SP - General Allow us to deploy troops pre-battle without the tactics perk

[Valkred]

I understand that there's a level 75 perk in the tactics tree that allows players to deploy troops before the battle. This is a great feature for the game, but I believe that it should be available to all commanders (at least in some sort of basic form). My reasons for this change are rooted in gameplay and realism:

Gameplay:

Bannerlord offers players beautiful and varied terrain, many types of units and weapons, and a clear interface for categorizing units and issuing orders to them. A lot of this great design is wasted because players simply do not have enough time to assess the terrain and set up troops in tactically meaningful way. Battles in Bannerlord have the potential to be much larger than they were in Warband, and I think hiding this feature behind a perk not only inhibits the fun-factor of such big battles, but it makes that perk nearly mandatory for anyone who wants to lead even the most modest of parties.​

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Realism:

Any commander, even one with no tactical ability, would be seeing the terrain features as they march along. One of the issues I have with the current system is that I'm getting dropped into a fighting arena with zero knowledge of the terrain other than its basic type (steppes vs. forest vs. desert, etc.). It kind of breaks immersion because my commander would have been seeing all of this prior to the battle and would presumably be able to react quickly. A commander with reasonable tactical ability (say around tactics level 50) would have had his/her troops marching into battle in a way that utilizes their strengths -- not in one big cluster. Again, I feel it is immersion breaking when trying to RP a character who is a tactical mastermind yet my troops are always in one big ball at the beginning.​

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Historically, commanders prior to a pitched battle would have had minutes if not hours if not days in advance to consult with their sergeants and devise a plan. of course this wasn't the case if they were ambushed or rushed in the night while in camp​

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Suggestions:

• The ability to preview the battlefield before the battle (as in spectator mode) is granted to all players regardless of tactics skill
• The ability to position troops in a very limited area with only the 'line' formation is granted to all players regardless of tactics skill
• A tactics perk is available at level 50 that expands the deployment area by a small amount and unlocks all formation options as well as basic orders (e.g. hold fire)
• A tactics perk is available at level 150 that expands the deployment area to its maximum size (maybe 30% of the map along one edge/corner)
• A tactics perk is available at very high level that allows the player to choose which side/corner of the map to deploy on, with the AI commander deploying on the opposite side

I understand that there are more pressing issues with the current form of the game, and I don't mean to suggest that I consider these changes to be priorities, but I feel that giving players these tools incrementally would go a long way toward making combat feel even more distinct and superior to warband.

Thanks!

 

[Insanity]

Sounds linke a good idea

 

[rthrfrd]

Personally I believe that all systems should unlock a significant perk after a single investment of a focus point. Things like troop deployment, passive troop xp, the ability to recruit prisoners, etc, the ability to equip 2 quivers, etc. The purpose is twofold: make investment into a particular skill feel rewarding (but immediately rewarding) and introduce new mechanics to a (potentially new) player at a gradual pace.

That said, they should also make it possible to achieve the first perk in a skill without investing a point, it’ll just take a bit longer.

 

[Weathercock]

Yes, this is something that I would consider a basic function of the core gameplay that should be fully available to the player within the first 2-3 hours of their campaign. Once you are managing forces of 20 men or more, this is a necessity. The fact that it's locked behind a good 20 hours of grinding is obscene, and ruins the tactical aspect of the game for me.

 

[Crowquills]

I agree, a tactical "preset" positioning (CUSTOMIZED BY THE USER) should be the basic of anyone leading a troop of soldiers. Let me adjust and save it.