Majorly improved, of course ill admit it's not what we all want however would certainly solve my issue about us not being able to have bodyguards or hero only formations. Bodyguards are a big part to me, I just can't enjoy battles without them.. I haven't come back and wont until we can have them. Any update ont he status if was approved or still being etc? ThanksIF the design gets approved, the process would be,
Now you have an only-hero formation.
- Create a new formation
- Set its slider to 0(there needs to be another formation of the same type)
- Assign all unassigned(non-captain) heroes to that formation
I replied to this suggestion before, I'll find it.A) Assigning specific troops to a formation. Yes, this should be possible. If I want to create group of only Sturgian Heavy Spearmen, I should be able to do it. That's precisely what commanders have done for years, for good reasons. I would think it would be a pretty simple act of creating a new filter for your list, like archer, or infantry, but instead an Icon for the troop type.. Simply allow us to choose other things from that list.
Or combined formations like Infantry+Archers and Cavalry+HorseArchers.This becomes impractical for big parties and armies. Out of thousands of troops, both spawned and not spawned(reinforcements) players would see too many troops for a dropdown. For example worst case for cavalry is 52 different troops, for Infantry it is 422(granted not all are recruitable but even half is 200+). So 200+ possible troops in a dropdown is not feasible. I'm not even going into modded in troops that would need to be supported.
Having an empty field to "train" your troops is a separate thing and can be brought up as a suggestion. Using the party screen to create formations are still a problem though since with the introduction of OoB we let players control AI troops in AI battles. The changes made in the party screen, without AI troops that will be present in the next encounter, will create problems. Something will get overridden and somethings will need to be taken out of players' hands. (Like not letting player set custom filters for all formations since not-assigned troops need to go somewhere, disabling captain assignments since the player probably assigned their companions through the party screen etc.)B) We should be able to train our troops/formations on an empty Battlefield. Creating and assigning groups would be done here. Formations saved and templates created to use during actual battles. If you let us create a formation by using the party window, dragging units to the left from a party from the party to a "Formation," then having us assign an ICON for it, you could select that Icon in the filter list and those specific troops would get assigned to the formation.
We already save the previous selections made in the OoB between battles and saving only one formation's values as a template would be a problem since it's not just changing one formation, it'll effect other formations with the same type since they share the same type of troops.C) While training your troops you could create a starting formation, and save it as a template. Create templates that can be applied through a new dropdown during the prebattle planning stage.
Customization of the hotkeys for the order system was planned but it has been put in the backlog. Other features took precedence and it would require a refactor of how we do hotkeys in the order system.D) Allow us to create hotkeys for things we use a lot. I rarely use the majority of the formation keys. I would like to create a single key that does Follow me, or Form a scain. Instead of pressing unit -> line-> formation, I could create a macro to do this in a "Favorites" command window on our training field.
Hey Thank you for your reply. It's actually really refreshing to see a developer respond.I replied to this suggestion before, I'll find it.
Sorry for being new to the game. I assume you mean out of bounds for OoB. What is the issue with AI Troops in AI battles that having me set formations would cause? Saying it will cause issues but not explaining doesn't really help discussion as we as fans might be able to help.Using the party screen to create formations are still a problem though since with the introduction of OoB we let players control AI troops in AI battles
Saving groups of INFANTRY, ARCHERS, HORSE ARCHERS, CALVARY is not what I mean. Those are groups. Not formations.We already save the previous selections made in the OoB between battles and saving only one formation's values as a template would be a problem since it's not just changing one formation, it'll effect other formations with the same type since they share the same type of troops.
Customization of the hotkeys for the order system was planned but it has been put in the backlog. Other features took precedence and it would require a refactor of how we do hotkeys in the order system.
It's "Order of Battle". It's what we call the deployment phase, where you adjust formation placements and composition.Sorry for being new to the game. I assume you mean out of bounds for OoB.
