Troop command overhaul (You vets may like)

[The Wandering Knight]

I have brought this up before, but it was in the midst of another thread.  I've been playing since .7, which isn't as long as many of you, so I am very sure at least someone agrees with me on this suggestion.

In the current game, you command troops by pressing a number (1 is Everyone, 2 is Infantry, 3 is Archers, 4 is Cavalry...etc), and then a function key (F1 is hold this postion, F2 is follow me, etc).  This lets me command simple battles with no problem, but it lacks in depth.

What I propose is some what simple, and makes another use of the oft-overlooked "Tactics" leader skill.  I am suggesting that we have user created groups, allowing the player to assign certain soldiers to certain groups, allowing him to command them differently based on how he needs.  The number of groups would be an integer combining tactics score + 1.  This gives the player with tactics 0 the ability to create a single group, etc.  The "everyone" command will remain an ability in addition to the number of sections a player can create.  This will allow the player to break up units and increase survivability of lighter melee combat units, which currently get mixed in with hired blades under the generic group "infantry".

An example, with Twenty troops and a tactics score of five.  This allows me to create six groups (5+1).
5 Swadian Knights  --  Group 1 ("2")
5 Swadian Archers  --  Group 2 ("3")
5 Swadian Footmen  --  Group 3 ("4")
5 Swadian Skirmishers -- Group 4 ("5")

This set up is very simple, but you can see this allows me to control each different type of unit differently.  I could set the heavy infantry up on a hill, in close formation, then spread the skirmishers out further towards the enemy.  These skirmishers would engage at range, until the enemy is up close, then they would be pulled back (Hold position behind infantry).  The cavalry, which are holding on our flank, would then move in, further breaking up the formation before they make contact with my infantry line.

Another benefit is for those who run all cavalry armies -- you can have your light cavalry archers in a group, and your heavy cavalry chargers in a different group, allowing you to keep the heavies on your position while the lighter ones are out engaging.

I had come up with this concept while messing with my Latrunculus mod; I had created a number of mercs to suit different play styles, and every time I'd played before had made note of how annoying it was to call for "infantry" and have the weakest farmers form your center.  In creating all these random guys for fun, I had put in a number of infantry forces that would not hold up to the "line and grind" style of combat, but *would* be very useful scattered before your lines launching missiles, as well as cavalry forces that would be great on the support but horrible on the charge against enemy forces.

This system would also tie in with the "Battlefield Morale" system that *should* be standard in a future patch (Armegenon, it's a brilliant idea and would serve your game well, increasing it's value even more!), as well as larger maps (more room to play in, especially with larger battles).

So give me your feed back.  Personally, I think it's a decent and useful idea, and would help modders by just being there (especially those who want to make a modern warfare or gang warfare mod).

 

[Zilberfrid]

Very good plan, no veteran, but I would like this very much.

 

[Night Ninja]

I think grailknighthero is working on a similar version of this for his mod.

 

[Moss]

Indeed he was, I remember him saying he was having a little trouble ironing out the bugs but he seems to have made some progress.

At the bottom of the page here.

 

[The Wandering Knight]

Nice, good to see someone else agreed with the concept.  Now, only if it was a part of the official game...

 

[MeestYk]

This has been mentioned before and I'm a bit disappointed with 1.xx without it.

 

[Dooley]

As a further element you could place heroes at the head of groups, and their leadership skill could govern how big the group can be.
Suddenly it becomes a necessary thing to upgrade a heroes charisma.
Tactics is already a party based skill, so leaving it this way could mean that you Need to have heroes in order to have a large number of groups.

On a side note, I would recommend making Leader a synergistic skill in regards to overall party size.  The more leadership your heroes have, the bigger your party can be altogether.

At this point I'd really want to be able to rename my heroes.

 

[DamienZharkoff]

This has been mentioned before and I'm a bit disappointed with 1.xx without it.

Alot impressed me with 1.xx, and ALOT has dissappointed me, especially since alot of needed improvements were so minor, and yet ignored for the most part

 

[The Wandering Knight]

Any other feedback?

 

[Dooley]

Standard fare, but to reiterate on my earlier comment:
Grouping under leaders is great, but what if based on your leadership skill, you took command of various NPC Lords and their respective forces in battle.  You already take command of their troops when you 'help' with a battle or siege, so.. why not have them in there as well?
Except now there's a context to their presence, aside from the battle....well, there may or may not be based on said skills.

 

[Loknar]

Good idea in my opinion.  Reminds me of TW games.  I  would like this, especially with the ability to give commands to hold positions other than were you stand, so  I wouldn't have to spend the whole battle organizing my troops.

 

[Maenardil]

I had exactly same thoughts today!
Multiple groups are a must. I was thinking about fixed number, six groups, and you can assign on a party screen which troop type goes to what group (add a number next to troop name, clicking on a number would change it).
I was also thinking about merging it with a battle morale, so you could route specific group. This way cavalry charge would have a meaning and impact - you deal a massive damage in a short period of time, defenders breaks and retreats. Now there isn't much advantage to this maneuver, cavalry is surrounded and slaughtered.

As for heroes commanding groups - I made one hero an infantry man, another an archer, dressed them in a nice blue armor, and voila, it seemed as if they were officers. Very nice, you should try too.

With this relatively simply additions M&B would gain a tremendous amount of tactical depth. Flanking, keeping some troops in reserve, timing charges - all of that would matter. As The Wandering Knight said, breaking enemy formation would be essential. This way enemies would arrive to your formation one by one, easy to overwhelm and defeat. I think you wouldn't need a formation like line or wedge, as keeping close to each other is big enough advantage in M&B.

Battle morale is already implemented in mods, hopefully advanced grouping will be also (as it is in development right now), so one day we should have all of this.

 

[Rexxar]

I would like to see extended order for charge,hold position and follow me.First you choose one of those order, then you make another : Take central, take left, take right..

This would especially be usefull  when forming ranks(this way,you dont have to walk to the point where you want them to be.For example : You order ''follow me'' to everyone, then order cavarly to take central(right behind you),infarty to your left and archers to your right) or when attacking castle/town with multiple ladders(those who take left, go on left ladder, those who get order ''take central'' go on middle ladder etc,...)