Nelson's Finest Hour ... Not

[eMonticello]

Seems that one cannot rout in the face of a far inferior force ... even if they, too, rout. There really needs to be better disengagement rules, since it's unlikely that a few privateers would defeat a Royal Navy battlefleet when they both choose to disengage...

[Grand_Armee]

I know I've accidentally hit the "done" button instead of the "auto" button numerous times. AND...AND...if you accidentally hit it twice (I call it defeat by doublestroke) in one combat, it comes back to get you the next time you have QB. Happens to me anyways.

Since then I've always ensured to place my troops myself and lose the habit of the "auto" button. I'm not saying you did it...but I can't explain it otherwise.

[Hard Sarge]

that is a very strange one, you had the wheather edge and the upgrade edge

don't know what happened

[Ralegh]

I must admit that I don't really understand how the AI chooses who won when both sides try to retreat. Eric seems convinced it does something sensible - and has explained it to me a couple of time. But then I don't really like the whole attacker/defender determination anyway (so I suppose I should be grateful Eric hasn't implemented any of my suggestions to make life harder on attackers).

After any QC, there is a 50% chance of a pursuit - perhaps it should be zero if your side routed too.

In this battle, the amazing thing is actually the huge number of casulties done. Unlike land battle, naval pursuit are a percentage of the fleeing force (not a percentage of the winning force), making it possible to sink far more than your own tonnage, as in this example. I presume the fleeing British didn't have many frigates in the fleets - more frigates would have 'blocked' the pursuit casulties. But this is still a big number - the random factors must have aligned in favour of the pursuit roll in this battle.

[eMonticello]

There were two frigates at 80%, one frigate at 30%, one hvy ship, four ships, and one transport. The french privateers were probably at 100%. Even with the wind gauge, an advantage in experience, and customary British naval superiority stats, I lost 18 ships (presumably frigates) to a few privateers. Fortunately, this is easily reproduceable.

Ironically, if I had volleyed with all the ships, we would have been able to disengage successfully without losses to either side. I just wanted the same outcome without moving any ships.

[Ralegh]

No, I am afraid not. If you had volleyed and they routed, there would have been a 50% chance of you doing pursuit to them - which may have had no effect, or may have sunk them all.