I gave examples:What is the issue with AI Troops in AI battles that having me set formations would cause? Saying it will cause issues but not explaining doesn't really help discussion as we as fans might be able to help.
(Like not letting player set custom filters for all formations since not-assigned troops need to go somewhere, disabling captain assignments since the player probably assigned their companions through the party screen etc.)
You should check out the gameplay option we've added that controls which troops will spawn first and which will be moved to the reinforcement waves.It's really not cool when I start a battle and my best troops are gone but the enemy AI gets all of its horse archers and Calvary then runs circles around me while I get 2-3 horse archers every 10 min.
This should help you somewhat if you're not aware.Added an option under the Gameplay tab that allows you to determine the order in which troops should spawn.
- Default: Troops spawn according to their position in the roster.
- High Level: High level troops will spawn first.
- Low Level: Low level troops will spawn first.
- Homogeneous: High and low level troops will spawn in equal ratios.
You mean template of "orders" and not "formations"(which include troop composition). I personally don't like the idea. Order of Battle(pre-battle stage) is already complex enough from adjusting troop composition, creating new formations, assigning captains, placement on the battlefield... and more(in sieges, siege engine control), applying order templates wouldn't really help us. And a system of executing more than one order on a button click is not something we plan to support currently.Saving groups of INFANTRY, ARCHERS, HORSE ARCHERS, CALVARY is not what I mean. Those are groups. Not formations.
Formations are Infantry standing in a line, or in a scain, or defending my archers. I should be able to create a formation where I can surround my archers with my infantry or tell my calvary to defend my archers and NOT RUN OFF. I should be able to create complex formations and hotkey those.
Would it be possible for us to select specific troop types to add to a formation, rather than using sliders? For example if I wanted to make a group of just crossbowmen, It is not possible with the current slider system as it identifies any ranged unit as "archers" and so you end up with a mixed bag. In the old system we were able to assign specific troops in the party menu to a numbered formation I,II,III,IV, V, VI, etc. I would like to see that functionality return where I could say for example: assign my mercenary cavalary to one formation, and another formation where I have all my aserai caravan guards, and not a combination of both. Another example would be to assign all my spear infantry to one formation, and all my sword infantry to another, allowing me to have more control over the positioning of these troop types on the field of battle where they would be most beneficial.
I also want to make this clear, we don't have any plans to bring the old system back for the reasons I've mentioned before in this thread and other threads. We're planning improvements on the current system like "being able to assign heroes as troops to formations" and "a new filter that prefers low-high level troops". If you have any suggestions on how we can improve the current system, I would love to hear it both here or in the UI feedback subforum.
It certainly can https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/1531 (more recent version here if anybody is interested 1.7.1 https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/2552?tab=files)But certainly a mod can implement a system that lets the player do these things.
Showing every possible (or in the encounter) troops in the OoB is not sustainable.Would it be possible for us to select specific troop types to add to a formation, rather than using sliders?
This becomes impractical for big parties and armies. Out of thousands of troops, both spawned and not spawned(reinforcements) players would see too many troops for a dropdown. For example worst case for cavalry is 52 different troops, for Infantry it is 422(granted not all are recruitable but even half is 200+). So 200+ possible troops in a dropdown is not feasible. I'm not even going into modded in troops that would need to be supported.
Or combined formations like Infantry+Archers and Cavalry+HorseArchers.
Well not really though. In the modpage itself it saysand succesfully combines the old system with the new one:
This is a big, big problem. It would mean some formations will become unusable for AI. Meaning if I assign a cavalry to formation I and set that formation as Infantry, the placement decisions for that formation is now messed up. Not even going into tactics AI that would determine things like ranged or not range assault, or mounted or not mounted assault. We've went over this. I don't think I need to explain why this would become a problem.(You could do this with the previous system, but that was a problem as well. And AI battles weren't affected)However, if you have pre-assigned troops in the party screen, they will stay in their assigned units regardless of what you do with the slider.
