More Formations?

[Michael the Great]

Would it be cool if in the next TW we would have more formations...I would especially like some close order formations useful 4 spearman or whatever they'll be called in RTW http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
What do ya say?

[The Marcher Lord]

Totally agree - this has been a much underdeveloped feature so far. The same old blocks of men and the occasional wedge are looking tired. Unfortunately, and judging by the few in-game screens released so far, Rome TW appears to be using the same formations. We need to be able to set a formation on a curve (eg. Hannibals infantry at Cannae) as well as in blocks. I was amazed this was not built into STW as the Samurai armies used the curved formation a lot in the Momoyama and Edo priods. I like the feature in the MTW quick battles where we can use the button on the bottom left to set the army into a variety of attack or defence formations and wonder whether this could be implemented more effectively throughout the game ?

[Exile]

any how about a square, turtle anyone? or maybe a shield wall.

[Beelzebub]

Yes those formations are very useful. It really annoys me in MTW that my unit of 100 guys cannot change to a formation that protects their rear or flanks (square or something). Like if I'm engaging a smaller unit with 1/4 of my men, the rest standing there watching, then I see another one coming towards my rear. Not much you can do.

[CBR]

I really hope they make a dense/shieldwall/locked shields (or whatever you would call it) formation for units. We already miss it in MTW. Different formations with different speed and turning ability for units.

Skirmishers being quick and agile in loose order.

Spear and pikes(sarissa) being slow while in shieldwall making especially pikes nearly unbeatable from the front but easy to outmaneuver.

CBR

[MizuKokami]

i also would like to see far more formations on the battlefield. but not limited to before battles, and with hot-keys that would allow you to quickly change up formations. and not just your whole army, but selected troops, so you can rapidily set part of your army in defensive position, and the other part in offensive positions. i also don't like the fact that selecting a textbook formation breaks up your groups.

[Michael the Great]

I hope we'll have the Turtle formation.
Oh and when i click hold formation,i want to see my spearmen close their lines.

[and another thing....]

i`d like to see combined formations in any add on for MTW.

By this I mean a combined musket/pikemen formation where the musketeers could fire and then retire to the shelter of the pikemen when attacked or approached.

I know you can recreate the same effect but its some pretty quick finger clicking to do it and I`m not that quick http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Michael the Great]

We'll go back in time in the add-on,I don't think we'll have too many chances to use muskets........

[and another thing....]

It looks as if MRW will be going back in time with viking invasion add-on. I don`t known whether this is a good step though as in my (fairly cynical opinion) it`ll probably fix the bugs and add a few more units and hopefully a vastly better diplomacy option.

Would it not be better to go from 1450 - 1650 and add more formations and tactics as military theory seems to undergo a bit of a change in this period.

I think this will be a shame as it won`t really add any new tactics and if the next game goes back to Roman times, what period could they set the next, if there is to be one, in?.

[Foreign Devil]

I'd like the ability to temporarily split a large unit in half- its annoying when my 200 spearmen are outflanked by 2 units of 20 men each http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[lafayette]

Good idea on the formations.

To play Roman tactics you need new formation types.

Rome used to set up its army in three lines mostly in a checkerboard formation.

The youngest soldiers (hastati) formed the front line. Often strenghtened with skimishers (velites). Behind them come the slightly older men (principes). In the rear were the older veterans (triarii). All had their pilum (spear) and gladius (sword), except for the triarri, they still had the long hoplite spear

Each of the three lines was divided into ten maniples, those of hastati and principes (mostly costiting of 120 to 160 men), with triarrii in the 3rd line (mostly in maniples of 60 men). (Napolean was pretty much inspired by this, with the imperial guard always in rear and often only waiting for some action. And even the Imperial guard was formed in the young, middle, and old guard).

The checkerboard formation was set up in such a way that between every maniple there was a gap. The second line was place behind the first line in such a way that it covered the gaps of the first line. The third line, in the same way positioned to cover the second line, mostly set up a strong defensive stand, often kneeled, shields on the ground and spears up.

A typical Roman battle would be that the first line would check the enemy and hold them. The second line would move in when the first line was getting realy tired. Mostly this was enough to give the tired enemy a devastating blow. If that did not work the veterans would come in for a 'coup de grace". Cavalry was put up on the flanks and there main task was checking the enemies cavalry, flanking the enemy line and pursuit of a routing enemy.

If the battle continued for a long time. The tired first line could slipp through the gaps of the second line, while the second line moves in and takes over. When the battle went bad the veterans would be the last barrier to rally behind. But then it was rare that Romans had to withdraw to a line behind. Mostly all the lines were sent in during the battle.

A lot of Roman battles started with a frontal attack. Often the collapsing enemy would give the Romans possablities to encircle the fighting enemy line.

Well. It would be interesting to see if it is possible to have these formations in RTW.

Ofcourse there are formation types for the maniples like the famous "turtle', a loose formation, a closed round defensive formation (diamond). Roman formations were never very deep, but never long too. A Roman army would consist of many similar maniples that could form a stretched line when in contact with the enemy.

Cheers.