Charge-Project

**Lovasìjász** · 12-31-2006, 02:31

I have made a custom export_descr_unit.txt and I have been enjoying the changes in my campaign and custom battles.

All the changes are pretty much global changes, meaning the units are still balanced and their charge/attack/defense stats were not changed. The changes are propotional. Only the billmen and the english noble knights (the billmen english) and the french dismounted nights (same like the billmen) received a small extra (spear bonus) but they should have it because they are suppose to be good aganist cavalry.
Now I would like to know if any of you want to give this a test run.

what to look for:

-Improved Cavalry charge (they charge 99.9% of time)
-Improved billmen and dismounted english knights (vanilla animations)
-Improved charges all around , people earn their ranks quicker and take advantage of their charge bonuses
-tighter fights (less spreading around)
-furious battles

Now, So people don't think I'm just imagining this, I need a few tester people, preferably 3 who knows what they are doing.

You need to have a vanilla M2TW (vanilla animations) and use my .txt file with either a mod folder or with the --io switch.

Please, If you don't know how to use the mod switch or how to implement this text file, I would recommend you to wait or go around the forum and read some tutorials.

It would be best if these testers are experienced with the game's shortcomings (or features if you will) and can differentiate between how units behave in vanilla versus the one you get with this file installed.
Also it would help if these testers are experienced and able to use the io-switch or the mymod-switch to be sure that their game is actually using my export_descr_unit.txt.

thank you! - Just reply or pm me and I'll send you the file!

**Foz** · 12-31-2006, 03:37

I'm particularly curious what it is that you changed to make the cavalry charges behave differently. Is it actually controlled or heavily influenced somehow by a unit stat??? If so, have you been able to determine how or why?

**Headlocked** · 01-01-2007, 01:02

Originally Posted by the_foz_4

I'm particularly curious what it is that you changed to make the cavalry charges behave differently. Is it actually controlled or heavily influenced somehow by a unit stat??? If so, have you been able to determine how or why?

he changed the charge distance, from 45 to 80. (correct, HA?)

Makes such a difference.. Surprisingly, Darthmod doesnt include this change.

Applying Horse Archer's logic, Ive also changed the Infantry charge distance, from a typical 30, to 70.

This seems to remove the old "front line charges in while the rest hold back", bug that is particular to infantry, by 100% (so far).

Cheers,
HDD

i.e, Horse Archer, ive tested your mod already, and it works- Definately. I actually use 90 instead of 80, but dunno if there is a real difference.

**dopp** · 01-01-2007, 17:39

Erm, no. That's was his OLD fix. His NEW fix does exactly the opposite.

Preliminary testing indicates that units are now much more cohesive. Cavalry have 100% successful formed charges. Upon breaking the enemy they perform another weak charge with lances lowered and run down the routers. Infantry stay in formation better, but the rear ranks still take some time to catch up with the first few who charge in. Pikemen engage enemy with pikes lowered but quickly discard them for swords (their spear wall seems completely ineffective at stopping infantry AND cavalry from breaking into the formation).

**Headlocked** · 01-01-2007, 20:37

Originally Posted by dopp

Erm, no. That's was his OLD fix. His NEW fix does exactly the opposite.

Preliminary testing indicates that units are now much more cohesive. Cavalry have 100% successful formed charges. Upon breaking the enemy they perform another weak charge with lances lowered and run down the routers. Infantry stay in formation better, but the rear ranks still take some time to catch up with the first few who charge in. Pikemen engage enemy with pikes lowered but quickly discard them for swords (their spear wall seems completely ineffective at stopping infantry AND cavalry from breaking into the formation).

what, it reduces the charge distance?

cos ive had implemented it into Darthmod and it seems perfect, no messed charges at all, and ive been playinh vh/vh venice for over four days....

(happy to be corrected!)

then infantry change is not 100%, for like 85% of charges go right, but still much much better.

Cheers,

HDD

**dopp** · 01-02-2007, 06:04

He cut the charge distance in half for all units. Did you increase the charge range to 80 or did you use his new fix?

**Headlocked** · 01-02-2007, 19:33

i increased the distance to 80 for cavaly, and 70 for inf. (i wasnt aware of the new fix).

no more problems with cavalry, but still not 100% for infantry.
gonna try that half-charge distance for infantry first- ie. 15-20.

Cheers,
HDD

**Foz** · 01-03-2007, 02:29

Thanks for the heads up Dopp... I might not have noticed that the charge distance was the reason for things working out so much better. I've spent some time looking at the various files we can mod, but the unit stats file isn't one of those that I've really focused on. Perhaps I should, as it seems some important fixes are in there.

**Alexander the Pretty Good** · 01-03-2007, 04:30

I like HorseArcher's fix, but he changes a lot more in his latest releases than just getting the units charging properly. Would the best solution to only fixing charges without changing unit stats be to adjust their charge distance?

**dopp** · 01-03-2007, 11:38

Yes. Set cavalry to 22, infantry to 9 and pikemen to 12. Just run a replace and change all charge distance 45 to 22, 30 to 9 and 40 to 12.

It is actually a little more historical now because charge ranges were never that long in real life. Infantry in particular would march steadily up to their target and only break into a run over the last several dozen yards or so.

**Headlocked** · 01-03-2007, 20:16

Originally Posted by dopp

Yes. Set cavalry to 22, infantry to 9 and pikemen to 12. Just run a replace and change all charge distance 45 to 22, 30 to 9 and 40 to 12.

It is actually a little more historical now because charge ranges were never that long in real life. Infantry in particular would march steadily up to their target and only break into a run over the last several dozen yards or so.

exactly so; massive, extended infantry charges simply mix up units and destroy formations. The romans strength was their discipline and refusal to throw their troops headlong at the enemey- as the gauls did, and so got slapped down many times:). This is a basic tenet of military training- cohesion = survival.

k, im gonna try out HA's fixes as described, cheers Dopp.

HDD

**Foz** · 01-04-2007, 03:14

Well after giving those new charge settings a whirl, I love one and hate the other. Infantry would be the one I'm not a fan of. 9 just doesn't look right when they charge... the guys are practically close enough to swing at each other before they start trying to run, and barely (if even) get up to speed before impact. 30 was still too much though and allowed them to spread an awful lot, so I think I'll try something like 15 and 20 for the infantry settings as those are half the originals, which is what I liked for the cav. 22 for cavalry seems to be working out great - they lower the lances and get up to speed from closer than before, but it still looks natural and the added cohesion is great. Those poor suckers that ran in my fortress gate to engage the armoured swordsmen, only to get slammed in the right flank by a solid mass of cavalry and lances, never knew what hit them!