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Author Topic: Military Formations  (Read 991 times)

Aunshi

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Military Formations
« on: August 26, 2015, 09:42:06 am »

After coming back to this game a few times, something I think could vastly improve the combat of this game is the use of formations.

Experienced leaders of squads (good leadership skill level) group there squad mates in tight formations close to where they have been ordered to move to, with the highly disciplined soldiers remaining in formation and undisciplined soldiers breaking formation to run into or away from the enemy.

Shield wall formations, square formations etc are ideas (with any ranged fighters in the middle of the square or behind the wall)

I think this would be better than the current situation where Soldiers tend to run heedlessly into massed packs of enemies and die alone. Which is massively annoying to the extent you just cba with the game anymore.

This would also increase the relevance of good leaders and disciplined troops. Also, having taken part in some viking gear re-enactment fights, spears are very good in shield walls, and more difficult to use in duels... a point to consider.
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vjmdhzgr

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Re: Military Formations
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2015, 08:22:28 pm »

It's important to consider that there's absolutely no benefit to formations except ensuring that fast military dwarves don't run into combat before slower ones being placed in more danger. To properly add in formations would require a lot of significant changes to combat past what you're suggesting.

Also military formations are suggested basically once a month and I think you're expected to revive old threads rather than make new ones on already suggested topics.
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n4m3l3ss

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Re: Military Formations
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2015, 09:30:54 am »

Yes, the game needs formations. I try to move the archers into position behind the fortification, but they are too damned stupid to get behind the fortification and shoot from there. Currently, the only way to ensure that archers are properly placed behind fortifications is to have exactly a one-space-wide passage behind the fortification, no more.

And yes, dwarves are sometimes Leeroy Jenkins-style idiots. I built walls, a drawbridge and a moat. The goblins attacked, I raised the moat and tried to get my dwarves into position before the goblins start climbing the walls. And then, a few bloody fvcking idiot dwarves decided to jump down the walls, into the moat, and engage the goblins, alone against all of them.
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Bumber

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Re: Military Formations
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2015, 12:31:16 am »

Yes, the game needs formations. I try to move the archers into position behind the fortification, but they are too damned stupid to get behind the fortification and shoot from there. Currently, the only way to ensure that archers are properly placed behind fortifications is to have exactly a one-space-wide passage behind the fortification, no more.

And yes, dwarves are sometimes Leeroy Jenkins-style idiots. I built walls, a drawbridge and a moat. The goblins attacked, I raised the moat and tried to get my dwarves into position before the goblins start climbing the walls. And then, a few bloody fvcking idiot dwarves decided to jump down the walls, into the moat, and engage the goblins, alone against all of them.
Sounds like you just want archers to station smarter. Archers don't need to move in formations, they just need to stand next to fortifications. Melee troops don't gain anything from it as enemies don't flank. Not to mention the effect dodging would have on trying to maintain a formation.
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