Orders issued during battle?

[pyros]

Pity about lack of groups - makes it more of a clickfest without, or 'pause - lots of individual clicks - unpause'

Don't know about Legion Arena, but I would not describe Slitherine's any previous efforts as "click-fest" when you have no control over your units in combat, there's no RTS part like in RTW. It's more like Football Manager (championship manager), choose your units and formation and orders and click start! and watch the battle unfold while you're praying to any god or R & R star you believe in. And I think Legion Arena will be more or less the same type of battle system, with a little bit of more control during the fight.

Dear friend,

I have over 1,000 battles in my belt (with Legion Arena) and I can tell you that the game (Legion Arena) is extremely tactical.
The timing and choice of every click that you do on the map will play a major role in the result of the battle.

Definitively one of the most tactical games I ever played!

cheers!
Pyros

[miki]

SNIP

Orders before battle can be hold, advance, charge, outflank, similar to Spartan. In battle you can directly control a squad and order it to hold, breakoff, move or engage.

Units can change formation in battle. The formations available depend on the skills you have chosen to give them. Formations have strengths and weaknesses. Columns are good at punching through the enemy so inflict more damage but result in more damage being received. Lines take less damage and inflict less, while the block is a balanced formation.

SNIP.

BTW, will missile fire be controlled by any in battle order? That is, will you be able to order missile troops to hold fire, fire volleys, and/or choose melee engagements?

[malthaussen]

If orders are given using allocated "order points," then clearly the allocation of order points will be crucial in battle resolution. How is this determined?

I can see a minor problem, here. If enough order points are available in the "pool" to order all the skirmishing units, then might that not provide too much flexibility for the other units?

If I'm given enough order points to manoever my skirmishers accurately, then when I'm not manoevering skirmishers I can use those points to order less flexible units. This is undesireable.

If, however, each individual unit is given a rating for how many in-battle orders they may receive, based upon some evaluation of their tactical flexibility, this problem is resolved. A phalanx may be permitted only one in-battle order, whereas skirmishers might be allowed three, and possibly a few points might be placed in a "pool" based on the command ability of the general and the competence of the officers and NCOs.

-- Mal

[IainMcNeil]

Order points charge up over time based on your generals abilities and skills. The points required to conrol a unit depend on teh type of squad you are ordering, what formation it is in and what skills it has. E.g. Peasants are harder to control than Legionaries. Legionaries in Colun formation are more manouvreable than those in line. If you run out of points you must wait until they charge up before issuing another order.

[sum1won]

So, while it would be possible to order your basic skirmishing troops forwards to fire at the enemy, it would only be expedient and effecient with the better-trained skirmishers to order them to fall back? Sounds good.

[slackker]

oww after reading thru the entire thread, how i wish i can be part of the beta testing rite now!!

[honvedseg]

I would hope that there would be a VERY low point cost for telling ANY "skirmies" to run away from all those rather large and angry people with sharp objects headed toward them...

[IainMcNeil]

It really depends whether you trained them to drill, fight, shoot, or gave them some other skill!

[stalins_organ]

When did skirmishers ever have to be ORDERED to run away??

[sum1won]

While skirmishers originally just ran up and shot ahead of both armies, they weren't specialized for this, and would run away-anbd quite often stay away, as they would usually get run over by either side while leaving. Certain forces did train their skirmishers to fire ahead, fall behind/to the side of the main blocks, and give aid where needed. So, you can have your skirmsihers hoot, get hurt badly, and run forever-or you can have them fall back and help, with some training.

[stalins_organ]

I dont' think it is nearly that cut and dried - certainly better trained skirmishers might be able to be ordered to the flanks to help there, or similar, but I do not see a case for peasants using their "natural ability" as hunters with sling or javelin or bow to stand around and get kiled by heavy infantry - they are goign to run away - perhaps they do keep on running and dont' come back, but they shouldn't get caught statinary!

[bodidley]

I'm sure programming "aw, sh$@!" unit behavior is tricky.

[honvedseg]

Picture this: Confronted by a large closely packed mob of angry soldiers bearing down on you, you and your mere handful of men are scattered, unarmored, and without shields, and are armed with only knives to go up against multiple formed ranks of spearmen and swordsmen with shields. They are charging you. What would you do???

I don't think an order should need to be given to run for your lives, but if so, it should only take a mere hint of one, just a nod by the unit's officer, to get the *@#% out of there. Make it a trivial or no point cost order for skirmishers to flee to some set distance from the enemy, and regular order point cost for other unit types to fall back. There could even be a small chance for a fleeing skirmisher unit to keep going, depending on its morale.

If I had to wait until I had enough order points both to send a unit of skirmishers forward and then to get them back again, I'd only use them as weak support troops behind the main battle line, like they are in the current system, and save the orders for things that really matter, or as expendable "cannon fodder" to delay an enemy formation in an absolutely desperate situation.

[davidtheduke]

I think the amount of orders givable should be moddable and/or adjustable. That sounds like a nice balance.

Btw, RTW allows for grouped ordered but it is so bugged it might as well been left out. It appears if you do include it to include you will do so functionally, and that makes me happy