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[Kamitorrorga]

Tactics could be something that can be made functional in the game. However, how I explain how this will go out would probably lag many people's computers, so it could be a good idea to make it sort of "Do you want squad leaders/goblins/etc to use tactics Y/N?"

Anyhoot, I imagine that you can allow your troops to be commanded independently by their squad/militia commander (Maybe even a general). For example, Urist McTactic is traveling with 6 speardwarves and he is novice tactician. There is a line of 20-30 goblins supplemented by a few trolls. What could happen is that he makes a tactical mistake and tells his unit to charge instead of letting them come to him or splitting his forces into two. His squad ends up killing the goblins, but at a cost. You can tell where Im going with this. While also including this, you could also have your squad commanders "coordinate" and depending on their skill levels, a dice will roll to see how good they do together. So for example, a spear company of 6 dwarves coordinates with a company of 3 marksdwarves. The novice MD commander and the competent SD commander manage to work together fairly nicely, and by doing so, the spear company is constantly covered by marksdwarves who travel with the speardwarves, shooting over the speardwarves as they march in a line towards battle, i.e, covering fire.

How will they train is what I imagine to be through the use of "sandtables": Simulations of a battle on a table with sand that can be changed up to reflect terrains and have little figures be there for the movement of troops for the learning officer. I imagine this to be an inside thing, compared to the other thing I had in mind: Live exercises. Live exercises could be coordinated training drills between squads. In addition to training weapon skills, armor skills, etc, the commanders gain tactic skills. However, inorder to balance this, you'd have to make it so that the Tactics skill goes up slow and steady.

It would be cool if the dwarves could form a shield wall and advance, with some lighter dwarves forming a screenforce ahead while marksdwarves watch over from the cliff's above. However, I am sure this would be really hard to code, but if you could do it and it works, that would be brilliant.

[Insanegame27]

While it is a good idea in theory (the idea is very sound and I would love it in the game) it would be extremely hard to code, as the idea of 'tactics' is a constantly changing topic.


For example someone mods in Lorica Segmentata armor and models their militia off of the Romans. With the idea of 'tactics' the dwarves would likely adopt a different strategy, such as a phalanx.


It breaks the immersion that the player sets up for their fort.


So good idea, but I personally think that your suggestion would be the wrong implementation.


Aren't sandtables a thing of the modern (20th+ century) military as opposed to the 16th century that Toady is modelling?




Oh and also ~~ Suggested before... many times

[Kamitorrorga]

*Faceplant*

Damnit...

Sandtables were used in the 17th to 16th centuries I believe, but with dwarves in dwarf fortress, they are always one step ahead.

Anyhoot, so when I saw that you said it would break the immersion, you mean as in break the customization of everything? So maybe the player could make these plans that the commanders evaluate to the best of their abilities to use in the battlefield.

[Insanegame27]

I think that a basic system in the squad orders screen would work best, for example if you have a squad of ten speardwarves and a squad of ten marksdwarves:


In squad orders you would have an option (let's say o for orders, since I cant remember what is and isn't used in the squad orders screen) which cycles through available tactics, with the + and -, * and / denoting rank and file of the order if applicable.


Lets say that you wanted your speardwarves into a line five dwarves wide and two dwarves deep. You would set the rank to be 5 and the file to be 2, then have another option for orientation (line East to West, vice versa, North to South, Vice Versa) and direction (Facing N/S/E/W)


Then you can handmake your own tactical... tactics...


A legendary tactician as the squad leader would be able to organise the soldiers into a rock-steady 5-rank-2-file line while a novice tactician trying to do the same would have his soldiers spread out maybe in a 15x6 rectangle with unevenspacing between dorfs, and the dorfs would nearly always break off to attack instead of holding defence.


Alternatively, just have a tactician skill determine how close the dorfs actually go to the designated spot or if marksdorfs break for melee or shoot bolts.

[Diamond]

It is in development list, read that first before suggesting, I guess.

[Helari]

Alternatively, just have a tactician skill determine how close the dorfs actually go to the designated spot or if marksdorfs break for melee or shoot bolts.

tactician skill should effect the quality of the orders given, not how well they are followed which should be more about the skill and discipline of the individual squads. The same applies to formations, the tactician doesn't go tell every dwarf individually where their position is in a formation or how they should act in a formation, this is trained to the fighters beforehand. The tactician makes the decision on how to apply these formations to the given situation.

If the player gives direct orders to dorf squads the player is essentially the only tactician involved. Tactician skill would come to play in a sensible when the AI is giving commands (Non player controlled or even the player delegating command to the AI). A low skilled tactician might order a charge against an overwhelming enemy or a retreat against a weak enemy. A poor tactician also might not utilise flanking and wouldn't react to the enemy's attempts to flank.

A poor tactician might order squads to move to unadvantageous positions in combat and wouldn't take advantage of hills, forest cover etc.