Game balance
- Thread starter Mike Hawk
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General K
Sergeant
Gewehr98 said:
A couple of these formational options I would assume are not finished and they should be addressed at a later date once the main issues are fixed, or alternative system put in its place.
Edit@Below: it would be for those wanting to form squares but with the way the AI is at the moment anyway I would find it very interesting to see now they actually kept the formation which I guarantee you they probably wouldn't haha :p
Bayonet bracing! It can be easily done like in 1257 AD and it would improve infantry survivability against cav so much!
Even with bracing off, bayonets do extra damage against horses and you can usually knock down a rider in one hit. With the melee improvements in 1.1 the AI infantry are semi-decent now against cavalry. They'd be better though if it took more than a single enemy nearby to scatter the whole formation.
KACollver said:
Does it actually work? I've yet to test it but in most of the mods I've played with that feature it has a pretty hit or miss way of working (I'd expect more discipline from my grenadiers de la garde but oh well)
deadknight
Sergeant
Nopkar said:
Thanks for the tip, I like this balance
Einarr Jarl
Recruit
RanGer_SLO said:Again with the prize fighting
Disable the kick animation when in the ring? Right now, you can just kick the poor bastard into the corner and keep kicking him into the groin repeatedly until he collapses in agony, and there's absolutely nothing he can do about it.
Historically you could kick, headbutt, use knees, and even throw - the idea of boxing being just punching is relatively recent.
Einarr Jarl said:RanGer_SLO said:Again with the prize fighting
Disable the kick animation when in the ring? Right now, you can just kick the poor bastard into the corner and keep kicking him into the groin repeatedly until he collapses in agony, and there's absolutely nothing he can do about it.
Historically you could kick, headbutt, use knees, and even throw - the idea of boxing being just punching is relatively recent.
Thing is the AI can't kick and can't defend against kicks. You can just hold block and spam the kick key and you simply can't lose.
How I think unit squads should be done.
1. Infantry
This is the meat of your army. The soak up the damage, and do most of the dying while your other troops take all the glory. Included in this group are all units on foot that are not skirmishers or guards.
2. Skirmishers
These are your auxiliary units. They fight from the flanks or the back of your formation. Included in this group are all light infantry and irregular units.
3. Light Cavalry.
These are mounted troops for hunting down stragglers, harassing larger formations and taking down artillery. Included in this group are all cavalry units in the light cavalry upgrade path.
4. Heavy Cavalry.
These are your shock units. Designed to break enemy formations. Included in this group are all cavalry units in the line cavalry upgrade path.
5. Guards
These are the best of the best from your line infantry. Use them to guard key points on the battlefield. Included in this group are all top tier grenadiers.
Now I know it's pretty easy for the player to do this for his army. But I'd like to see AI using them. Assuming the AI manages to start forming actual formations on the battlefield, these would give them some tactical versatility.
1. Infantry
This is the meat of your army. The soak up the damage, and do most of the dying while your other troops take all the glory. Included in this group are all units on foot that are not skirmishers or guards.
2. Skirmishers
These are your auxiliary units. They fight from the flanks or the back of your formation. Included in this group are all light infantry and irregular units.
3. Light Cavalry.
These are mounted troops for hunting down stragglers, harassing larger formations and taking down artillery. Included in this group are all cavalry units in the light cavalry upgrade path.
4. Heavy Cavalry.
These are your shock units. Designed to break enemy formations. Included in this group are all cavalry units in the line cavalry upgrade path.
5. Guards
These are the best of the best from your line infantry. Use them to guard key points on the battlefield. Included in this group are all top tier grenadiers.
Now I know it's pretty easy for the player to do this for his army. But I'd like to see AI using them. Assuming the AI manages to start forming actual formations on the battlefield, these would give them some tactical versatility.
More clearly outlined diversity certainly wouldn't hurt.
My thoughts:
1. Infantry
Rather cheap and quick to upgrade and an all round mediocre unit with mediocre stats, though at the same time should be the one that can accomplish anything. The most "malleable" in terms of what you can make from them. Probably the type of units that would benefit from better formation options the most.
2. Skirmishers
Agility and Athletics skills are heavily upgraded or maxed out to be actually useable for flanking in battlefields as small as we have. A heavy increase of points in the Musketry proficiency for the light infantry from factions that don't use rifles and a slight increase for those that do. Sort of the glass cannon of the factions.
3. Light Cavalry.
Low Riding skill and bad horses, though nicely upgraded Musquetry proficiency and Horse-musquetry skill. Can think of them as highly mobile, close-range infantry with swords and good ranged DPS.
4. Heavy Cavalry.
Horses with more health and, if possible, recieve far less "extra damage" from polearms, also really fast in order to not get slowed down too much by running over infantry. The riders themselves need a boost for the One-handed melee proficiency and some other boosts here and there depending on what armor and weapons that specific unit has.
