triarii- Phalanx

[Malachus]

Hey guys, I was just wondering, how do you give triarii the phalanx formation? I went into the export_desc_unit file and copied and pasted the formation entry for one of the other spear units in the game that uses the phalanx formation and put that for the triarii formation. However, when I tried to fight a battle with them, the game crashed. Can anyone help me here please?

[CBR]

All you need to add is the Phalanx formation

formation 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, square, phalanx


CBR

[Wishazu]

the triarii never fought in the phalanx formation, if you want phalanx`s play as any of the greek civs

[CBR]

Well I would say that the way the phalanx formation is implemented its really only for pike units like the Macedonia style Phalangites.

The classic Greeks with spear armed Hoplites, although using the word Phalanx for their line, could use a max of 2 ranks of men with spears leveled but there is really nothing that would make them different compared to any other spear armed infantry units like the Triarii.


CBR

[Red Harvest]

The difference as I see it was that the hoplite phalanx was formed up as a phalanx rather than just spears in looser formation. Spear does not equal phalanx which would be a tighter more structured formation. Macedonian style phalanx is another matter of course.

[CBR]

Well I havent seen anything that suggests that phalanx means any particular tight formation compared to what the Triarii were using. For the Greeks Phalanx just meant their battle line.


CBR

[Woreczko]

Did you try to use short-pike attribute for hoplites? I`m no expert on ancient history, but it seems to me, it would make them more "historical". With short pikes only 2 ranks can fight (vanilla hoplites fight with 3 ranks), what minimises bonuses from having long weapons, but keeps them in tight, hard to break, formation

[Mikemyers64]

RTR the germanic lancmen (dont know their original name) they have 2 row deep spears, their spears seem longer to me than triarii spears but i could be mistaken. i dont know why they dont make the greeks like this

[Mr Frost]

the triarii never fought in the phalanx formation, if you want phalanx`s play as any of the greek civs
It's only a game and is meant to be modded ; don't snap at someone over something so trivial as wanting their game different to yours .

[Malachus]

Thank you Mr. Frost, my sentiments exactly.

[Lord SkyKnight]

I am having a problem with changing triarii over to a phalanx formation as well. Everything starts up great but I get a CTD when a unit starts up melee with the triarii in phalanx formation. Any ideas what could be causing this? I wasted the whole evening trying to get it to work. :furious3:

[Mr Frost]

I am having a problem with changing triarii over to a phalanx formation as well. Everything starts up great but I get a CTD when a unit starts up melee with the triarii in phalanx formation. Any ideas what could be causing this? I wasted the whole evening trying to get it to work. :furious3:

If you added a sword stat for a secondary weapon {I did} , then you might have forgotten to give the unit a Swordsman Skeleton {in the descr_model_battle.txt file} .

Here is the data from the files I altered making the Triarii a Phalanx unit :


From export_descr_unit.txt :

type roman triarii
dictionary roman_triarii ; Triarii
category infantry
class spearmen
voice_type Medium_1
soldier roman_triarii, 40, 0, 1.3
officer roman_early_centurion
officer roman_early_standard
mount_effect horse +4, chariot +4, camel +4
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, can_sap, very_hardy
formation 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, square, phalanx
stat_health 1, 0
stat_pri 8, 7, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, spear, 25 ,1
stat_pri_attr spear
stat_sec 8, 2, no, 0, 0, melee, simple, piercing, sword, 25 ,1
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 8, 5, 5, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 4
stat_ground 2, 0, 0, 0
stat_mental 10, disciplined, highly_trained
stat_charge_dist 30
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 2, 500, 250, 50, 80, 500
ownership romans julii,romans brutii,romans scipii,romans senate


From descr_model_battle.txt :


type roman_triarii
skeleton fs_spearman, fs_swordsman ; combat spear
indiv_range 40
texture romans_julii, data/models_unit/textures/unit_roman_triarii_julii.tga
texture romans_brutii, data/models_unit/textures/unit_roman_triarii_brutii.tga
texture romans_scipii, data/models_unit/textures/unit_roman_triarii_scipii.tga
texture romans_senate, data/models_unit/textures/unit_roman_triarii_senate.tga
model_flexi_m data/models_unit/unit_roman_triarii_high.cas, 15
model_flexi_m data/models_unit/unit_roman_triarii_med.cas, 30
model_flexi_m data/models_unit/unit_roman_triarii_low.cas, 40
model_flexi data/models_unit/unit_roman_triarii_lowest.cas, max
model_sprite romans_senate, 60.0, data/sprites/romans_senate_roman_triarii_sprite.spr
model_sprite romans_scipii, 60.0, data/sprites/romans_scipii_roman_triarii_sprite.spr
model_sprite romans_brutii, 60.0, data/sprites/romans_brutii_roman_triarii_sprite.spr
model_sprite romans_julii, 60.0, data/sprites/romans_julii_roman_triarii_sprite.spr
model_tri 400, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f


The FS_Swordsman skeleton tripped up a few people doing this {me , some bloke wanting to do it from my description where I forgot to mention it and I'm sure a horde of others} , so I mention it .
Perhaps it was simply a syntax spelling error or ; instead of a , or suchlike ?

[Lord SkyKnight]

Thanks that worked great. Now I have run into one more problem. I changed the export_descr_buildings file to allow me to build triarii sooner with an earlier barracks building but after that the game once again CTD. Any ideas what could be causing that?

[lt1956]

Maybe you have 2 entries? Recheck what you changed. Where are you crashing though?

If right away thats the unit file, if when you start a custom battle that the model file and if in campaign that would be the building file.

It could be a coincidence.

Lt

[Lord SkyKnight]

Ok I found the problem, it was in the buildings file and it looks like the entries were not lined up correctly. I was using Hadrian's file editor so I didn't think that was causing it but it looks like the saved filed wasn't lining it all up correctly. Thanks guys for all the help! Its working great now.