Formations

[MacAttack85]

Hello All,

My first post on here, although I've been enjoying the tw games since the original shogun and have been lurking on twcentre since Rome.

I'm extremely excited about Rome 2 as we all are and I'm not sure if this has been done already, so I apologise if it has.

In the original Rome I liked idea of the ability to form the testudo formation however it never seemed to be particularly useful. I would quite like to see this ability revisited and maybe have the dynamics of it tweaked a bit in order to make it worthwhile using the tactic in certain situations just as the real roman army did. I would also like them to have the ability to form other formations aswell as testudo, such as the shield wall where the front ranks would present two levels of shields and there would be a whole number of pila presented past the shields. This would be an extremely useful formation against cavalry charges. I appreciate the game needs to be balanced and we don't want super legionaries however I think that this would reflect the flexibility and discipline of the legions that made Rome so successfully on the battlefield and it would also offset the fact that Rome did not heavily rely on its own cavalry. I would really love to see this feature in Rome 2 and just wondered what everyone elses thoughts on this are?

Cheers,

MacAttack

[0ldboy]

I agree with you on all suggestions apart from in Rome 1 I found the testudo to be very useful! Perhaps more so in mods like Roma Surrectum II but still...

I'd perhaps like to see a triangle/wedge formation for the legionaries and other units maybe? They had wedge in Shogun and Medieval and I liked that. Adding wedge would be accurate too I believe as it is claimed the Romans defeated Boudiccas rebellion in Britain by forming a kind of saw wedge formation.

Welcome to the forums. Lots of newcomers since the accouncement of Rome 2 !!

[Zanjia98]

I agree with you too. In fact, I was going to post something like what you did!

[MacAttack85]

I also like the idea of a wedge formation.. It would be good if you could easily change between wedge, square, circle, repel cavalry and testudo and as I understand it there is some historical basis for this.. I.e repellere equites, cuneum formate, orbem formate, Agmen formate and testudinem formate.

I think this would be a really nice touch and would further demonstrate the unique fighting style of the legions.

[Iunius_Iaponici]

I'd also like to see some new formations including one where your soldiers can evade elephants.
The testudo should be more effective in sieges since in RTW I never bothered using it.

[Zanjia98]

groups of soldiers should also be able to form formations like circles, or squares, or crescents etc...

[fightermedic]

groups of soldiers should also be able to form formations like circles, or squares, or crescents etc...

quoted for truth!
sucks since shogun 1!

[Kinjo]

First off welcome!

Yeah I think we will see some great formations like the Macedonian phalanx, shieldwall, testudo, Greek phalanx, wedge, etc. One formation I would like to see is the roman anti-cavalry/defensive formation:

Pila could also be used in hand-to-hand combat; one documented instance of this occurred at the Siege of Alesia, and another during Marcus Antonius's Parthian campaign. Additionally, pila could be employed as a thrusting implement and a barrier against cavalry charges. Some pila had small hand-guards, to protect the wielder if he intended to use it as a melee weapon, but it does not appear that this was common.

Also archers could use this formation as cover and fire from behind it!

[Zanjia98]

First off welcome!

Yeah I think we will see some great formations like the Macedonian phalanx, shieldwall, testudo, Greek phalanx, wedge, etc. One formation I would like to see is the roman anti-cavalry/defensive formation:





Also archers could use this formation as cover and fire from behind it!

Good Idea! They should have a formation like that, except maybe you have guys who throw pila

[Rorarii]

First off welcome!

Yeah I think we will see some great formations like the Macedonian phalanx, shieldwall, testudo, Greek phalanx, wedge, etc. One formation I would like to see is the roman anti-cavalry/defensive formation:





Also archers could use this formation as cover and fire from behind it!

DAMN! I want that formation in Rome 2 .. someone tell Jack!

But you notice the disadvantage of the Roman Cohort Legion ... no long spears! Those fixed pilum would be absolutely useless against heavy cav with long lances. BRING BACK THE TRIARII!

R

[zg0301zg]

DAMN! I want that formation in Rome 2 .. someone tell Jack!

But you notice the disadvantage of the Roman Cohort Legion ... no long spears! Those fixed pilum would be absolutely useless against heavy cav with long lances. BRING BACK THE TRIARII!

R

Pillum was used for breaking enemy charge, they have carried 2 pillums and gladius, so after throwing pillum`s they pulled up gladius and they were holding off enemy, first line was composed of hastatis, while more expirienced troops were later on vanquish tired enemy.
In short Hastati would break the charge and hold off, triari were the third line for breaking any enemy cavalry or if battle would go wrong, archers would eliminate holded army and that`s it, so thats why hastati didnt have spears, pillum was usless since it was constructed that onto impact it would break off

[avesta]

That's a great formation but cataphracts would destroy it.

Cataphracts would be armed with longer spears than the roman weapons and they have armor to protect against missiles. Plus they have their own projectiles so they can fire back.

The real anti-cav formation is the one Caesar used in the civil war against Pompeii. The history books say that he ordered his men to use their pilum and spears as upward thrusting weapons.
If you've ever played mount & blade, you'll know how useful it is to thrust an oncoming horsemen with an awlpike or lance.
In the Roman civil war, this manoeuvre stopped the charge of the Pompeiian cavalry and was a turning point in the battle.

Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSRVbOsYOvk

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

Shield wall is more of a Gallo-Germano formation, wedge is for sure a Germanic formation that the Romans copied.

[MacAttack85]

Yea and I think the repel cavalry formation is particularly important because the make up of a legion consists of minimal cavalry units. Cohorts also often fight in small detachments with no cavalry support at all and so this formation gives the ability to deal with cavalry and would be particularly useful against eastern armies such as Parthia etc who like to harass infantry with fast moving light cavalry rather than stand and fight.

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

I doubt it would stop a cataphract charge though...

[MacAttack85]

Agreed but they might be able to hold out for help a bit longer than in a standard square formation

[check_engine]

I'd like to see multiple formations for units rather than in the past where say spear units could only form schilitron, but not shield wall. Add a few more buttons in there for crying out loud (always confused me why in Empire there wasn't a fire command for line infantry like the broadsides on the ships)

Also hopefully the formations will need to be 1. Researched and 2. Tied to a units experience level. Harder formations require a higher experience to unlock.

[Vissewalde rex de Gerzika]

This is a great thread, ideas are really nice, and i dont want to go too off topic, but do you guys really think that CA will read this? Just answer witha yes/no and continue the discussion, i dont want to begin a downfall of this nice thread, that anti-cavalary formation seems wonderful! Obviously it wouldnt do much to something like Cataprachts, but would stop lighter cavalary trying to break the unit, one thing trough is that it would have to be possible to get into the position fast, a cav charge after all is a quick thing to set up, and you cant just keep your guys in that formation all trough the battle to save them from cav.

[thebestant]

This is a great thread, ideas are really nice, and i dont want to go too off topic, but do you guys really think that CA will read this?

even if they dont they still probably got this in mind. i mean they still got a year left.

[Zanjia98]

maybe they should have special formations for taking the cataphracts charge