5. Guards
Accuracy and reload speeds aren't the greatest, but have a really high Ironflesh skill and Polearms proficiency. If any AI combat changes are made, then these should get all of them. They're the "Swadian knights" of L'aigle, but have a downside of being more close ranged and slower than everyone else.
My thoughts:
1. Infantry
Rather cheap and quick to upgrade and an all round mediocre unit with mediocre stats, though at the same time should be the one that can accomplish anything. The most "malleable" in terms of what you can make from them. Probably the type of units that would benefit from better formation options the most.
2. Skirmishers
Agility and Athletics skills are heavily upgraded or maxed out to be actually useable for flanking in battlefields as small as we have. A heavy increase of points in the Musketry proficiency for the light infantry from factions that don't use rifles and a slight increase for those that do. Sort of the glass cannon of the factions.
3. Light Cavalry.
Low Riding skill and bad horses, though nicely upgraded Musquetry proficiency and Horse-musquetry skill. Can think of them as highly mobile, close-range infantry with swords and good ranged DPS.
4. Heavy Cavalry.
Horses with more health and, if possible, recieve far less "extra damage" from polearms, also really fast in order to not get slowed down too much by running over infantry. The riders themselves need a boost for the One-handed melee proficiency and some other boosts here and there depending on what armor and weapons that specific unit has.
5. Guards
Accuracy and reload speeds aren't the greatest, but have a really high Ironflesh skill and Polearms proficiency. If any AI combat changes are made, then these should get all of them. They're the "Swadian knights" of L'aigle, but have a downside of being more close ranged and slower than everyone else.
Ew. You're thinking of Dragoons, which are usually defined as medium cav. More accurately they're like the horse-archers of this era, sometimes described as mounted infantry.CaptainAndrew said:
1. Line Infantry
Should have skills balanced between light infantry and grenadiers. Not as good at shooting and moving as light infantry, but having some of the toughness and melee power of guards. Their versatility should be the reason to use them. Have enough of these guys and you can win any fight. Even an unskilled commander should be able to use these to good effect. Should be a low risk investment.
Their weakness lies largely in their lack of specialization. A good infantry commander should be able to make better use of an equal number of Grenadiers and Skirmishers.
2. Guards/Grenadiers
I think of them like Nord Huscarls or Rhodok Sergeants. Best melee power and toughness. If you need something that can hold against a heavy cavalry charge, match their numbers in the currency of Grenadiers. Grenadiers should be slow to move and their ranged skill lower than line infantry.
Their main weaknesses is that even though they can absorb shot well, units like light infantry and dragoons are fast enough to avoid melee and still do damage. They should also be more difficult to train to elite than line inf.
3. Skirmishers
Light Infantry are meant to provide ranged fire support. They should be fast on the move and produce a high volume of accurate fire, but make for squishy meal when faced with so much as light cavalry.
Riflemen and similar infantry are the extreme of this, being extremely deadly with their fire, but with almost no melee capability.
4. Hussars
These are the vultures. They circle you with unparalleled speed and maneuverability, but never attack unless you make yourself very vulnerable. Attacking tightly packed grenadiers with these for example, would be suicidal. They cannot pierce thick line formations, but skirmishers, artillery, or a thin/broken infantry line will make suitable targets.
5. Dragoons
Ranged cavalry who have similar fire capability to line infantry, maybe less. These should be able to defeat any unit, so long as they are not caught in a melee against Cuirassiers, Lancers, or Grenadiers.
Line Infantry should be about on par with them in a melee, and thus you will lose all your men if you charge a line of superior numbers.
Skirmishers should be charged, but grenadiers should be shot.
Heavy cavalry or lancers will make mince of dragoons. You will need a strong infantry line for your dragoons to retreat to if you meet a melee cavalry force.
6. Cuirassiers
The hardest, heaviest, slowest cavalry. If managed well and carrying sufficient numbers, these should be able to sweep away infantry lines. Grenadiers will beat Cuirassiers provided they have similar numbers.
Their toughness and melee power give them similar(but not superior) melee strength to Grenadiers.
Line infantry are a prime target for cuirassiers. Just make sure you're not badly outnumbered by the enemy line, and you'll be seeing green text fill your screen.
7. Lancers
Something of an anomaly. These are almost as fast as hussars, but not as maneuverable. They deal similar damage to, but do not have the survivability of cuirassiers. No ranged capacity at all.
The main thing these men have is an incredibly damaging charge.
Every kind of soldier should have reason to fear lancers. Lancers should however be vulnerable when they get stuck in. Not having the armour or toughness of cuirassiers, many of them will die after the initial charge if they cannot escape sustained melee combat.
If they can be skillfully commanded, repeated charges will break any enemy.
