Some changes concerning cavalry

[Lady_Cicilia_Rosewood]

The problem with the horse is that it's played like a smooth car made out of flesh, instead of an animal like in Assassins creed..which is beyond our ability to change.

[Michael]

But anyway, we in GK comment on this all the time. As a horse clan we notice the lack of awareness of people.

You see this only from the horsemans point of view.

Those mindless charging footmen (typical NA player) deserve to die to learn their lesson, and they will, sooner or later unless they play their box maps night and day.

It is still okay when the horseman backstabs people that are focussing on archers.

But what I am saying is that the footman, who is fighting in close combat with enemy footmen, should not be stabbed in the head. Such "accuracy" should not be possible. Its silly. I play with a ping about 100 and I would say I kill 20 enemies till I injure a friendly by accident. Shouldnt be that easy.

[Phazey]

You can play the way you like- spawnkilling + backstabbing, but you can also be more efficient and clever and try to kill the enemy top-players, and other cavalry trying to spwanrape and backstab your teammates. This is not lame at all.

You see my point?

This.

Didn't read the whole thread. But to the OP: the style you are describing is how noobs play cav. If you want to win rounds, instead of trying to pad your own k:d-ratio, try sticking with your infantry, protecting them from cav attacks and assisting in fights.
Try that. Trust me, it will bring your team more wins and is much more rewarding in the long run.

[Huey Newton]

Some changes concerning cavalry

From my own experience, Hector is a dedicated lancer dedicated polearm with 9 power strike and 4 riding, Penthesileia dedicated 1h and 4 riding, and from what I see on the EU (official) servers, cav is played like this:

You ride to the enemys spawn, kill those poor souls that spawned a bit too late,

next,
you sneak behind the enemy and kill those that are either fighting with other infantry, or charging and focussing on your archers.

You avoid attacking anyone who is aware that you are there.

Lame!

Me personally I think the heavy lance arabian warhorse combo I use for Hector is overpowered, but so is Courser and Heavy Lance or destrier/ cata and bumpslash with 1h or morningstar.

Especially since the last patch makes it impossible to carry your pike or anti-cav shit in your pocket around.

On the other hand, even for a group of several competent horsemen its risky to charge 2 or 3 archers camping a hill because a high end archer can kill a horse in 2 shots, and a crossbowman with 1 shot.

Therefore, I suggest some changes concerning cavalry that should change how cavalry is played to a way we know from history or great games like Rome Total War.

Archers shoot 2h and polespammers, then, when they see enemy cav, they fall back behind friendly infantry.

Pikemen stop horses.

Horses fight their cavalry duels, the winning side then chases enemy archers.

No more lame backstabbing of fighting infantry, or even worse, circling around and through enemies and friendly infantry and killing 3 enemies and 2 friendlies by accident, then turn around and go on.

So, the changes now:

1) Make all lances couchable-only like you did with the Great Lance
This should already bring cavalry to a bit more realistic level.
Those who want to stab/ thrust would have to use Spears, that are not that long and therefore need more skill and awareness.

2) Reduce maneuver-ability of horses.
I think when the Arabian Warhorse was like the Destrier is now, and the other horses would have way way less maneuver-ability it would be fair.

3) Make Arabian Warhorse and Courser more expensive
For Hector I use Arabian Warhorse, Heavy Lance, Khergit Lamellar Vest and Plate Boots all the time, and usually I still make money.

4) Make the armored horses cheaper, and/ or give more body armor and hit points to the unarmored horses so that horsemen dare to charge rangers.

Ranged troops should run when they see cavalry charging them.

This would make the game a bit more tactical, not just one-man-shows both for archer, who stands dumb around in the open field and still gets tons of kills,
and the horseman, who is just a sneaky bastard backstabbing coward and gets even more kills by simply pushing left mouse button.

No

[La Makina]

But anyway, we in GK comment on this all the time. As a horse clan we notice the lack of awareness of people.

It is not that infantry dies because they are not aware of the cavalry
It is that cavalry targets only unaware infantry.

[Hunter_the_Honourable]

you forget Cavarly is a support unit so if the charge enemy infantry head on it wont end well for the cavarly now ill it. If the devs did some how manage to do what you suggest Im thinking quite a few people would stop playing and not just because of that, but because you are then limiting their style of play by telling them what they can and can't do.