Combat in MP?

[Major Ball]

Apart form running into a single unit or defenseless city I have limited experience when it comes to MP combat.

What happens when a large stack moves next to a city?

Does the the defender get a chance to attack first?

Do both sides take turns?

Does each individual unit attack?

Does the defender get to counterattack after each attack?

Who is the attacker and who is the defender?

Is it time related?

Does it happen between turns if you order all your units to attack or 1 at a time when everyone is having their turns?

Do you get to choose your defender if your stack is attacked?

Does the whole stack attack at once?

Any help from an experienced MP player would help.

[OzzyKP]

Its all fastest finger. Everything is simultaneous. So it works just like a regular combat vs. the AI, whoever moves first is whoever hits the key first.

[Major Ball]

Thats interesting....

[Swissy]

Actually its more anticipation as when your units move into enemy borders there is an 8 second delay before an attack is allowed to be made. This applies to both either civ, invader or defender. So unless the stack has been moving through a pushed out cultural border, nobody is gonna be making a quickie attack.

Units with first strike get there wacks in first with the better first strike multiple going first. If you have stack attack enabled, all units linked together will attack at once, the game sorting out which units attack first and who defends. Note that since defense reigns supreme in this game and fortify bonuses are cumulative to +25%, attacking a stack outside your city is not good. The only exception is attacking with colateral damage producing units which will do major weakening to your opponents stack. I specificallty link those type of units together so I can make a stack attack with them, usually with devestating enough results to cause the invader to withdraw.