HISTORICAL Lt Infantry Companys

[Oleander Ardens]

Usually in TW games you would have some units with larger spacing, covering a broader area per man and being so less suscitable to ranged attacks. All units had a close and spread-out formation .

[Sheogorath]

True, but this is a different era, with vastly different tactics than before. I don't recall any record of standard line companies fighting in anything like the regular 'open' formations you see in MTW2 and other previous games. Maybe there were some uses of formations that weren't 'shoulder to shoulder', but having a ~2-man space between men would negate the entire purpose of forming a line, IE: Concentration of firepower.
It would, essentially, spread out your firepower so much that you wouldn't be able to do any damage. The only people that went into battle like that were sharpshooters and skirmishers who actually had a hope of hitting something by aiming, rather than just putting out a wall of lead.

Now, for cavalry, it might be useful, since I do recall that (at least, during the Crimean War) both the British and Russians (or Cossacks, at least) moved cavalry in open formations in order to somewhat reduce casualties from long range fire.

[Oleander Ardens]

Well there were many very tight-knit formations in previews TW games, with the Phalanx on the high end. I personally would like to see some ability for lineformations to reduce casualities from ranged fire. There is plenty of evidence for example that many went down to ground to protect themselves from cannonery. Lay down! would be a nice order.

I really hope that skirmishers can make the best use of trenches, hedges and every natural obstacle to increase their protection. A very spread out "line" is a must for me.