Frustration Grouping Units with minimal UI

[marceror]

<my usual disclaimer... I did a couple of quick searches and didn't find a thread on this topic, so I'm starting a new one>

I realize that this is a relatively minor point in the midst of serious game breaking bugs still to be squashed, but I'm going to talk about it anyway. <end disclaimer #2>

I'm getting rather frustrated with the oddball way in which the game chooses to visually arrange groups when using the minimized user interface (UI). With large armies, I might have 3 groupings of infantry... light infantry, line infantry, and militia, for example. I might group them, respectively, as Group1, Group2 and Group3, in order to have all my infantry consolidated together. Cavalry might have heavy cavalry and missile cavalry as Group4 and Group5. Artillery might be Group6.

If I take the time to group them that way, it's because I want to see all of my infantry groups to the left, cavalry together in the middle, and artillery on the right of my 20 regiment display window. And in M2 this is how they would be displayed.

In ETW, for whatever reason, when I group my units in this manner, weird things happen. For example, my artillery might end up positioned between my light infantry and line infantry groups. My cavalry doesn't go where I want them... etc. So what I end up with is a jarble... group 1, followed by group 6, followed by group 3, followed by group 5. I've worked really hard to figure out the formula and work around it... but I've concluded that there's just a glitch in the design that doesn't make this sort of grouping a reliable option. I've tried grouping artillery first, infantry next, whatever. Something generally always seems to go whacky.

Am I the only one bothered by this?

[marceror]

What? Too many words? No one else has seen this? No one else cares? What?

[Metzgershund]

What? Too many words? No one else has seen this? No one else cares? What?

The title explains it all, there are problems with grouping units using minal UI, I already knew this but thanks for informing everyone. Did you want a thread full of other people going "yeah, that happened to me too!"? There are enough of those.

4 cereal, tl;dr.

Like a bawss.

[marceror]

Did you want a thread full of other people going "yeah, that happened to me too!"? There are enough of those.

Yes, actually. Well, perhaps not a whole thread, but at least some acknowledgement from others that they are having the issue. Why? My reasons are twofold:

1) The first reason is that misery loves company, in case you weren't aware. I honestly wondered if I was the only one who noticed/cared. So in that regard, I appreciate your reply.
2) Reason number 2 is the real reason, which is that, hey, if no one's talking about this, then the chances that CA is working on it seem pretty slim. So perhaps there aren't actually quite enough of those just yet.

4 cereal, tl;dr.

I literally don't have the first idea what you're trying to communicate here.

Like a bawss.

Same deal as above!

[Metzgershund]

This thread has potential.

[marceror]

This thread has potential.

Thanks!! (any potential sarcasm completely and purposely overlooked -- I just feel plain validated by your comments)

[Slaists]

Yes, actually. Well, perhaps not a whole thread, but at least some acknowledgement from others that they are having the issue. Why? My reasons are twofold:

1) The first reason is that misery loves company, in case you weren't aware. I honestly wondered if I was the only one who noticed/cared. So in that regard, I appreciate your reply.
2) Reason number 2 is the real reason, which is that, hey, if no one's talking about this, then the chances that CA is working on it seem pretty slim. So perhaps there aren't actually quite enough of those just yet.

Ok, along those lines: inability to bring up the formations buttons is why I am not using the minimal user interface. One solution would be to use keyboard formation shortcuts, but I am too lazy to learn them by heart since they have changed them from the previous (MTW, RTW) mapping.

[marceror]

Ok, along those lines: inability to bring up the formations buttons is why I am not using the minimal user interface. One solution would be to use keyboard formation shortcuts, but I am too lazy to learn them by heart since they have changed them from the previous (MTW, RTW) mapping.

I'm able to bring up the group formations button without an issue, when using minimal UI. Recheck your options, you might have overlooked an option.

That said, I'm considering going back to the full UI. As much as I hate the way that interface puts all even numbered groups (groups with 2, 4, 6, 8 etc regiments in them) to the left, and all odd number groups to the right, at least I can understand what it's doing.

Regarding the user created formation question, I had thought that the game simply remembered the way your units were arranged (assuming they were grouped), and naturally used that arrangement when you tried to reposition that group. I think that's how it's working, at least. Technically, you shouldn't need the premade group formations at all.

[daniu]

One solution would be to use keyboard formation shortcuts, but I am too lazy to learn them by heart since they have changed them from the previous (MTW, RTW) mapping.

I was furious they changed them. Why, oh why? It's not that they did something useful with the old combinations...
Consider checking out my standard formation guide http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=246103.

Oh, and marceror:

I literally don't have the first idea what you're trying to communicate here.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tl;dr

[pandoursbox]

I miss how in M2 if you grouped and ungrouped, they would stay together. I do not use groups very often, but I did use it to organize troops so it was cav, inf, missile, art. Now it's just a mishmash of who was recruited when. (Regular UI)

[jehazy]

I guess your particular issue doesn't bother me. I'm definately still getting used to the grouping requirements and the bugs that go along with them.

Grouping is required but is complicated.
Single directives are simple, but voluminous.
Both Group/Single directives are much easier to deal with using the forward/back/left/right HUD options rather than right click.
I really, really wish there were shift your unit left/right option on the HUD as well.

Love the game, hate the bugs.

[HawkDreams]

It isnt just minimal UI! I was fighting a battle a bit ago with my cavalry grouped and set to melee. Yet, when I clicked on the enemy the Cavalry went every which way but towards them! Not to mention, when I stretch my units out in a particular order I want them to stay in that order, not rearrange themselves the way they want if you do a mass move!

[tarloch]

the game just doesnt save positions unless you arrange and the group the units wot we need is a hotkey like previous titles that you press when you issue a movement order
as for the min UI well its totally broken, none of the facing or formation hoykeys work and an option that allow you add the arrows to tweak a units positon need to be added

[eatme]

So it is hard but isn't it WAI with minimal UI ?

[Major Inconvenience]

My first post, and I'm going to start by moaning

My biggest beef so far is that if I try and move more than one group at a time using the forward/back buttons, they all move independantly relative to the way they are facing.

So if (for examply) I want to move my two groups of Line infantry and my cavalry half way across the screen but I want to retain the overall formation, I have to either use the right mouse button and line them up elsewhere, or I have to upset all my lovely groups and shove them all in together, then regroup once they've got there.

Anyone got round this?

[marceror]

Yeah, I right click.

[miniwally]

It's annoying when you got a group tell them to attack someone and they decide to take order attack and think you meant line up in a straight line in a random lace.