Battle deployment phase

[GonZ]

I've just made a post about how I'd like to play a campsite minigame here: http://taleworlds.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2297

And it's got me thinking about the whole battle map set up and game play.

I think that instead of going straight into a battle we should have a distinct battle deployment phase - this would add a new tactical dimension to the game.

It would work very much like the camping deployment ideas.

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On the campaign map you can see a group of enemy raiders following you, you can't out pace them with your slow moving caravan of goods (or whatever) so you know you need to defend against an imminent attack.

On the bottom of the campaign map you hit the "Defend" (which is next to the "camp" option).

Select defend:

A random battle map appears on the screen, you look at the site for defensive potential. If it looks good you accept that map and move to battle deployment phase.

Depending on how far away the enemy are you may have time to select an alternative battle map to defend if the first one was no good. If you spot them a day’s ride away you might get three maps to choose from. If you are ambushed you get no choice of map.

The closer your enemy are the less time and choice you have.

Battle deployment phase:

You have an interface that lets you drop your resources on the map. Resources include your baggage caravan/the noble you are escorting/slaves/mule train etc as well as your troops.

As many others have said it might be good to create your own custom unit groups at this point.

You then deploy your troops and other units on the map. Simplest way drop baggage train here - click, archers here - click, infantry here - click, mounted units here etc. Then start the battle.

If you've been successfully ambushed your troops and equipment would be auto deployed in a line. (we need maps with roads in please).

Battle phase:

If you spotted the enemy coming from the east then they should arrive on the east side of the battle map. Unless they were smart and surrounded you

Battle commences in the usual awesome manner.

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I think this could add a lot to combat. You could choose on the campaign map to hit your enemy straight on. If both groups are moving on the campaign map towards each other then there would be no battle deployment, both armies would appear on opposite sides of the battle map. Similar to now.

If your party is being pursued then you should have the tactical advantage of choosing your battlefield and deploying your resources.

If your chasing an enemy party, they should have the terrain and deployment phase advantage. Course this would require some serious advances in AI to make the opposition deployment credible.

In addition it forces you to consider your overall mission. Caravan escort - defend the goods. Escort mission - defend the princess or whatever.

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Community influenced as ever.

 

[JohnathanStrange]

Good stuff.

That's also been a suggestion of mine because I believe it not only adds variety but some tactical depth to the combat.

It's been a whiny comment on my part to point out that ALL our battles are meeting engagements where we run headlong at an enemy that himself arrives in successive waves so as not to overwhelm us. I understand that the game engine (and most computers's framerates) may not be able to handle 100 men on the field, so I've no problem with that aspect.

However, if we could deploy as you suggest, then we could try to use some elementary tactics: archers on hill, protected by infantry, cavalry nearby for some flank attack. Hell, we could even try some battle formations other than "mobs." That alone would add variety and complexity. Either side could deploy, depending on the "attacker" and "defender." And as you suggest, if we're both attacking then we go straight to battle as usual.

I also like the idea that terrain could be better used; perhaps we're defending a hastily erected barricade that provides us cover, maybe the tall grass conceals our archers, or we're attacking some bandit group holding a mountain pass or burning a small farmhouse which we've got to defend.

 

[GonZ]

Thanks for the support Johnathan!

Thought a few more people might have had something to say about troop deployment like that. Guess its a minority idea lol.

 

[Berny]

i actually like setting up your battle ground i had an idea similar to this...
you could even go as for as adding spiked fences... or pits... for mounted units to fall in...


Edit (jsut noticed that you talked about that in your camping minigame..)

 

[thorins]

im all for the additional tactics and pre-battle plan. i think it would add the additional depth to the battles that would blow all others out of the watter!!

Great idea!!

 

[CaesarStuart]

Hmm, I definetly like the idea of being able to choose where you start. It's always a pain when my character decides that the best place to start a battle is at the bottom of a shear canyon.

What would be even better is giving the option of creating light field fortifications of some type. The English at the battle of Agincourt did exactly this; they placed a long narrow 'field' of stakes, angled toward the enemy French forces and sharpened at both ends, in front of their archers. This prevented the French Knights (or at least what was left of the French Knights they had been chewed up by the English arrow storm) from penetrating the English line.

Field fortifications in M&B could work along similar lines; while they don't prevent enemy troops from reaching your forces, they do slow the enemy down giving you an opportunity to fill them full of arrows. It also makes them vunerable to a counter-attack, as gives you the opportunity to charge them while they are stalled on your defenses. Such preperations could include; the aforementioned pointed stakes, caltrops (imagine four of more nails hammered together in a way that insures one of the points is always facing up), wagon forts, various types of booby traps (anything from spike pits to small holes design to break the legs of men or horses), and in extreme cases, simple palisades. Setting up these types of defenses in a very short amount of time is not unrealistic. The English at Agincourt were able to set up their rows of wooden spikes in less than an hour by giving all of their foot soildiers their own stakes and hammers. Other experienced and well disciplined forces have set up simple earth works in a matter of hours as well.

I realize that this may be a bit difficult to implement, and it would not be that great of a loss if it was left out of the game, so I'm not going to be too disapointed if it never gets added. Deciding where you start the battle though is critical to making the game playable, so it definitely needs to be included.