Twisted General-ing in RTW

[Tamur]

I wonder if any of you have noticed yourselves doing this...

I use the wonderful ModRome (1.11) util a lot, and have done a few 20-unit per side battles now. They're huge, incredible to watch, and take quite a long time.

But that's not the point, sorry. After all the reading I've done on the Legions, I find that I draw up my legions in a bunch of straight lines -- velites in front, hastati, principes, triarii, and archers behind everyone for ranged support, with cavalry to either flank.

This is not always the best formation, though. I try to vary things but feel "uncomfortable" with spreading the attack, esp. against the Carthaginians. Even though I know that getting around the flanks of those blasted SB phalanxes will be a good thing, it still takes conscious thought to do it. In MTW I had absolutely no problem with that.

Anyway... anyone else noticed this tendency in themselves as well?

[Puzz3D]

Of course you are uncomfortable with spreading the attack. It's a concequence of the faster movement speeds. You have to increase your own speed of thinking and action to regain the control you had before.

[Colovion]

Of course you are uncomfortable with spreading the attack. It's a concequence of the faster movement speeds. You have to increase your own speed of thinking and action to regain the control you had before.

Before:

"Easy.... ok send that unit in.... yeah nice, keep the line fixed moving to that spot..... ok now bring the archers up quickly, start firing..... ok bring the flankers in and charge units in.... ok looking good, flank, charge, good route.... arg! bring some Cav to deal with these units that broke around the right flank!..... looking good... looking good - nice I just killed the General! .... they're routing! Victory!"

Now:

"OK steady, realign troops - single line .... skirmishers run out there and harrass the troops.... FAST.... D'Oh! not that fast, aw crap they're charging them.... pull back.... NO! PULL BACK NOW!.... arg, lost t hem..... oh no where are my cav? oh ok over there let's just go and make them start marching around the flanks..... what the HELL!?! how did their units reach my lines that quickly? BRING THE CAV IN FOR FLANKING!!! .... crap they've been sitting there for a while now, .... charge! .... ... running... oh no my left flank buckles...there goes my center.... oh here comes the charge.... too late, every other unt is is routing..... crap... "

[octavian]

"OK steady, realign troops - single line .... skirmishers run out there and harrass the troops.... FAST.... D'Oh! not that fast, aw crap they're charging them.... pull back.... NO! PULL BACK NOW!.... arg, lost t hem..... oh no where are my cav? oh ok over there let's just go and make them start marching around the flanks..... what the HELL!?! how did their units reach my lines that quickly? BRING THE CAV IN FOR FLANKING!!! .... crap they've been sitting there for a while now, .... charge! .... ... running... oh no my left flank buckles...there goes my center.... oh here comes the charge.... too late, every other unt is is routing..... crap... "

unfortunately, you are very, very right

[crazyviking03]

It also has alot to do with the fact that this is a time period with very complex strategy and miltary doctrine, where as this did not really exist during the time frame of MTW. So, we go into the battles with a pre concived roman strategy, and when it appears that it will not work, we cant figure out what to do, cuz we cant just MTW' it, can we?

[Jango Fett]

yup

[Tamur]

It also has alot to do with the fact that this is a time period with very complex strategy and miltary doctrine, where as this did not really exist during the time frame of MTW. So, we go into the battles with a pre concived roman strategy, and when it appears that it will not work, we cant figure out what to do, cuz we cant just MTW' it, can we?

Thanks, this makes sense to me. I do think that it's going to be a big adjustment strategy-wise from MTW to Rome simply because the same strategies don't work all that well... SB phalanxes as a case in point. You can flank them with infantry all day long, but until you hit them with a lot of missile fire or flank them with cavalry you're going to get nowhere.

It's going to be an interesting ride along the learning trail...