View Full Version : Formations
Do any of you use the default formations or have any idea of their exact purpose? Not wedge, closed, or loose..I'm talking about the other formations. Like scorpion, english, etc. I personally avoid them since I have no idea what they do..and try to use my own meagre(sometimes effective, sometimes not) formations :P.
The_Emperor
10-29-2003, 22:36
I have used the Scorpion as I find the fact that it puts Cav so far forwards on the wings really effective...
However my biggest problem with those preset formations is that your units tend to be far too spaced out. As such I nearly always deploy my units in my own custom formations using Alt-Click to move my army around.
Yeah scorpion seems kind of nifty, it seemed like a good formation for an army with lots of skirmishing calvary. That would be a good position on the wings there with Horse archers/turcoman/Saharan calv..etc. IMO of course.
In the original campaigns I usually just stick to three line attack or three line defence. However in the infantry dominated viking campaigns I often used ottoman, one line defending the general and two lines forward and a bit to the sides. I liked to put archers in the middle of this formation so that when the AI often went for the archers, they'd just retreat behind the rear infantry line and the enemy would find itself surrounded from three sides. I rarely use the other formations but it does happen.
Red Cloud
10-30-2003, 00:05
I always deploy my units on my own.
Brutal DLX
10-30-2003, 09:19
Most of those formations require you to have the right type of army and the terrain permitting, to really see them being set up properly. You can edit those preset formations as there is a config file for that in your MTW folder. You can change the existing ones or add new ones, however they work only in your singleplayer campaign, not in multiplayer.
I very rarely use the standard formations, only when I'm on attack and know the enemy will deploy right in front of me so I don't have time to move my units around.
Gregoshi
10-30-2003, 18:08
Vigi brings up a good point: a few sentences about the benefits of each formation would be helpful.
I used the formation Bird (I think it was) often in STW because it put the archers out front and in two rows. I usually only did it when I was feeling lazy or the map did not allow for any fancy/hidden maneuvering.
All I know is that the formations made my computer terribly slow http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pissed.gif and forced me to restart the game.
Gregoshi
11-02-2003, 07:31
Trax, greetings and welcome http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
Can you tell us more about your problem? What makes you say that the formations has made your computer slow? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif
Hi
I cant really remember anymore, haven`t played MTW for a long time, but I know that if I chose a premade formation the computer almost died. It`s not a big problem I didn`t like them anyway http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
i sometimes use the basic ones like cav charge or inf. in front to give me a basic start point, then once the game starts i can fine tune them quickly into the specific formations i actually need. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Gregoshi
11-02-2003, 20:03
Okay Trax, but keep us in mind for help if you get back to playing MTW and you have a burning desire to use Formations. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Nice sig BTW. Gettysburg is one of my favourite movies. The Killer Angels is an awesome book too.
Eastside Character
11-02-2003, 20:14
I like using crane formation, but only with cavs. If my army consists mostly of infantry I rather use serpent or eagle formation. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif When I'm defending, hmm I use my middle finger fotmation (you can't loose). But if my army is all cavs I use my favourite formation - stinger http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif
Eastside Character
11-02-2003, 20:18
I like using crane formation, but only with cavs. If my army consists mostly of infantry I rather use serpent or eagle formation. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif When I'm defending, hmm I use my middle finger fotmation (you can't loose). But if my army is all cavs I use my favourite formation - who wants to live forever http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif
Quote[/b] ]Nice sig BTW. Gettysburg is one of my favourite movies. The Killer Angels is an awesome book too.
The Killer Angels is one of my favorite books too, I have read it at least 4-5 times, seen Gettysburg movie only once though and it was a long time ago. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif
Si GeeNa
11-03-2003, 03:33
Sorry to be off-topic...
[RANT]
I totally enjoyed Killer Angels. I have also read Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure. Altogether, i felt that Killer Angels came up trumps for using a very tight dramatic event to be a vehicle for exploring the character issues of the various commanders.
[UNRANT]
Must avoid making this a book-review...
el_slapper
11-03-2003, 11:06
Infantry charge is usually my template, wich I adapt a bit to my army & enemy's one. Saves a lot of time, soldiers are roughly at the right place. Roughly. Unusable when you have lots of cav, though.
Kurlander
11-07-2003, 22:18
I'm lost, how do u get your army to adopt these pre-set formations? I only know how to arrange them in two rows/columns, archers front/behind, cavalry front/behind... Am I missing something?
There should be a button that looks like, I think, a sword in the lower left part of the screen. Right click, or left click I forget the button, and it brings up a bunch of formations.
Jacque Schtrapp
11-07-2003, 22:35
Quote[/b] (Kurlander @ Nov. 07 2003,15:18)]I'm lost, how do u get your army to adopt these pre-set formations? I only know how to arrange them in two rows/columns, archers front/behind, cavalry front/behind... Am I missing something?
As Vigi said, before the battle begins right click the sword and shield icon located in the bottom right corner. There are a dozen or so pre-set formations to choose from. I'm not sure if you can access them after the battle starts so don't forget to try it before hand
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