siege army attacking the town before setting camp

I'd like a use for defensive forces that are in your towns. Like siege armies having to attack your town first before they can set up their camp. If they lose they get wiped out and if they win they are able to set up camp. This in my mind will create a better balance to the game and take away some of the power siege has. Adding a major use for defensive forces, terrain and crafted armor while making it harder to launch a successful siege.  

Edited by Quackers - 18 Aug 2012 at 03:27

I guess you would need to see them headed your way, figure out which square they are going to occupy, and have your defense forces occupy that square first.  Why would they need to send troops into the town before setting up siege engines outside it?  Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a siege?  For now defensive forces in the town mean that someone else can't just wipe out all the troops in your town with a small second army before the siege begins, no?

Maybe it would be more realistic to have some mechanic whereby your defense forces could be ordered to automatically position themselves to block an incoming siege, forcing them to attack you outside your town?  After all, your army should be able to easily see the direction of the approaching forces and set itself in their path, right?  You would still have the advantage of your sovereignty and a defensive force you could equip for the terrain outside of your town.

Rorgash wrote: as it is once the camp lands you can send you troops out normally.. so i dont get this..

I believe part of the pathfinding update will allow us to park an army on the incoming armies path. Of course we would have to calculate which squares that army will march over and choose an advantageous one to set up on. Of course we're still a long ways from pathfinding and currently there is little use for defending units besides protecting your attack armies in your towns.

I agree with rorgash. shouldn't siege be worked out as realistic as possible? In real, when a town gets sieged people don't run out and fight the attacker, because it is easier to defend from within the town. And it's the same in Illy I think. It's easier to kill a siege army with some good placed cavalry then with an army of spears, waiting to be trampled by the attacker. Makes sense imo. Defense units work perfect against raids,and to defend a plot/siege. That's where they are made for.