How do you fight your battles?

**LegionaireX** · March 26, 2012, 11:37 PM

I know players sometimes have personal house rules for campaign play. Just want to know what kind of rules people play under (if any) in battle for realistic and challenging fights. Personally before the start of battle I take away the battle map, restrict camera, and absolutely no pauses allowed. Are there any other additional adjustments I can make?

**TheDarkKnight** · March 26, 2012, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by LegionaireX

I know players sometimes have personal house rules for campaign play. Just want to know what kind of rules people play under (if any) in battle for realistic and challenging fights. Personally before the start of battle I take away the battle map, restrict camera, and absolutely no pauses allowed. Are there any other additional adjustments I can make?

I assume bathroom breaks are pauseable?

There probably isn't much more for you to do, at least not that I can think of...

**LegionaireX** · March 26, 2012, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by Gen. Chris

I assume bathroom breaks are pauseable?

There probably isn't much more for you to do, at least not that I can think of...

i guess those and making-yourself-a-sandwich pauses are allowed

**TheDarkKnight** · March 26, 2012, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by LegionaireX

i guess those and making-yourself-a-sandwich pauses are allowed

Sammich pauses are INDEED very important. Every general needs one.

**atheniandp** · March 26, 2012, 11:50 PM

Try to role-play as you're deploying and maneuvering. I avoid using the tried and true formations that "work", and go for something more risky and realistic. Don't use your general to hammer and anvil the enemy, deploy cavalry far from your infantry lines, etc.

If you're attacking the AI on a hill, just climb up the damn hill and fight face to face, rather than moving your army to the softer slope of the hill and climbing there. (I was guilty of doing this)

Take greater risks with bridge battles, don't massacre your enemy on it. Don't camp in the square when you're defending a city, and don't make unbreachable defences, lest you want your 1 phalanx unit to kill off a full stack each and every time.

**Grimbold** · March 27, 2012, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by atheniandp

If you're attacking the AI on a hill, just climb up the damn hill and fight face to face, rather than moving your army to the softer slope of the hill and climbing there. (I was guilty of doing this)

How is this historicly accurate?

Only inexperienced/idiot generals would commit this mistake. This or they'd have absolutely no choice.

**TheDarkKnight** · March 27, 2012, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Grimbold

How is this historicly accurate?

Only inexperienced/idiot generals would commit this mistake. This or they'd have absolutely no choice.

I think he just meant that he does that to make it more difficult.

I'd pass on that, though

**Delysid** · March 27, 2012, 12:31 AM

I play with the general camera. It's pretty brutal, especially in dense forrests fighting barbarians... but so much fun!

**GRANTO** · March 27, 2012, 05:10 AM

Originally Posted by Delysid

I play with the general camera. It's pretty brutal, especially in dense forrests fighting barbarians... but so much fun!

i too have goten used to using this camera and it is a much better chalenge {once you get used to it}, i also remove borderlines and banners from the strat map so if i want to see how big the enemy is i have to spy

**LegionaireX** · March 27, 2012, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Delysid

I play with the general camera. It's pretty brutal, especially in dense forrests fighting barbarians... but so much fun!

Definitely! However The general camera also made me appreciate the skill needed to command back in those day. Its easy for us players to command: sitting comfortably in our computers, air-conditioning, sandwich breaks, no pressure. imagining how it was in real life gave me admiration for those famous generals...sweating, stressed, exhausted both physically and mentally, body aching from all the fighting, and on top of it all trying to out-think the enemy.

In the general camera however I think it would have been nice that while im commanding the general i would receive some type of messaging giving me the status of the situation. Example-"Commander your right flank is faltering!" someone correct me if im wrong but i think that would be realistic because i think in battles they would use messengers to communicate. Don't know if that's possible to create/mod in the next RS patch

**The Doubtful Guest** · March 27, 2012, 12:36 AM

I play with what I consider basic house rules, I'm not a masochist like some people you'll see lol.

My Rules:

-1st of all I ALWAYS exactly follow the legion composition from that Legion composition thread: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=389536

-If my army doesn't look like those examples, they don't go out on campaign. Ex. you wont see me march off to Gaul with a stack consisting of 1 Gen. 12 Poly Cohs. and some cav.

An exception to this would be when a bandit stack spawns somewhere away from the front. In this case I just grab the garrison from the nearest town (usually some evocatti or allied cohorts, depending on the period) along with a general and kill them real quick.

-Only one first cohort per legion, though I guess that kinda goes along with my legion composition House rule.

-Only 1 of each named and numbered legion.

Yeah lol, that's really all I can think of off the top of my head.

**Hektor27** · March 27, 2012, 04:19 AM

General-oriented camera: the limited point of view makes me realize how difficult it is for real life generals to observe the battlefield, let alone giving orders to units. So far, I get flanked more often, I get assassinated more often and I no longer dare to fight an army larger than my own because hammer and anvil becomes incredibly hard to execute. Starting formation becomes increasingly important and having flank and rear guards means life and death now. I have also learnt to play like Alexander: have a strong center that you know will not break, leave the left flank for the AI control and take command of the right flank consisting of light infantry and heavy cavalry.

**Jean Lannes** · March 27, 2012, 04:29 AM

Originally Posted by Hektor27

General-oriented camera:

Do you know where can I find a video with an example of this type of camera settings?

**GRANTO** · March 27, 2012, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by Jean Lannes

Do you know where can I find a video with an example of this type of camera settings?

go into your camera settings in game and try it

**Ferdiad** · March 27, 2012, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by LegionaireX

I know players sometimes have personal house rules for campaign play. Just want to know what kind of rules people play under (if any) in battle for realistic and challenging fights. Personally before the start of battle I take away the battle map, restrict camera, and absolutely no pauses allowed. Are there any other additional adjustments I can make?

SPQR Houserules slightly edited.

**Pe Ell** · March 27, 2012, 02:31 PM

The only rule I really impose on myself is the no pause one, can't think of any other I use.
I try to make balanced stacks and not just spam the most overpowered unit I have. I like the idea of employing all the different peoples and cultures under my rule to make up my armies. I also vary my strats accordingly so it's not all hammer and anvil with heavy cavalry. Light infantry and skirmisher are cool to play with, allbeit not as effective.
Oh, and absolutely no bridge battles allowed. Ever. They are silly.