Step two three, shuffle two three, dance two three : the big phalanx question

[Woreczko]

Hi

I have a question for you, phalanx experts :)
Did you try to experiment with short_spear hoplites (The ones, with only 2 ranks fighting)? I` ve just discovered this attribute and thought, that it could represent classical hoplites a bit better, as they did not have especially long spears (~2m IIRC).

[jerby]

hi,
i've read somethign else on phalanxes. the better untis where put to the right so that they had cover of other mans shield's or something. when both party's did this they would both try to break threw on the 'weak' side wich caused teh phalanx to turn.

is this true? or did is misconcept it?

[Al Khalifah]

i've read somethign else on phalanxes. the better untis where put to the right so that they had cover of other mans shield's or something. when both party's did this they would both try to break threw on the 'weak' side wich caused teh phalanx to turn.

In classical hoplite tactics, the best units were put on the right to try and stop the shift to the right effect. Experienced troops were less likely to try and shuffle to the right to cover themselves and so they normally stopped the rest of the army from doing so too much.
If the two armies were evenly balanced, then the weaker left of each would normally crumble to the stronger right of the other and the line of battle would turn. If the battle went like this casualties were normally very high for the losing side because they would be cut off from their line of retreat. Such battles could go on for hours.
The assumption of the hoplite general was that you had to hope your left could hold against the enemy long enough for your right to defeat their left and flank them. Casualties here were normally actually lower because the enemy had a direct line of retreat. Such battles could last meer minutes if the opposing side was strong enough - infact there are many instances where lines never even joined because the left of one side would flee in terror and so the right would have to follow suit because to stand and fight would be suicide.

The pike phalanx change all this....

[jerby]

hi again,
is phalanx drift specially programmed by CA or did is it a ( historically accuarte) bug?
in both cases, its needs to be rmoved/fixed. the drift wasn't so much and it decreases gameplay a lot.

[Kraxis]

hi again,
is phalanx drift specially programmed by CA or did is it a ( historically accuarte) bug?
in both cases, its needs to be rmoved/fixed. the drift wasn't so much and it decreases gameplay a lot.

It seems to be deliberate feature and not a bug, but I have not noticed any devs talking about this, so I can't know for sure. And it is most certainly not historically accurate.
There was a drift, but it was significantly less, didn't seem to depend on depth, only affected hoplites and only happened during the march to battle and never in melee (which has been elaborated on quite few times already in this thread).