Constructive Fan Input on Formations

**Brightblade** · 02-15-2007, 20:50

Sorry I tend to get long winded... its the repressed writer in me.

Question: Are the AI formations historically accurate, or made to improve AI performance in EB? Or a mix of both?

Argument: Should they be made to improve AI performance purely and solely.

**MarcusAureliusAntoninus** · 02-15-2007, 21:17

One complaint on this subject:
Why does the Marian starting formation look like this:

?

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 02-15-2007, 23:13

Because the army is jammed up against the red line. I used to hate that in MTW.

**-Praetor-** · 02-16-2007, 03:41

Originally Posted by Wigferth Ironwall

Because the army is jammed up against the red line. I used to hate that in MTW.

Is it really because of that?

Or is it because our fellow has got a mayority of heavy infantry (marian legionaires) in his army, so the AI provides a good heavy infantry based formation (the offensive wedge formation)?

Besides, its wasn`t an iron rule for legion commanders to use a manipular formation... the philosophy of the legions was to adapt to circumstances.

If they had a light infantry opponent, it`s not that ahistorical that the legatus chose a wedge formation in order to split the enemy`s line in half...

If the AI chooses that formation by default when fighting with romanii, then we have a problem...

**Tuuvi** · 02-16-2007, 06:07

The AI actually chooses formations for you? I always thought it just puts the units wherever it feels like. You learn something new everyday.

**Shorebreak** · 02-16-2007, 08:54

I came across these mods during the many months of waiting for a complete version of EB:

The Candelarius' Extended Realism Mod
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=55919

HicSuntDracones Mod
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=62524

Both run with the BI.exe and RTR Platinum, but i wonder if its possible to convert them. I was amazed at the quality which these 2 mods brought to RTW. It has seriously been the most fun I've experianced playing RTW. Having the AI launch naval attacks on Italy and actually advancing semi-logically during a battle is worth the switch. The BI abilities are off the hook too; shield wall w/ Princieps is amazing. AI seems to flank and exploit gaps much better.

Im still not sure why EB hasnt moved towards the BI.exe mod, but these have got me excited about RTW again! Hopefully work can be done to merge these two and EB into something monumental!

**Brightblade** · 02-16-2007, 11:17

What you are talking about are tiny improvements on campaign map AI and even tinier ones in battle map AI due to BI.exe. There is already a very simple way to play EB with BI.exe.

What I´m trying to get people to discuss is the formations in the game itself, if they are really giving the AI something to work with, despite the its huge limitations.