About dogs dying or fleeing

Durring the lastest gameplay that was recorded at the GDC, you said you still didn't know if dogs should die or flee because its sad...
I would argue that it doesn't matter if they die, for the simple facts that :
1) They are combat dogs. They were trained for combat. They are just like soldiers... So they should die just like soldiers, its the risk of their duty.
2) I dont' see why a dog dying is sad, but a human dying isn't. Both cases are sad, and both are doing their job... (Someone is probably going to tell me that the man choose to fight, while the dog doesn't... But history disagrees, in a war, there are also people who are taken without their will, from civilians, and so didn't choose to fight, but were still sent to war, and as for the dog, if it was a wild dog, it could have to fight for its survival as well... and therefore risk dying...)

But I can already sense people crying about the dog, since, its the Internet, can't have dogs dying... So how about you make it an optional feature? That way, people who don't care can have dogs dying, people who care can have dogs fleeing. That would solve everything, wouldn't it?

For anyone who hasn't seen that GDC gameplay, here's the video

 

Thanks for posting this video.

I agree with this, and I would prefer if the dogs do die because it IS a battle, keeping a little bit of realism in the game. But an optional feature also works

 

You're welcome. I found it thanks to Jay Baylis' twitter.

Personnaly, its more a fact that it'd be weird. Why would they get to flee, but not the others then? An unit is made to be played, and ultimately, lost in battle. Every units get destroyed eventually, and if they all die, but if that one gets to flee, it looks out of place in my opinion.
But yeah, as I said, making it an optional feature would ensure people who don't want to see the dogs die can turn it on. (Or putting it on by default so people don't say "CHUCKLEFISH, YOU MONSTERS" because they didn't check the options...), without making people who find that illogcal like me feel weird about it
And as you said, its more "realistic", that'd be what would happen. And in fact... Felheim Legion's dogs... Are undead, so they even are already dead for that specific case

 

Couldent agree with you more, let the dogs die.

I don't understand why dogs should get special treatment when we already have horses dying with their riders on the cavalry units.

 

Let the dogs die. When seeing the stream where it was mentioned, I didn't find it the least bit upsetting or controversial. Animals are always dying in video games, especially when they're designed for battle. And as @Antlionguard mentioned, there are already horses dying as well as countless humans (and other races).