Fielding more units on field

[Acronym]

I was just thinking of an easier way to control an army of say 30 or so units instead of the max 16 unit count.

What if, instead of a unit of say 200 pikemen was controlled, we could get 4 units of 200, but instead of separate controlling, one icon represents 4 units(maybe divide the icon at the bottom into 4 parts), so clicking moves all 4 units of pikement instead of one. Similar to the way we group using the G key, but the units come pre-grouped. If we want, just right click, and ungroup them for separate(but more difficult) control. Each 1 of 4 units of pikement would be a subgroup of the pikemen group. So if the pikeman group has 6 units, then there would be 6 subgroups. Or we could even go furthur by assigning different subgroups, like 3 subgroups of 2 units in the pikemen group.

System contraints aside, I think doing this can increase number of separate units we can field at once. Instead of having to play 4v4 for huge armies we could do 1on1 using this technique. Not only that, but if this were in RTW, maybe we could be closer to using roman style tactics(3 lines rotation).

The control interface shouldn't be too difficult, since all the subgroups can be assigned to one group. So if all the subgroups are grouped, just click on the group icon and all subgroups are now under your control. So lets see, assume the maximum number of groups can be 16, and the number of subgroups can be 4, that's a total of 64 units. In a 200 unit size count, that's a 12800 man army for one side, and not to difficult to control.

The only problem is system contraints, so we can always just have 2-3 subgroups, which still gives the possiblity of 32 - 48 units in an army, which is 6400 - 9600 men using 200 man unit size.

Again I'm not addressing system contraint issues, just how to easily control massive armies. Does anyone agree or see any problems with this?

[LordKevinV]

wow that sounds really confusing to me. 16 units is fine by me, anymore then that and i think you begin to lose some of the fun of the indivuals fighting

[Acronym]

Not very confusing, if only I had a visual way to represent it. Warcraft3 does a similar subgrouping method and what I'm thinking of would work very well in the total war control interface.. ah well...

edited: ok I'll try and visualize it.

[ spearmen group ] [ Archer group ]
| |
[a] [b] [c] [d] [a] [b] [c]

Ok this is what I mean, each letter in the box is a unit(ie a block of 200 spearmen). All the spearmen are grouped together under 1 icon(same as the icon on any TW game of 1 unit), the icon can show only the selected unit or be divided into 4 parts(1 icon showing each of the 4 units). If you issue a command on the spearmen group, all 4 units(a b c and d) in the group move. By the press of a button(or right click for options) you can free the units from the group, and control them individually just like STW or MTW.

My point was that you can control some 64 units with only 16 unit icons at the bottom of your screen, as each subgroup is easily accessible by right clicking on 1 of the unit icons. But instead of the icon being one unit, it represents a group of units.

I'm sure the controls would be tricky at first, but who mastered the controls for either TW game in the first 5 minutes?

[spiffy_scimitar]

remember their are limitations in the graghics engine as well. If everyone could field 10 000 men armies, computers would start to explode in a 6 army multiplayer game.

[Dijeeh]

Quote[/b] (LordKevinV @ Jan. 19 2003,07:58)]wow that sounds really confusing to me. 16 units is fine by me, anymore then that and i think you begin to lose some of the fun of the indivuals fighting
I would actualy perfer more than that, I desire the 27,000 Man 5 hour battles, but if only my PIII 1ghz could take more than 1,000 men in a battle.

I will just keep dreaming http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[A.Saturnus]

I think subgroups are a good idea, however it`s necessary that single units can be selected quickly. There should be the possebility to let the whole group act as a single unit or separated.
Oh, and acting in formation with other units of the same type should bring a morale bonus.

[Mr Frost]

Interesting .

I would like to see each units standard {flag , whatever you want to call it} , act like a button which you can click to select the unit for orders or as a target as when several units are piled into the same area {due to maneuvering or combat} it can be nearly impossible to select the unit you want {especially if you want to select that lone near unkillable enemy King for your nearby cavalry and spears to hold and kill before he escapes to hold out in the castle till doomday :/} .
Thus , it would be the standard we would click , not the troops themselves .

[Mr Frost]

Also it would be nice to drag and drop unit icons within an army both on the strategy map {so you could easily ensure where those icons would be along the bottom of you screen during battle : ie , have all your Feudal Knights icons together , then Feudal Sergents , then FMAA then Militia Sergents , then your Archers so you could more easily keep track during battle} and in the tactical setting . I know there are ways to do this already but they require a lot of arseing about and during a multi player match there simply would not be enough time to do it .
{everyones' mind works differently : some people have no trouble keeping track as things are , but some of us need things just so to keep track properly - and what just so happens to be will change with the situation at hand each given moment . In real life , we can simply create methods and use these as we ARE the interface , but in the game we must make do with the interface given . More flexibility in this interface would help , even though the interface is a fairly good one}

[deejayvee]

I'd like to have 2 commands in my army. A commander in chief and a sub-commander. Each one can field 16 units. When you're concentrating on what the CIC is doing, the AI looks after the sub-commander. And vice versa.

There'd be a button to switch between the 2 and the other command would appear just like allies.

The great thing would be setting up the main force under the CIC and marching straight down the centre and looking after the melee, etc. Then the sub-commander would be in charge of skirmishers and cavalry.

[USMCNJ]

it would deffenetly be nice to have more units on the field. It is anoying that i can beat an army of 20,000 using and army of only 2,000, cause it take the AI 5 min to send the reserves. (if the units are right)

What also be nice (and make it easier to control a 16+ unit army) is if we could order the units what to do before the battle starts. (for example tell the arches to go to this hill the second the game starts) Like in that PS2 game Keisen (i think that was the name of it)