Does anyone use these preset formations?

[Slaists]

A neat trick.

At least, in RTW 2 we don't have to do this. The presets do it in one click.

Some RTW 1 mods had checkerboard presets for Romans too.

p.s. I am surprised they stay in the order you pick them when you drag the line. I've tried something similar and units get reordered when dragging out, with principes on one flank, hastati on the other.

[Sp4]

Yes. by default, it sorts the unity from heaviest to lightest from left to right, which in truth, is not such a bad thing, seeing as it should allow you to turn a flank ^^

[hoom]

The trick is to do the locked group, they keep their positions relative to each other.

[Slaists]

The trick is to do the locked group, they keep their positions relative to each other.

yes, but while you're dragging them out in a line you cannot use locked group. you have to lock it after the dragging out part. the auto-reshuffling for me happens during the dragging out part.

in other words if H stands for hastati and P for principes and you make a selection of

H-P-H-P-H-P

and then drag this out to get a smooth line, it would get auto-reshuffled into

H-H-H-P-P-P

Anyway, the point is moot for RTW 2. Here we can use the double/triple axis presets.

[hoom]

Select, drag, group.
They keep order for me

[al Roumi]

I've used the auto formations alot sicne the game's release. Surprised you didn't notice them... I use them to set up and then usually some pre-mosh manuevering, unless it's a fiddly set up like in a city or on a hill crest. I try to RP a bit too so I tend to use the culture's formations, as well as a balanced force composition.

Am I right in recalling that the sorting of strongest similar units to the right is consistent with the make up of phalanxes in hstory? The hardest unit went on the right where they were least protected by comrades shields, hoping that they could hold out whil ehte weaker troops enjoyed the better protection to the left of the line. I always wondered how phalanx lines didn't just wheel round anti-clockwise if all the strongest units were on each others' right end of the line...

[Sp4]

I did read something about that at some point but I don't remember.

I've found out something pretty amazing today though. If you put units into a default formation (any of them, not just the three 'native' ones) and then tell the whole group to attack an enemy unit in the center of the enemy army, the group will hold formation and attempt to engage whatever is in their path instead of trying to go for the same enemy unit. That way, you can make your whole army engage an enemy formation, in formation and you don't have to do anything, leaving you free to do stuff with cavalry or microing light/shock infantry. I am surprised it didn't mention any of this at any point in the tutorial, because it is pretty genius.