XIIIC vs MTW2 :: Cavalry

[TimSmurf]

I noticed something very interesting on one of the pictures presented at the gallery - sceenshot no. 205!
http://xiiicentury.1cpublishing.eu/image.php?id=205.jpg

In MTW2 all horses dies with the rider...
Cavalrymen are also bound to their steed, on and off the battlefield - thus units cannot eg. dismount when they are considered more effective on foot,
& vice versa.

The big question is therefore...
What features does XIIIC offer contrary to MTW2, handling Cavalry?

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Facts of history...

- Horses were considered of great value, even greater those steeds trained in warfare. In most european civilizations a trained horse was worth more than most people at the lower half of society. Whenerver possible, infantrymen would attempt to take out the rider without causing injury to the steed...

- To train a horse in warfare was considered costly - and only the strongest and hardiest of them could prove effective in melee, while most lesser animals would be obsessed by finding the shortest way out of danger if well-off frightened.

- The mongols was culturally bound to the use and training of horses. In battle, the majority - comprised of lightly armored horsearchers - who would prefer to stay out of hand-to-hand combat. It is claimed that many of the mongols each had several steeds packed with arrows closeby, ready to supply their master whenever called upon. (As mares was prefered steed to ride by the mongols, there are known examples of young foles packed with supplies - as it naturally follows its mum wherever she goes).

- An injured animal in the heat of battle would try to get to safety, and often it would mean running down a group of unprepared infantrymen. If the horse was armored this might prove fatal to several men. Also, it was common that armored steeds often had minor blades or pikes close to its head and chest to make it even more fatal to stand in its way.

- An exausted horse would refuse to run - if it was forced to do so for long it could die. Armored horses would tire much easier than those carrying lighter weight. Thus, if an armored rider would choose flee it could prove survival to throw away all kinds of weights (like lances, shield, bodyarmor, etc). As the knightly class was heavily equipped (mostly), they would prove too slow to chase down routing enemies or flee themselves.

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I would consider exciting in XIIIC...

...if the where diffrent kinds of horses (races with diffrent capabilities and strengths)!
...if riders could mound/dismount during battle, but also fight on if they where pushed of their steed!
...if untrained horses appear not unrealisticly brave, thus would refuse to run into screaming melees.
...if horses could fall (eg. during a charge), but rise up again if not injured or killed!

[Evgeny]

Well, unfortunately, all these features won't be presented in the game. But in the add-on for the game we plan to let the horses run away from the battle field when the rider is dead.