Deserting v Routing

[mcaryf]

I have been dumping the current Game DB as part of testing and evaluating a mod and a scenario. I notice that casualties are recorded under 3 headings "Deserted", "killed", "wounded". Deserted is typically a relatively low number in my all day scenario - just a few 100. However many of the units are noted as having routed and the "deserted" number is therefore far too low to represent routed troops.

So two questions - what does "deserted" represent and is there any way to tell the contribution to the points score from routed units?

Regards

Mike

[gunship24]

Someone correct me if wrong:

- Every time a unit takes a casualty there is a chance that casualty will be either killed, wounded or deserted, each category having a low or higher change of occurring. In this sense deserting is a man running away from him unit never to be seen again. This would happen historically to varying degrees depending on the nation and the tactics used. For example Prussians deserted on the retreat after Ligny when army cohesion was low and the ability to slip away was high. We represent it on the field to give a flavour of many factors like battle stress and getting captured. It might be better to think of this as "missing".

- Routing is not the same as deserted. It means the unit has routed, however the men have not deserted and their unit will be back to fight another day.

not sure about the points question. someone else can probably help.

[mcaryf]

Hi Gunship

Thamks for your quick answer.

Certainly the total of Deserted, Killed and Wounded = the casualties reported alongside Wellington or Napoleons name. The difference in score/rating looks as if it is close to what must be the objective points' score so it looks to me as if routing is not currently included in the scoring. That might be a bug or a policy decision.

Regards

Mike

[Saddletank]

I do not know the exact numbers but I think a unit is awarded points for capturing an enemy unit, capturing a gun, and causing an enemy unit to rout or retreat. You also get points for killing generals and capturing couriers. Obviously these points all add up to the total points score of the army.

[mcaryf]

Hi Saddletank
I understand the general principle but it is quite difficult to understand what has actually happened when looking at a final score. My general impression is that the score is made up from the relative advantage in terms of casualties plus the actual objective points earned by the player. It is not obvious whether the AI has received any objective scores and as far as I can tell routing scores either offset each other or more probably are not counted. I deliberately switched off all objective points for the AI and made the objective points won by the player relatively small. This resulted in the points/rating being pretty much as I have described i.e. difference in casualties plus objective points.

You can work out how many of your own troops have routed by taking the casualties away from your starting force number and seeing how that compares with your remaining strength. However, I do not know how to do the same for the other sides without going through the gamedb file and sorting out all the routed units and subtracting the casualties from their initial strengths. Since I did not think the routed units are counting towards the final score I have not bothered to do that yet and thought I would ask here instead.

Regards

Mike

[Jean Lafitte]

This thread is very timely because I was just about to ask a question about Rout, Surrender and Capture.

Units that Rout are seen dispersed and running away from the battle. Do they all leave the battle permanently or do some of them Rally and re-assemble on the battlefield?

What about units that throw up the White Flag after losing a Melee? Are they Surrendered and Captured?

Thanks.

[RebBugler]

This thread is very timely because I was just about to ask a question about Rout, Surrender and Capture.

Units that Rout are seen dispersed and running away from the battle. Do they all leave the battle permanently or do some of them Rally and re-assemble on the battlefield?

What about units that throw up the White Flag after losing a Melee? Are they Surrendered and Captured?

Thanks.

Routed troops run off the map and are GONE from the game. Same goes for surrender/captured units, but they just disappear after a minute or so.

[Jacquinot]

I played full Waterloo battle and looks like line casualties not include surrendered and deserted troops.

[the reb]

Do these explanations explain why I am seeing a difference in entering troop strength and battle end troop strength and casualties? If so....then one needs to pay more attention to the fatigue and moral levels of the brigades, and take them out of action when those levels are in danger and rest them. In return, they don't leave the game. Make sense?

the reb....

[Saddletank]

Very much so. Husbanding your troops and keeping fresh reserves is key to winning I find, especially with cavalry combats. He who has the last fresh mounted reserve will often win which seems absolutely correct.