From RTW TO EB

[Dayve]

Start>All Programs>Europa Barbarorum>Preferences - Take the check out of minimal UI.

Hoplites already use overhand spears. Greek hoplites used their spears overhand in a shieldwall formation, just like they do in the game. Phalanxes, like the Makedonian Phalangitai, Pezhetairoi, Agyraspidai, used the phalanx formation, underhand long spears and smaller shields than hoplites, just like in the game.

I told you in another thread to read unit descriptions. Every unit gives you a brief description of the unit plus how the unit was used historically. These descriptions tell you how to use your units. You can play EB any way you like... you don't even have to activate the script each time you start a game if you don't want to, it's up to you. You can use armies of nothing but Samnite heavy infantry and extraordinarii cavalry as the Romani if you like. Nobody is making you play it a certain way.

But my advice would be to read everything and play EB as it was meant to be played.