Throwing Javelins / Pila

[BeastG33]

Seriously I'm willing to give CA the benefit of the doubt on most things, but what is with the javelin mechanic in this game?

Melee infantry cannot be toggled to fire at will and can only throw their javelins while charging to engage in hand to hand combat.

Does this make sense to anyone? So I can't just sit on a line and hold a formation and let me men throw javelins at the enemy from a stand still, which honestly makes a whole lot more sense than the silly looking "throw on a charge / javelin magically appears, is thrown, then sword warps to hand" looking thing they have in the game right now.

[JaM]

They didnt had enough of RAM for more animations, as they spent it all on facial expressions. Throwing Javelins in game about Ancient Rome seemed quite insignificant to them...

[Snizel]

I too really hate how melee infantry have to charge in order to throw pila/javelins. And how many bloody pila do Roman infantry get? I swear they have like 10 rounds.

[Modestus]

Seriously I'm willing to give CA the benefit of the doubt on most things, but what is with the javelin mechanic in this game?

Melee infantry cannot be toggled to fire at will and can only throw their javelins while charging to engage in hand to hand combat.

Does this make sense to anyone? So I can't just sit on a line and hold a formation and let me men throw javelins at the enemy from a stand still, which honestly makes a whole lot more sense than the silly looking "throw on a charge / javelin magically appears, is thrown, then sword warps to hand" looking thing they have in the game right now.

No fire at will for any infantry? I thought it was just Javelins.

So there is no real guard mode and Roman units will simply stand there and unless they charge they will only throw a smile at the enemy, that sounds awful did anyone at CA have a look at RTW1 before the started making this game.

[Beregond]

Does anybody have time to look at those facial anims if the battles last like a couple of minutes? WHy waste resources on this?Honestly, I'm so glad I didn't preorder, otherwise I'd have gotten into the same crap as with ME3 preorder - useless.Javelin throwing is such a basic ancient tactics, unbelievable they dropped the ball so hard with this one...There could be no excuses

[JaM]

Does anybody have time to look at those facial anims if the battles last like a couple of minutes? WHy waste resources on this?Honestly, I'm so glad I didn't preorder, otherwise I'd have gotten into the same crap as with ME3 preorder - useless.Javelin throwing is such a basic ancient tactics, unbelievable they dropped the ball so hard with this one...There could be no excuses

You didnt saw them yet? really worth it... check post #4 http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...5#post13200485

[BeastG33]

Another great part of this feature is that I can't even keep my troops from friendly-firing one another.

"Oh, is that a weak spot in my line? Let me reinforce it with my reserve troops. *clicks attack* Oh no, my reserve troops just routed my front line troops by javelining them to death in the back."

[JaM]

they obviously put much thought about this...

[wulfgar610]

According to the books I've read, melee infantry javelins were thrown in open order after which they formed close to either attack or hold. It wasn't always available, in Caesars battle with the Suebi their onslaught was too rapid for the javelin throwing exercise and legionaries simply cast their javelins aside.

[Ariovist]

Incredible design idea.z
If we are not able to order our men WHEN to throw their javelins the mastermind behind this idea should indeed be questioned.

[SonOfCrusader76]

Overall, I am pleased with the game so far but I am massively disappointed about this one aspect.

I hate the fact that the troops can only throw them on the run, I hate the fact that you can't toggle them firing or not and I hate flaming pila. I mean, please. CA, where in history did you read that, even on a very obscure basis, flaming pilae were used? It's almost physically impossible!

Why did you change that aspect so much? It was perfect in Rome TW. They'd stand in formation, you'd see a beautiful shower of pilae and then they'd charge. Now almost ten years later, we've got this dumbass system - and to make it worse, they don't even look like pilae - they look like lasers. These trails still need toning down, CA/modders. More likely the latter.

Oh and as an added bonus, you know that vicious 'WHOOOSH' sound you had in Rome TW when pilae were thrown? Unless I'm somehow missing something, I can't hear that sound in Rome 2. The game is flooded with some delightful attention to detail - 'You're going to wish artillery was never invented' (enemy soldier while being bombarded), you even see pilae stuck in enemy shields (although they continue to try to use them) yet this aspect is so badly represented in the game? The worst thing is, I'm not sure it's something that can even be modded in.

What about bows/arrows? Has anyone seen whether they work/look any better? At least the slingers look good - apart from those bloody trails!

[SonOfCrusader76]

Double post.

[Chewie]

this is pretty bad. I can't play Romans even remotely like reality. I am playing my Roman army more like a barbarian army and it kills a lot of the positive aspects they put in to improve immersion. The fact that I went to work today, not a good sign lol.

[Louis Davout]

Just wait until your try to play with a phalanx. Near on impossible to hold formation every battle is just one big barbarian scrum. As someone said earlier why have they not just copied the javelin system from Rome 1 which worked so well.

[baldrick13]

slingers are freaking amazing when you are playing as pontus

[Bobz]

This is the only serious problem I have with the game. It's impossible to correctly use Roman Infantry at the moment, having no control over pila means you cannot hold your ground.

[SonOfCrusader76]

This is the only serious problem I have with the game. It's impossible to correctly use Roman Infantry at the moment, having no control over pila means you cannot hold your ground.

I agree 100% - this is the only real gripe I have with the game. It's really hurt the immersion of playing as the Romans for me - throwing pilae, complete with the excellent sound effect from Rome TW, was one of the things I was looking forwards to the most and CA have ruined it. It looks bad, it sounds bad; the only good thing is the pilae actually get stuck in the enemies' shields, although they do continue to try and use them instead of dumping them.

[Bobz]

I agree 100% - this is the only real gripe I have with the game. It's really hurt the immersion of playing as the Romans for me - throwing pilae, complete with the excellent sound effect from Rome TW, was one of the things I was looking forwards to the most and CA have ruined it. It looks bad, it sounds bad; the only good thing is the pilae actually get stuck in the enemies' shields, although they do continue to try and use them instead of dumping them.

They get stuck in shields now? That's good at least, it's probably too much to expect them to drop shields as well.

[JaM]

its practically impossible to attack enemy without running charge... not sure why they did this, but its bad...

[Bento]

Not only are the flaming pila bizarre beyond belief, but I played a battle and the enemy used them against me ... in the RAIN ! WTF ?