Not in the way that the mod is implemented, sorry.I dont know what you guys have in mind with that system as finding taleworlds statements in mid of all that comments works like a round of paper chase but the second mod is maybe something you could consider implementing yourself.
Maybe we can look into implementing "auto assign captains" to the "auto deploy" button on the OoB. Sure.It would also be great if there was an "autoassign captains" button that assigns the most qualified companion/lord for the related formation type (good melee skills -> infantry, good bow skill -> archer, etc.).
These values should be saved between encounters, siege and field battles separately. If you've created formations 5 through 8, they should show up with the same values in the next encounter. This sounds like a bug.The captain assignment in Sieges (or the OoB in general) doesnt really work out as well. If i use 8 formations, 4infantry and 4 archer formations, to assign fitting captains to them only the first 4 (preset)formations work as intented but all other formations will start with 0 troops and everybody regardless of the unit type is crapped together in the 9th (manually not creatable) formation without captain which renders the 5 minutes i spent micromanaging them useless.
I think that's what happens. Afaik. They are assigned to the encounter leader if there is no captain assigned.(showing the encounter leader faded out in the captain slot might confuse players but we can look into it)Lastly.. im not sure it happens already but i think not. If there is a formation without any Captain wouldnt it make sense to do the same thing you do with party roles? Just assigning it to the party/army leader if unset. Thats preference of course and nothing necessary.
I personally wouldn't call it "superior". It lacked control for key situations. Captain assignments, troop control in AI led battles and players had less control the more their troops were homogenous.In my opinion the old system needs at least to be adapted to the new one (like in the second mod above) but removing the superior old system nobody complained about is beyond my understanding. Maybe i just dont understand the reason behind that decision but it changed my gameplay to the worse.
I understand that but the ai sticks with formation 1-5 (except for sieges) so probably having 6-9 as custom formations (without the ability to let the ai take over by pressing f6) in field battles where the player is in charge could be a compromiss? In Sieges where all formations are needed or as part of an army where you cant control those formations it could be overwritten by the new behaviour.Well not really though. In the modpage itself it says
This is a big, big problem. It would mean some formations will become unusable for AI. Meaning if I assign a cavalry to formation I and set that formation as Infantry, the placement decisions for that formation is now messed up. Not even going into tactics AI that would determine things like ranged or not range assault, or mounted or not mounted assault. We've went over this. I don't think I need to explain why this would become a problem.(You could do this with the previous system, but that was a problem as well. And AI battles weren't affected)
Thank you! Btw there is no "auto deploy" in field battles just "reset deployment" and i think it should be a seperated button anyways to dont mess with the placement of the siege engines in siege battles. Even better when we get an "assign all Captains" button at the bottom but also one for each formation so we can combine manual placement with lazyness.Maybe we can look into implementing "auto assign captains" to the "auto deploy" button on the OoB. Sure.
Actually im not sure if i modified the slider so i probably just reserved 4 empty formations which led to unassigned troops in the 9th formation.. I will watch that again when im playing and make a bug report when im sure its not just a user error.These values should be saved between encounters, siege and field battles separately. If you've created formations 5 through 8, they should show up with the same values in the next encounter. This sounds like a bug.
I dont see how it would confuse players in the OoB screen when we have the same visual representation in the clan parties screen. It would be more consistent and understandable. Right now im a confused player that wonders whether or not his cavalry gets a buff when the ai split it into 2 formations.If the greyed out picture really leads to confusion you could make it clear by adding a tooltip when the cursor is on the assignment button that just clarifies that unassigned = assigned to party/army leader. Thanks for looking into it!I think that's what happens. Afaik. They are assigned to the encounter leader if there is no captain assigned.(showing the encounter leader faded out in the captain slot might confuse players but we can look into it)
(Like not letting player set custom filters for all formations since not-assigned troops need to go somewhere, disabling captain assignments since the player probably assigned their companions through the party screen etc.)
