New Command for M2TW and/or R2TW

[taichiman]

Fellow Gamers,

Ave! I believe the following commands would enhance gameplay and would like them to be implemented by CA in the subsequent TW:

COMMAND DESCRIPTION
PROTECT when this command is issued, the protector (the one being clicked first) will stay close and position itself between the enemy and the protected (the one being clicked second). Unit that has stealth capability will remain hidden. When the protected unit moves, the protector moves accordingly. Units suitable for this command: triarii, battlefield ninja.

SCREEN upon issuing this command, the unit will stay ahead of the unit being clicked second. Unlike PROTECT, the SCREEN unit will not come to the rescue of the other unit but it will just stay ahead and perform reconnaissance. Units suitable for this command: Light cavalry

REGROUP upon issuing this command, the unit will MOVE away from the enemy and toward the friendly units of the map. Units suitable for this command: fatigue units

SCOUT upon issuing this command, the unit will automatically explore the map and stay close to the enemy's General unit but far enough to be engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Units suitable for this command: light infantry, light cavalry.

ENVELOP upon issuing this command, the unit will form a big circle around the target. Units suitable for this command: heavy infantry units such as Bastarne)

FLANK upon issuing this command, the unit will run to the side of the target and then charge into the target's side/rear. Units suitable for this command: heavy Infantry, heavy cavalry

ROUT upon issuing this command, the unit will RUN away from the enemy and toward the friendly side of the map. Units in ROUT will drop their weapons (resulting in a decrease of attack and defence factors) while increasing speed. Units suitable for this command: all


GENERAL COMMAND
(To be issued by the General or a Captain* only)

RALLY upon issuing this command, all units under the same hot key as the issuing unit will move away from its engaging enemy and REGROUP toward the issuer.

ADVANCE upon issuing this command, all units under the same hot key as the issuing unit face toward the enemy and move in a walk pace.

*A General would be the family member/unit that is the overall commander of the troops. A Captain would be the leading unit in an assigned hot key. Say you have 1 Family member, 1 Equite and 4 Hastati and you hot key it so that the both the Family member and the Equite have 2 units of Hastati in its group. The overall General is the family member whereas the Equite would be the Captain.

[Kralizec]

Welcome to the org!

Those commands would require a lot of AI scripting, and you're probably better off commanding them manually.

I'd be more interested in improved skirmishing behaviour, and maybe an attack mode that will make the unit try to wrap around the flank of another unit (wich would be useful against enemy spearmen)

It may be interesting to assign a captain to command a specific section of the battle line, a bit like the group AI. In RTW I'd have loved being able to assign the phalanx units to a competent AI whilst I command the cavalry personally.

[Glaucus]

Or have it like in Take Command of Second Manassas. Each sub-unit has its own commander, with a unique personality. When you give him a command, he'll do it, but adjust to his own personality. This makes it better since you have to give the aggressive commanders offensive roles, or else they'll advance anyway. Makes it more interesting.

[taichiman]

Kralizec, thanks for the welcome.

While some AI scripting may indeed by required, I think it is not something beyond CA's capabilities. I think the incorporation of these commands can enhance the gameplay a great deal.

[IrishArmenian]

I llike it. You got me hopes up though. I thought this was official. I like the hot key stuff. I have little patience for 'holding the hands of my troops' as I like to say and guide them through absolutely everything. Great ideas, most of them, except for the rout. Why surrender?

[Kralizec]

There was a rout command in MTW. In that game it was more difficult to disengage a unit and run him to a safe distance. Routing did this immediately.

[Mithrandir]

Welcome to the bOrg. You will now be assimilated.

[edyzmedieval]

Welcome to the bOrg. You will now be assimilated.

Don't mind him...
Just pay him some dollars and he'll become your watchdog.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

welcome. although those commands would need HEAVY scripting.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Welcomix tix Guildix.

My Bartixix isn't as good as it used to be.


Welcome to the Guild. I think you deserve full membership just for that post, personally. Very good read.

[taichiman]

Thanks for your comments.

I believe some of the commands that I have come up with (and their variance) have been already in existence in other RTS games. Since many of us keep on asking CA on providing a better AI, I think this will give them a more concrete idea on what we are expecting.

[taichiman]

Can I move this thread to the "Coliseum"?

[Mithrandir]

No.


But that's where the all-might-mod-team steps in .

-> Moved.

[Mithrandir]

Well , I thought I'd copy it instead :

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=66382

the last 10 posts went missing though

[x-dANGEr]

But if you put in all those 'commands', what will remain for the player to do? And how will these 'commands' re-act to the rapidly changing AI position and aggression?

[taichiman]

x-dANGEr,

IMHO, these commands that I have introduced simply eliminate a lot of micro management that makes the game tedious. Of course, if you like would micromanage, you can always play without issuing those commands. The idea is to make the units far more "intelligent" so that the player doesn't have to fastclick like a first-shooter maniac (this is, after all, a real-time STRATEGY game) or press pause every 10 seconds (which is kinda like cheating).

Some commands, like "FLANK" may require a bit of extra scripting but I have seen the AI using it already (I have been successfully flanked a few times by the AI) so I don't think it should be that hard for CA to incorporate it. As for the rest, well, I am no programmer so I can't say how hard it would be to script them. Then again, I have seen the game evolves from Shogun till now and I just want to point to CA where should they focus on so that they would have a better idea on where to spend their R&D budget at.

I mean, eye-candies (i.e. better graphics) are nice but what make the game truly awesome is the AI (heck, I am even willing to spend a $75 bucks US if these commands were incorporated and effectively used by the AI from time to time).

[x-dANGEr]

It is also called Total War. And in war, things aren't so tidy, and it can become a first shooter maniak/general like.

[Shrike]

For my wishlist:

Keep "Withdraw", but add some sort of "Feint" control -

"Feign" + "Route" = Your unit runs screaming, but without the Morale Hit. If not given another command, they'll regroup at some arbitrary distance from the action. It would show up as "running away" to the on-mouseover.

[Dave1984]

I can certainly see the point of "Captains" independently commanding sections of your army, along with the individual heroics (and frustration!) this could entail, and this would definitely be something I'd welcome.

Does anyone have any idea whether or not it is conceivable to have some kind of command that would force units to occupy and defend a piece of ground effectively, or have them move to the nearest piece of "cover" or easily defensible ground if needed?

[Taedius]

Good post.

The "envelope"- order seems good. It is possible to do this in the game, but it requires some micromanagement, and is therefore not worth it a lot of the time.

Also I like the suggestion to delegate command of a group to a Captain/ Leutenant- character. In MTW, each unit already has a named leader; it would be good if these characters could be given AI, and a personality that you as General and factionleader had to take into account.

[Shrike]

Got another:

CTRL-R makes a unit run - how about make it a toggle between Run and Walk? It's kind of a paint that if I click a destination, I can tell a unit to Run halfway through their move, but if I decide I want them to walk, I have to reclick the destination.

[x-dANGEr]

OR, you can click R

[Shrike]

OR, you can click R

really?

According to the sources I thought that R = "Rally"

(for MTW, at any rate)