Army Formations

**Vladimir** · 07-12-2006, 21:03

I've done some playing around with army formations in M:TW and think I have that system figured out. What I don't know is how formations are created in R:TW. Since M2:TW will largely resemble that game I was wondering if anyone has some input as what the .txt (or .whatever) file will look like and work for formations. I want to create a handy, user friendly guide to those who want to create their custom formations so that they don't have to manually set their troops up every time. Anyone experimented with this in Rome or have anything to add/request?

**shifty157** · 07-12-2006, 21:34

Darth Vader has done some very extensive work with the starting formations in RTW. Hes been regularly updating his mod "Darth Mod" with his new work on creating historically accurate formations as well as formations that help the AI. I would search around for his mod and download it and see exactly what he's done.

**Epistolary Richard** · 07-12-2006, 23:47

Try the Formations section of the RTW Tutorials database
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/local_links.php?catid=83

**Vladimir** · 07-13-2006, 13:23

Thanks for the info, I'm sending him a PM; but first:

Is there a way to create a click and drag tool, say in Excel, that allows you to drag units to selected positions on a grid, and then writes a formation .txt file based on the locations you dropped them? For example: you want to create a formation that includes 6 pikemen, 4 cav units, 2 missile units, 2 gun units, 1 general unit, and 1 reserve unit behind the general. Simply drop them where you want them, right click to modify column and row numbers, spacing (space between units can be determined by where you drop them), formation, aggressiveness, etc. A check would need at the end to find any problems that may exist.

There should be a “formation creation for dummies” program that allows you to do just that, I’m just too much of “dummy” to know how to create it. Does anyone know how to create such a program of know where I can educate myself to how I can?

**shifty157** · 07-13-2006, 14:25

Ive never heard of anythign like that.

**Herkus** · 07-13-2006, 15:21

Originally Posted by Vladimir

Does anyone know how to create such a program of know where I can educate myself to how I can?

Computer engineering science study programm in any university should be good enough. But if you are too young to go to university, than you should take some programming courses. These could be expensive, but you might learn something in this way.
And if you are not programming and math wonderkid that it will require lots of months of learning programming to make such progs.