Under Debate: Advancing to the Rear

[Axton]

We're not retreating, we're just advancing in a different direction!

Title: Army Retreat Setting
Summary: A setting for unit retreat based on overall percentage of remaining friendly unit strength as opposed to just the player's individual unit.
Details:

• Modify the retreat text blurb on Unit Settings Page to "Withdraw after unit suffers
  [input] % casualties (30%-75%)(1)"
• Add text blurb on Unit Settings Page "Withdraw after [input] % friendly forces have fallen or withdrawn (1)"
• In battle have unit withdraw after the number of friendly forces still engaged in the battle have been reduced by the new input.

Benefits: Allows marshals additional tactical decisions to maintain army strength.
Possible Downsides or Exploits: Less death in a losing army, potentially longer grind of fighting enemy forces.

Title: Retreat from Stronger Enemy
Summary: A setting for unit retreat based on relative combat strengths of the armies.
Details:

• Add text blurb on Unit Settings Page "Withdraw after the combat strength of friendly forces has fallen below [input] % of the enemy force (1)"
• In battle have unit withdraw after the combat strength of friendly forces still engaged in the battle has been reduced to below the input percentage of enemy forces' combat strength.

Benefits: Allows marshals additional tactical decisions to maintain army strength.
Possible Downsides or Exploits: Less death in a losing army, potentially longer grind of fighting enemy forces.

Title: Retreat Across the Field
Summary: When withdrawing or fleeing from a battle, a unit will cross back to the edge of the field before finally being removed from the field. Attackers may pursue if free to do so.
Details:

• Add text blurb on Unit Settings Page "When withdrawing your men will [retreat orderly/retreat quickly/flee]"
• When fleeing a battle due to unit routing or reaching withdrawing criteria with the flee option selection, a unit will move two spaces backwards each turn until it reaches the edge of the battlefield, at which point it will be removed from the battle. While fleeing a unit will have no defensive bonus from formation.
• When retreating quickly, a unit will alternate between moving two spaces and one space backwards each turn until it reaches the edge of the battlefield, at which point it will be removed from the battle. While retreating quickly a unit will receive a halved defensive bonus from formation.
• When retreating orderly, a unit will move one space backwards each turn until it reaches the edge of the battlefield, at which point it will be removed from the battle. While retreating orderly a unit will receive it's full defensive bonus from formation.
• If Army Retreat Setting or Retreat from Stronger Enemy features are implemented, a unit fleeing or withdrawing does not count towards forces or CS still in the battle.
• A unit that is fleeing
  
• Any enemy force capable of attacking a unit that is fleeing or withdrawing may do so.

Benefits: Varies end game of battles. Allows attackers to inflict further punishment on a losing force.
Possible Downsides or Exploits: Can result in more extensive losses for a retreating force and might just be an absolute bitch to program, I can't be sure.

Title: Archers Fall Back to Maintain Range
Summary: Add a setting for nobles with archer units to set a minimum range from the enemy to maintain.
Details:

• Add text blurb on Unit Settings Page "Your men will maintain [input] spaces from the enemy (2)" for nobles commanding units of archers.
• Add footnote on Unit Settings Page "(2) Note that this setting will not cause your unit to withdraw from the field" for nobles commanding units of archers.
• During a battle if an enemy is less than the input number of spaces distant from the unit of archers the unit will move back one space to maintain range unless it has reached the edge of the map.

Benefits: Increases tactical options for battles.
Possible Downsides or Exploits: Might be a bit hard to program.

While both have appeal to me, I think only one of Army Retreat Setting or Retreat from Stronger Army should be implemented.