What about the phalanx?

**Reverend Joe** · 09-18-2005, 04:41

All right- far ****ing out! When EB comes out, it will be the first time I have played RTW since last May- and it'll be worth it!

**Ano2** · 09-18-2005, 12:37

Phalanx's are awful mainly for one reason. When the A.I. advances towards your line all phalanx's, at the last moment will turn about 45 degrees and attempt to attack the flank of the unit next to yours. This is basic shitty A.I. coding that is hardcoded. No matter what nice formations you set up for the phalanx, you can never get around this issue.

One on One, phalanx's behave fine, however once a second unit is next to one of yours, the A.I. uses the phalanx incorrectly.

Believe me if the A.I.'s phalanxs attacked head on, then Darth's Phalanx formations would be extremely good.

**jerby** · 09-18-2005, 14:16

well, to be honest: I'm an EB-fanatic..i like/love it, and i'll definatly play it. but as hard as they work, and as much as they do, there will always be traces of RTW. and the phalanx behavior is on of em

**Revolting Friendship** · 09-18-2005, 16:05

Ano2:

You just had to go ruin my expectations like that didn't you!

Well, if that is the case, let's just hope CA holds the words brought by wishazu, if not, I'm doing a fantasy-mod without a trace of phalanx-units in it.

Btw, is it possible to make other units than phalanxes attack in ranks, or was that another great feature from M:TW they killed completely?

**Ano2** · 09-18-2005, 16:12

Well other units can attack in ranks, they just aren't so rigid. There is a way to start all units with guard mode on, which makes them attack in ranks but I'm not sure how its done.

And yes, I love crushing dreams

**Revolting Friendship** · 09-18-2005, 20:29

Ano2: Ah, sorry for my poor formulation, what I meant was, is it possible to make other units apart from phalanxes attack in depth, like both the 1st and 2nd rank may reach in with their weapons? Because with that and the new shield-wall formation from BI, you got prospects to decently recreate the classical hoplite phalanx, that would be rather exciting, but if soldiers other than phalanxes can't be made to attack over eachothers shoulders, it's rather useless anyway.

Or maybe it's a false assumption that the two first ranks of a hoplite phalanx fought with their spears? The antique era isn't really my specialty.

It would still be neat if units could for other purposes anyway, I can't remember that I've ever seen a unit do this in RTW.

**Kralizec** · 09-18-2005, 20:50

Like suggested above, maybe hoplites should get the shield wall ability from BI. That'll make them very strong up front, allows them to charge too...but unlike what we see now, they won't come out totally unscratched (wich is stupid) when swordsmen charge them head on.

As for the Macedonian pike phalanxes...I think they should keep the same phalanx ability they have in RTW. However, I'd increase the spacing between the soldiers. From what I know the Macedonian phalanx was pretty loose, not nearly as tight as a hoplite formation.
I've tested this myself, and I like the results. I increased the horizontal and vertical spacing from 0.9 and 1 respecitvely to 1.5 and 1.6
I then charged a unit of galatian swordsmen (using RTR) into the loose, more historicly correct formation of pikemen. What happens is that some of the men are still halted at pike lenght, but some others manage to run between them and reach the phalangites.
The results in all tests were still victory for the phalanx, with some casualties.