I also want to make this clear, we don't have any plans to bring the old system back for the reasons I've mentioned before in this thread and other threads
I personally don't like the idea.
Showing every possible (or in the encounter) troops in the OoB is not sustainable.
It's easy to tell that to the player. It's also easy to not let the player select templates that would put troops out of a formation. Ability to do it is not the issue. The issue is, that would create a bad experience. You have an indetermined number of formation templates, some affecting infantry, some affecting cavalry and horse archers... and any combination of these types. Players selecting and unselecting these, trying and failing, without being able to change what's in them, just to be able to press "Ready" is a not a good experience.I find this arguement a little obstructive. It seems like an easy solution to tell the player the must assign everyone to a formation or to have any unassigned troops go to a reinforcement block. This should be possible. It's whether you think it's worth the effort. It seems you do not, but I disagree with the importance of these issues.
No mistakes were made don't worry. I declared that in the spirit of the forum, to let you and other readers know what I'm thinking and what our plans are regarding this feature.I have no idea what the old system is as I just bought the game and have only been playing 1.7.2. If I am making statements that make you think I am trying to bring back a system you already had, you may want to consider you made a mistake with the new system. Admitting you made a mistake is something Devs should actually do, instead of just forging ahead with a bad design. But, it's your game and your time and effort.
Not every troop in the battle is under a kingdom(minor faction troops for example). Not every troop is ranked(story mode troops for example).That should be doable. If you have the troops in sorted lists like they are in the party window, that should a easy implementation.
I mostly meant, lower level AI. AI that handles how to place troops when you give an "Advance" order for example. Because of this change, there is a big possibility of a cavalry running around in an infantry formation. So that "infantry formation" will space out like a cavalry formation. This is just one example. It'll mess things up really quickly.I understand that but the ai sticks with formation 1-5 (except for sieges) so probably having 6-9 as custom formations (without the ability to let the ai take over by pressing f6) in field battles where the player is in charge could be a compromiss? In Sieges where all formations are needed or as part of an army where you cant control those formations it could be overwritten by the new behaviour.
ffs could you please stop popping my bubbles!?? Just kidding.. mostly.. thx for all the answers!I mostly meant, lower level AI. AI that handles how to place troops when you give an "Advance" order for example. Because of this change, there is a big possibility of a cavalry running around in an infantry formation. So that "infantry formation" will space out like a cavalry formation. This is just one example. It'll mess things up really quickly.
It's easy to tell that to the player. It's also easy to not let the player select templates that would put troops out of a formation. Ability to do it is not the issue. The issue is, that would create a bad experience. You have an indetermined number of formation templates, some affecting infantry, some affecting cavalry and horse archers... and any combination of these types. Players selecting and unselecting these, trying and failing, without being able to change what's in them, just to be able to press "Ready" is a not a good experience.
Disabling captain assignments is also easy. But why should we? There should a be very good reason for it. This doesn't seem worth it since it's going to remove a lot of control from the player.
Not every troop in the battle is under a kingdom(minor faction troops for example). Not every troop is ranked(story mode troops for example).
Mods can and will add troops times over the vanilla. Only in the vanilla, there are 400 infantry troops defined. Forcing or expecting users to scroll through a 400 troop list is really, really bad design. And doing this for every formation...
If players want to split the same troop type between formations, that means sliders are still at play. Since giving direct troop numbers will mess things up(players can get some, lose some troops during and after the battle). That means current slider rules will apply to the individual troops. That means just for infantry, 400 sliders. Every formation.
IF the design gets approved, the process would be,
Now you have an only-hero formation.
- Create a new formation
- Set its slider to 0(there needs to be another formation of the same type)
- Assign all unassigned(non-captain) heroes to that formation
This is not added for the reasons I mentioned previously.lock certain units into formations
This is already added internally, and will be live in the next version.to have only hero formations