What's the Ctrl button for?

**HanatielHawk** · December 31, 2009, 06:49 AM

Well I know alot about Rome total war and can play the battles easily without losing many of them, and i've figured out that holding the alt button lets all the selected units fight witht their swords. shift + number is the army setup. spacebar shows where and how the army is ordered to go etc.
The only option I don't know is the Crtl button. Like in a battle sometimes when i've selected soms troops I press the Crtl button and always i'm trying to figure out what it means.

When holding the Crtl button a little green + with a shield next to it pops up near the cursor. I thought it was a kind of "Defend the following units"
option but I still don't know what it means and how to use it.
Can somebody help me please? tnx

Happy new year everyone

**Xellos_Moon** · December 31, 2009, 07:51 AM

Happy new year....

i dont know

**blackwatersix** · December 31, 2009, 08:21 AM

It's for selecting multiple units. Hold ctrl, click unit or unit cards. release ctrl, and voila, give units their orders. Hold ctrl+ click units + press number key+release ctrl= group units.

**HanatielHawk** · December 31, 2009, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by blackwatersix

It's for selecting multiple units. Hold ctrl, click unit or unit cards. release ctrl, and voila, give units their orders. Hold ctrl+ click units + press number key+release ctrl= group units.

I know that you can use the Crtl button to select multiple units, or else i'd suck at battles if i wouldn't know that.
I also know that you can switch the selected units from groups when pressing Crtl + any number.

But I don't think you got my question right. This is what i mean:

What does the + and the shield mean?
What can you do with it?
How do you use it?
When do you need to use it?
What effect does it has?
Can it be used as strategical purpose?
Can you use it efficient with certain formations or/and with certain factions?

Can somebody answer these questions please?

and if you don't know it don't post please! I don't want to get this topic being made into a HAPPY NEW YEAR! topic.

**C-Rob** · December 31, 2009, 09:35 AM

the plus is add and the shield is soldier, as a soldier is armed. There is nothing else to it, you have already been answered.

**HanatielHawk** · December 31, 2009, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by C-Rob

the plus is add and the shield is soldier, as a soldier is armed. There is nothing else to it, you have already been answered.

You mean it's like a symbol you can select units when you see it?

**C-Rob** · December 31, 2009, 09:38 AM

yea, It shows that you have ctrl held down I guess.

**HanatielHawk** · December 31, 2009, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by C-Rob

yea, It shows that you have ctrl held down I guess.

Hmm thats really pretty unuseful information the pc gives me then

too bad i thought i had discovered more

Thanks for answering my main question

this thread can be closed ^^ if no-one is against it

**blackwatersix** · December 31, 2009, 11:33 AM

Lol, i didn't know you wanted to ask what the icon meant, sorry.

I always thought it's just an icon.

**Xavier Dragnesi** · December 31, 2009, 09:24 PM

The little white icon is a unit banner. It means that by pressing down the control key, you can add units to what you've already selected. So say you've selected one unit, and you click CTRL, that icon tells you that pressing CTRL allows you to select another unit, adding another unit banner, if you get what I mean. It's mentioned in the game manual.

**eXistenZ** · January 01, 2010, 05:24 AM

Doesn't CTRL+I select all infantry units or so? and +C all cavalry?

**HanatielHawk** · January 01, 2010, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

Doesn't CTRL+I select all infantry units or so? and +C all cavalry?

Yeh but thats not what the icon was meant for. It's just an indication you can select or deselect units. It's true that Crtl + I is select all infantry, Crtl + C is select all cavalery and Crtl + M is select all missile troops, but you can see that in the game manual. I just didn't knew what the icon meant but now i know

**War lord** · January 04, 2010, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by HanatielHawk

Yeh but thats not what the icon was meant for. It's just an indication you can select or deselect units. It's true that Crtl + I is select all infantry, Crtl + C is select all cavalery and Crtl + M is select all missile troops, but you can see that in the game manual. I just didn't knew what the icon meant but now i know

It's for selecing multiple units.

**HanatielHawk** · January 04, 2010, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by War lord

It's for selecing multiple units.

Please read before you reply please

The question has already been answered.

**Delta21** · January 19, 2010, 06:36 PM

It's not the shield, it's a banner. It represents that you can +("add") several banners("units) in the same group for controling them. That's about it.