H4 - Question about retreat

[PatFX]

Hi guys,
during the last test of my map, (during a fight using only heroes, no creatures), I did retreat, but, I did not move to the closest castle?? There was no computer's troop near the closest castle?

I did few test with an other basic custom map, and usually, I always move to the closest castle when I retreat.

Can someone explain to me how the "retreat" works. I tought I know how it works (I did use retreat more than 100 times during test of my map and I was always moving to the closest castle), but it looks like there is something that I don't understand...

sorry for my bad english skill....

Thanks!

[wimfrits]

If all of the 4 tiles giving access to the nearest castle are blocked, either by map obstacles or by armies, then the fleeing hero will retreat to the second nearest castle.
If this is not the issue in your case, perhaps it has something to do with the way 'nearest' is determined?

[Maciek]

You can't run to a castle that is too close. So, that 'nearest' is actually 'nearest, but not nearer than x tiles away'.

Simple test: Make a map with 1 Red castle, 1 Red hero and some neutrals several tiles away from the castle. If you attack the neutrals that are too close and try to run you'll get a message saying something like 'Your only town is too close to permit a safe retreat' (writing from memory, didn't check it now).

If you have neutrals close to 2 castles, you can move between them quite fast.

[PatFX]

You can't run to a castle that is too close. So, that 'nearest' is actually 'nearest, but not nearer than x tiles away'.

I did some test and you are right. If my hero is too close to the castle, he move to the other nearest castle.

Thanks!

[GreatEmerald]

Interesting, does that also apply to the AI? Because I recall the AI sending out the same hero over and over again from the town that was right there, and it was quite annoying. But maybe I wasn't close enough to the town, hmm.