Withdrawal

[unmerged(91248)]

First off, I bought all hoi versions since #1. So I love it and am eagerly awaiting #3 and have been reading the dev diaries. Sounds good fellas!

I'd like you to consider adding an option to specify the withdrawal direction for units that are about to break and withdraw automatically. There's nothing worse than loosing an Armoured army (or some other vital unit) when things are tight, because they withdraw into a territory that's about to be occupied (battle already fought) when there are other, better locations for them to withdraw to. It's like they're lemmings.

Whad'ya reckon?

 

[unmerged(55468)]

good idea, it's frustrating when that happens

 

[rommel_sniper]

I agree but in HOI2 you can choose, although you wait to be totally victored. And to choose them ii think it would be difficult (what happens if you don't choose? you need to choose alwais including when you are sure to win?)

I don't know, I like the idea but I thinks is not possible

 

[unmerged(91061)]

Good idea and I agree with your sentiment.
I think the AI for withdrawal needs to be smartened up. Units should always withdraw along supply lines or to areas farthest from the enemy lines. Ideally you should be able to set a retreat path, so say I'm invading Russia as Germany, I could draw a line on the map pointing from Moscow to Berlin, any unit that is defeated will move towards that line and when upon that line will follow it, in this case to Berlin. You can set multiple lines and assign certain units to only follow certain lines.
This could all be alittle over complicated but I'm just throwing it out there.
The simplest option would, imo, be to give each unit retreat preferences. They can either retreat toward capital/supply depot, strongest fort, largest friendly army or in the same direction the enemy advanced from (attacks from the east prompt retreats in a westerly direction).

 

[unmerged(52816)]

Why not just have a prompt when a battle is over asking which province to retreat to? Even better, get the doctrines of countries involved as well as the unit experience. A possible way of doing this could be:

Withdrawl in good order -> you get to choose retreat province.

Withdrawl -> you do not get to choose.

Fighting withdrawl/rearguard action -> you get to choose & slow the enemy.

The above status would depend on the unit's experience. So maybe at 2 stars, let's say, a unit will have good order. Below that, it won't. Above that it will perform rearguard actions slowing the enemy advance so that they can't get beyond the lost province before you do. Now doctrines can come into play by lowering the benchmark experience needed for good order etc.

Example:
German units almost always withdrew in good order so conceivably their early doctrines would allow for good order retreats at exp of 1. For the Brits, their mid game doctrines would do similar while the Soviets & US wait until late game doctrines.

Now the numbers above are hypothetical, used for illustrative purposes only, but I think that you can see where I'm coming from.

 

[Lazy_Boy]

Yeah I hope so. The default shouldn't be fight until breaking. It's already a pain to run the game slow and watch each battle let alone with 5 times the provinces. Standing orders for tactical fighting retreat maybe.

It all depends on what they come up with in the combat system though. If combat lasts longer and favors defense more then there's not much of a problem. Also there's the whole invincible retreat thing. I'm hoping for constant combat. If an infantry division is in broken retreat and being overwhelmed by a panzer blitz there's going to be massive casualties.