Deployment

It would be cool if under the (Combat tactics: Deploy) there were left, right and center settings, this would make the battle system more realistic and more strategy involved in battles. Example) say you have 10 units of infantry and 2 units of cavalry vs. 12 units of infantry you could set 5 units of infantry left and the other 5 right with the cavalry back center so as the infantry are making there way to the middle the cavalry would punch through the lines...this may not have been the most strategic example but you get the idea.

Your "Deployment" ideas could be tricky because they require knowing how many of what troop type will actually make it to the battle (and are not delayed in travel, etc). Providing similar options based on percentages (i.e. 50% of Cavalry attack in such-and-so a manner) may be a better idea. It also adds another dimension to the battle: lateral movement and settings. I think it'll be a beast to code, but it's a neat idea. --Calvin November 17:04, 3 August 2006 (CEST)

Maybe this is something the "Marshall" of the army could do? I've never been a Marshall, so not sure what they actually do, but maybe arranging the troops on the battlefield - such as put 75% cavalry on the left for maximum effect against their big 75man strong TO unit position to your left would be useful? Not sure how this would work with the turn change though? Would it mean Marshalls would have to be on just before the turn change to organise their troops for the big fight (or even as the turn changes) and therefore the activity question comes in again? I do like it though Crazylozda 04:50, 11 January 2007 (CET)

I figure, to keep this as simple as possible, only the Marshall should be able to set if troops are in the left or right side of the battle field? Or... even better, for troop leaders to be able to decide for themselves if they are not in an army or their Marshall isn't present. With the option to flank the center or go for the rear. Personal glory and what-not if they succeed and maybe help turn the tides of battle? Or more likely be wiped out and be of little use. Against competant enemies and/or more formidible glory seekers...

Heroes can ignore the Marshall settings. By choice with a checkbox?
They cannot set deployment for the militia, their default is center.
Bonus damage for flanking the center, even more so if done by charging calvary... plus, it would demoralize the troops quicker.
If the center line breaks, all troops on the sides would be demoralized. Plus, they would get flanked by those on the center, if they are already engaged in battle.
Ability to go straight for the rear/archers and come up from behind. Nothing more demoralizing to find oneself surrounded.

~*~It could prevent escape and cause them to either surrender or fight to the death, if they would normally retreat. That could be decided by the troop leader with a checkbox? If they fight to the death, all the injured would fight too. And they would gain a boost to damage dished out? More likely to capture/wound/kill troop leaders in this situation?

Well, 2 things can be done with this, new formations, or the ability for the Marshall to decide what % of troops of which type go down on either the left or right side. Or the option to be more specific?

For the former, there are so very many formations that could be added...

And the latter... the Marshall should be limited on how many troops he/she can assign to the left or right. Maybe by their leadership?

Or both?

And like always... you can't see how your enemy is positioning themselves... Its all about what you think the enemy will do and what you do with what you got under your command.--Zangi 4 April 2007

With the new army system, It shows what units you own. It could be possible to have the marshal place the units in the deployment area.

Ambushing

This one I am a little ify on it would probly take a lot of coding and might not really be worth it but here I go...again...If your army was in a forest or moutainous (possibly badlands) region you would have the option to ambush...it would be like "digging in" where it takes 6 hours and there would be a limit on how big your army could be to "Ambush" but when ambushing you would not show up on scout reports and could not travel with out canceling the Ambush which would make you show up on scout reports again. Now heres where it might be a little out of hand but when ambushing if successful(by that I mean an enemy has traveled through the region you are ambushing) when you engage in battle the "Ambushers" would be attacking from behind(yes no maybe, not sure how well that would work with coding but it would be very cool and useful) Now the trade offs for one if you are ambushing and the turn changes weather you where successful or not you are unable to move that turn (it takes time to crawl out of your hole, fill it in, etc.) and if you do engage in battle you would be fighting as if your where set as vangaurd(because you cant have all your armor on when hiding in trees or in trenches)

An easier ambush to code would be to have "attackers" start one box farther foward than normal, and get an extra turn where defenders don't attack back. After that, battle continues as normal. Ambeco 08:34, 16 September 2006 (CEST)

Suggestions

PLEASE FILL FREE TO LEAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AND PRODUCTIVE CRITICISM

Something happen when i was editing and it told me someone else was editing at the same time if you left a suggestion and it is not here my greatest apologies.

A great example of this sort of deployment tactics can be seen in the game "Dominions 2". Troops are deployed (graphical in that case) in a box the represents your side of the battlefield and are given orders for what to do in the first three turns, eg: Fire on closest/largest/furthest/etc. for Archers, attack closest/rear/etc. or hold and attack for Infantry, Mixed Infantry and Cavalry. After the first three turns the lines pretty much go to hell much like real life. The Battlemaster combat system is much like it already and it seems more interactive troop deployment seems the next logical step. -Balewind

I agree, this all would be really cool but so unbelievably long and difficult to code. And with the first idea, units will need to determine which way they are facing, so being attacked from behind might gain the attacker a damage bonus.

I wouldn't think a damage bonus would be appropiate - you can always turn around and defend nearly as effectively. However, being attacked from behind should in my opinion render a massive morale hit. You don't like having to watch your back too, and you're unsure of when the enemy will jump out behind you next.

I would think there'd be much more than a moral hit. Usually, when an army is hit from behind, the soldiers get confused and most just flee from the field right then and there. After that, its pretty much a route. Take any example of these battles from real life, the army that is getting attacked ususally take massive casualties and then either retreats or get wiped out. --J 22:08, 18 October 2006 (CEST)

I do not suggest modifiers on accout of facing direction. Troops are never facing away from the unit attacking them, on a battlefield you see them comming and turn to face them. But to have, say, a unit of Cavalry skirt around the central battle to attack the vulnerable Archers in the rear who would otherwise not be touched due to the wall of Infantry meat in front of them would be tactically sound. Left/Center/Right are three variables I would love to see in this game. -Balewind

I would only like to add that it would not necessarily have to be an all or nothing ambush. It would be nice to be able to just "hide" part of your combat strength from scout reports. The addition of a very highly trained scout option would allow anyone with said scout to possibly detect the ambush and counter it in some way. Once the battle commenses the troops hiding would come out by say the 2nd round of battle or so and then attack from behind, effectively encircling the attackers in a pincer style attack (is it called pincer anywhere besides ff?). -Anulith

I don't think troops would be able to turn around, if they are already engaged in battle.... and being hit from both sides should hurt. Both mentally and physically.--Zangi 4 April 2007