Velites???

[son_pacho]

Ok, I think I've read enough to see that they're pretty useless in the game...

Two questions about them though:

#1. Can you increase their rate of fire? If so how?

> I saw a post with the same question but the answer was incomplete.

#2. Is there a mod that improves their abilities/stats?

> I saw how the Total Realism made things more...historically accurate...but doesnt that mod take off over a hundred years of game time? Is there a mod that leaves the time periods alone but improves the...AI(for lack of a better term)?

[Kralizec]

RTR doesn't change the period, it's still 280 BC onwards.

If you want to make your velites more powerful, you must edit a textfile in the data folder. It's called export_descr_unit
Use ctrl+F keys to search for velites. Then you need to find this line:

stat_pri 7, 2, javelin, 50, 6, thrown, archery, piercing, spear, 25 ,1

just edit the first number 7 into something higher. About rate of fire, I don't know if there even is a way to make them fire faster. If there is it won't be simple.

[econ21]

I would go with Rome Total Realism. I like the way it balances the various arms - swords, spears, phalanx, cavalry, javelins, bows etc.

But last time I played it (6.0), velites were not that great because, like BI, that mod has now greatly toned down the effectiveness of missiles in frontal volleys on troops with decent shields and/or armour. Don't expect velites to do what archers do in vanilla RTW. However, velites are skill useful as a distracting screen for your heavy infantry and do very well if they can fire to the rear or unshielded flank of the enemy. They are particularly useful against phalanx armies. Less essential but ok against barbs. And very vulnerable to cavalry. Sounds about right, no?

[son_pacho]

thanks!

[x-dANGEr]

stat_pri         7, 2, javelin, 50, 6, thrown, archery, piercing, spear, 25 ,1

I'm not sure but I think lowering the 1 value their may increase the fire rate.

[The Stranger]

you can increase the firing rate...its hardcoded

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Ok, I think I've read enough to see that they're pretty useless in the game...

I wouldn't say they're completely useless, they are effective against shock units such as elephants and chariots. This is mainly because of the +6 combat bonus they receive vs these two unit types. Other than flaming arrows and the correct infantry, there are few other efficient ways of preventing elephants from inflicting large casualties to your army.

I'd also suggest turning skirmish mode off - you can always have them fire a volley or two and then manually pull them away from incoming waves of opposing infantry / cavalry. Reposition them behind your own lines, and they should use up their remaining ammo. You can always throw them into melee if you want, they are cheap enough to use as one-shot counter units.

[orangat]

I tried using velites to counter chariots but they kept routing until I actually mixed them inside infantry squares making a super dense concentration of infantry. If I kept them behind infantry, the chariots usually mowed them down after going through the cohort.

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

You can always use peasants to slow down the advance of shock units. They'll get bogged down due to the vast numbers of infantry (peasants) they have to pass through. Whilst the shock units are tied-up, use your skirmishers to hit them repeatedly. It doesn't matter if the peasants take heavy casualties due to their low upkeep / recruitment costs - you can cost effectively retrain them or recruit replacements for next to nothing.

[The Stranger]

well velites saved me many times in my African invasian as the Julii...i was once attacked from all sides and eles threatened my rear but the velites saved my back by routing the eles who killed their accompaning sacred band unit in their amok..the velites combined with the staunch resistance of my 10 legionares carried the day