they will engage in close combat and the cavalry does not get a charge bonus. That makes no sense. Both units were moving, both units hit each other but no charge bonus.

[songqu88@gmail.com]

Critical distance exceeded, horses too tired to charge.

[Velax]

They can charge the next turn if circumstances permit, or the turn after that or the turn after that, or the 15th turn after having fought in melee combat for 10 rounds. Try another argument.

[De-Legro]

I've always thought about it like this, a turn is the shortest period of time within which it is practical for orders for a unit to be given. Now if we assume cav does not move around at charging speed at all times, then in this case, since the unit is out of charging range we advance. However those damn red coats also advance, quick issue orders to charge, I'm sorry my Lord the distance is now to close to build up to charging speed, etc.