Quote Originally Posted by Thoros of Myr
Yes, that's it, psychological. It prepares the mind for the task at hand. Something every soldier brave enough to stand and fight does in thier own way. For every barbarian with reckless bravery there can be an opposing soldier not effected by intimidation. It's not some set in stone benefit...if we cry we are always going to be superior.

To turn that into some tangible thing that can always be summoned at the touch of a button without fail is fantasy.
Every one about to go into hand-to-hand combat with potential for serious injury is afraid. Place yourself in the ranks of a Roman foot soldier. You have good training, confidence in the power of your armies and fellow soldiers. You march off to put down some warlord in a foreign land expecting it to be another walkover. You are used to inferior forces fleeing in fear of your military might, sometimes without even making contact. You've cracked a few heads and have tasted combat. Yet, this time you look across and see your foes yelling in unison with some otherworldly sound in a tongue you don't even understand, and appearing rather rabid in their desire to disembowel you. Don't they know you are their better? Why aren't they afraid? (They are...you just can't see it.) They might even be half a head taller than you and painted up like some sort of demon. Crazy friggin' barbarians, you've heard stories about what they do to stragglers they capture. This might not be so easy after all. And then before you have time to settle your thoughts they come charging and screaming toward you.

So what has happened? Their display has taken you out of your element. You aren't going to run (you are well trained, and no coward), but you are not so sure of your superiority as you were a just a few seconds before. You might move with a little less assurance, or be a bit hesitant, or worst of all show a bit of fear on your countenance. Would this work for the Romans? Probably not. They are already impressive for their fine equipment, discipline, precision and reputation as conquerors.

In the game it will all depend on how this "special ability" is implemented. Hitting the button is the equivalent of the captain yelling to his men, "let 'em hear it, and then we are going to charge straight into their ranks and cut the puny runts down and take everything they have of value from their pathetic corpses."

I wouldn't mind hearing more from CA on how it is meant to work. I'm not sure why it is available once the unit is already in melee. It should probably also not be allowed if your morale is too low or you are too fatigued. From using it, I can tell it can really improve the initial shock combat of a charge although sometimes it falls flat (countercharging is useful in this game.) It doesn't make super men though...and they are not moving twice as fast.

I think they need to make the sound a bit louder and wild if they can. And banging on the shields could make more of a din. If you have the camera over the opposing Roman unit issuing orders you should want to look up to see if the barbarians are already on top of you.