Anyway to make soldiers look more professional?

[LegioXGemina]

combat during this time period relied on professionalism and discipline. Soldiers moving and just doing their own thing, while marching and waiting for orders kind of takes away from the realism. could this be easy to mod in?

[Bad0pel]

Hmmm, i'm not sure but i believe this topic has been discussed before. But i totally agree with you there. They don't look like trained soldiers when you see them marching, a few at shoulder arms here, a couple at port arms there. Its like watching a bunch of untrained militia in military uniform march around. ANd when they are just standing there, its like they are at ease.

[The Kahn]

Yeah, i saw the other topic, really the only advice i found in the thread was to set their training in the PFM to 'elite', although it doesn't make much difference. Maybe when proper tools are released a talented modder could change their walking and idle animations or something, although that sounds like it would take a while.

[The Gallant Forty-Twa]

I was just thinking the exact same today. When I see my ranks of Line Infantry, I get pissed off when they're out of step and not in any orderly position. Even during things like artillery barrages, infantry of the time could be relied on to stand firm and steady, and I don't think Empire captured this well enough.

Also, to the people who say "Empire is just back to Rome Total War where everyone is the same..." . Well the reason they look the same and don't have different hats is because there was, just like Romans, a much more strict concept of unit discipline and uniform. And they're not all the same, look at Green Jackets, some of them have white trousers...

Anyway, rant over lol I would definitely like to see a mod for this. Even if it just makes them all march looking the same and not with muskets all over the place it would still be a huge improvement...

[Roslolian]

I don't totally buy the whole "infantry stood firm all the time!" thing. I don't buy that any men can be shot at with a cannon and not be at least a little bit perturbed. It wasn't courage that made them stand strong, but drill. The men got used to doing things non-stop. Hard to worry about being shot when you're trying to reload your gun just as you were taught, you see. So what happens when they've got nothing to be doing? They'd pay attention to their surroundings. I think you guys are trying to impose an idealized notion of reality here.

[erasmus777]

You can change this by editing their animations. It's not that hard, but you need someone who knows how to do it. I do, but I can't handle any more projects atm. Ask in the modding forums.