Anyone seen this before?

[Orac]

Maybe this is nothing unusual, but it's a first for me.....
Late in the game +/- 2000ad my neighbour India declares war on me, so I take one of his border cities and roll on to his capitol with
about 20 Mech inf. While surrounding the city he steps out with 8
infantry, so I'm expecting a counter-attack. I never saw them again All units had abandoned the city......I took over
the UN and several other GW. Does somebody know what triggers this? Until then India was one of the major contenders, now they were gone before 2050 ad......
Suggestions anyone?

 

[Albert Einstain]

I saw it before couple of times. When AI feels that you will beat him, he try to save the troops and to retreat to another line of defence. It is clever thing, IMHO.

 

[Ackrite99]

In the first (and last game) I've played on Emperor so far, I managed to survive to the modern age, with the 4th biggest empire (Huge map, 10 civs), but the Americans next to me were huge. I had no chance of winning, but wanted to survive. I knew the Americans would declare war and wipe me out, their military was huge. So I built a 10 square line of forts on a range of mountains that stretched across the souther part of my nation. When they attacked, I had no choice but to retreat thereto. It meant abandonning 3 good cities, with one wonder, but they could not pass the mountains and I survived.

If we can do it, why shouldn't the computer. Makes it very life-like (Strategic Withdrawal, as its called, could have saved the Germans in Russia for example)

 

[Orac]

If they withdraw, fine. It's only that I'm used to fighting the AI
till the end. Most of the time they don't know when to quit......

Thanks for the reply guys

 

[itsa95thing]

ive seen it happen on monarch level late in the game I had modren armour and mech infaltry heading tword 3 of the comps citys and in one they took like 12 infaltry out and relocated them I met them 3 turns latter the comp had 21 infaltry in one city that took a few turns.:tank::tank::tank:

 

[jimmytrick]

I am sure you have seen your workers (probably just the ones on auto) flee advancing enemy troops. Congrats to Soren for programing that behavior.

Could be he programed the retreat thing..or, it might be a bug where infantry emulates worker flight.

 

[Windwalker]

I've never seen the AI strategically retreat, but I've done on one of my border towns... I had 2 samurai there, and they were looking at an onslaught of about 12 knights, longbows, and swordsmen. They retreated, regrouped with about 7 other samurai in another town, and gradually picked away at their forces (which got split up due to the different speeds and such). It'd cool if the AI knows how to trade territory for time like that, though I haven't seen it...

- Windwalker

 

[holyman]

they will withdraw under some conditions. i find this a good tactic: once u capture a few cities, and is like 1 or 2 cities away from their capital or some size 10-12 cities, but u feared a counter attack cos ur remaining units are half-farked after the conquest, simply send a single unit towards their capital or major city. the ai units near ur newly aquired cities will all retreat to defend the capital. u might lose that single unit but u get a chance to heal ur other units.

 

[WUM]

i never even gave AI a chance to retreat

but 21 infantry in one city? that´s absurd! i hope i won´t run into such wars... at least not before i get mech´s and stuff.

 

[holyman]

good target for nukes...