Skirmisher units not arranging as missile troops

**qvcatullus** · 05-12-2006, 22:25

I've noticed that many of the very light troops are labeled by the game in EB as 'skirmisher' units -- akontistai, leves, and other javelin type troops. The trouble is that when I group them with spears or other heavy units and use a quick-formation to try to put them out in front ('arrow-catchers,' I affectionately call my numidian javelin tossers), the skirmishers are apparently treated as light main infantry and thrown in with my heavier units.
This means that I have to group them separately and take at least twice as long setting up, which is a mild annoyance in battles where the enemy moves around (actually reacting to my presence! it's amazing!).

Am I right that calling these units 'skirmishers' is what's causing this behavior? I am 100% sure that it was not so for units like velites and such in vanilla.
Is this effect of the reclassification intentional, accidental, or a bug? Will it be fixed, if it was not intentional?

And finally, since I'm the one whining about it and a scan of the forum didn't reveal anyone else, is there a way that I can change it in my game to turn them back into 'missile units' according to the formation do-hickey?

**Dayve** · 05-12-2006, 23:17

Originally Posted by qvcatullus

I've noticed that many of the very light troops are labeled by the game in EB as 'skirmisher' units -- akontistai, leves, and other javelin type troops. The trouble is that when I group them with spears or other heavy units and use a quick-formation to try to put them out in front ('arrow-catchers,' I affectionately call my numidian javelin tossers), the skirmishers are apparently treated as light main infantry and thrown in with my heavier units.
This means that I have to group them separately and take at least twice as long setting up, which is a mild annoyance in battles where the enemy moves around (actually reacting to my presence! it's amazing!).

Am I right that calling these units 'skirmishers' is what's causing this behavior? I am 100% sure that it was not so for units like velites and such in vanilla.
Is this effect of the reclassification intentional, accidental, or a bug? Will it be fixed, if it was not intentional?

And finally, since I'm the one whining about it and a scan of the forum didn't reveal anyone else, is there a way that I can change it in my game to turn them back into 'missile units' according to the formation do-hickey?

Have you tried installing a formation mod? Perhaps one of Darth's formation mods.... It may fix it, although i'm not sure if they're compatible with EB.

stalin · 05-12-2006, 23:23

the one compatible with 1.2 would be DF 8.5 (the one that won't let you group units in a single line - always in 2 lines brrr)

**Dayve** · 05-12-2006, 23:37

Hey that's a thought... Will EB be making their own formations for the final version? I haven't played EB for a while as i want to wait and enjoy the final version but from what i can remember the AI just deploys in a long line like in vanilla RTW... But i never use grouped formations.. I always make my own because i'm never satisfied with the formation the AI makes..

**qvcatullus** · 05-13-2006, 00:59

I tried to find the 8.5 version of Darth's mod, but couldn't find it... all I found looking around this forum and his hosted site on twcenter was the latest, only compatible with 1.3 and after...

Does anyone have a formations mod (Darth's or another good one) that they know works with EB to which they could give me a link? What do the other folks that play here use as a formation mod?

And is there any possibility of there being an 'official' formation mod incorporated into EB?

stalin · 05-13-2006, 01:21

http://www.twcenter.net/downloads/db/?mod=752
don't hold your breath on it working or being better tho
EDIT:you do know that you can arrange your formations manually at deployment and then press Group to keep it just the way you like it?

**The_Mark** · 05-13-2006, 20:12

Will EB be making their own formations for the final version?

We have them already; we've had them for what, a year, already. Too bad the work there has been practically stagnant there ever since we started doing scripts soon after adding formations, and with me being too damn busy for even scripting lately, there hasn't been any progress there for a while.

Originally Posted by qvcatullus

And is there any possibility of there being an 'official' formation mod incorporated into EB?

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=45104
Well, it never got far enough to be released..

stalin · 05-13-2006, 22:02

When I select Ctrl-M while in battle the game doesn't recognise Peltastai as skirmishers or Leves or velites for that matter it might be there the problem lies