Why do hoplites not line up properly?

**High Fist** · February 25, 2014, 01:27 PM

You know, when the unit leader and standard bearer line up where they are supposed to, but the rest of the troops stand a few paces behind where they should? What gives?

What causes it is what I want to know, rather. I thought it was their overhand animations but some overhand units don't have the same problem.

**Darth Bane1** · February 25, 2014, 03:19 PM

It seems to be that the 3 officers cause that problem. I don't know exactly how that interrupts with the formation files. I noticed that most Hoplites on the flanks and in the middle section have this problem. dvk knows this I'm sure. I can post some pictures of a very simple trick that I'm using and which works all the time. I always get a straight line.

**High Fist** · February 25, 2014, 03:35 PM

Please do. Do you put the "broken" hoplites a bit forward of the rest of the line?

**Darth Bane1** · February 26, 2014, 07:44 AM

Exactly. When you have a similiar line like mine then you'll have to place them like this:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

When you move your army now, it should look like this:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

You see they form up a perfect line. It's really simple.

**dvk901** · February 26, 2014, 08:18 AM

Interesting...but I'm beginning to wonder if it's the shape of the formation in EDU that is causing this. I'll have to try a few adjustments there and see if it makes any difference.

Hmmph....that made no difference. I'm stumped.

**High Fist** · February 26, 2014, 11:15 AM

Have you never noticed it before, dvk? It was in 2.5 as well.

**dvk901** · February 26, 2014, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by High Fist

Have you never noticed it before, dvk? It was in 2.5 as well.

Well, I don't play the Greeks much, so I really didn't have the chance. And I don't recall the Beta testers complaining about it....not to say it wasn't there. I did some testing this morning....changing unit spacing and formations files...but no go. When you line them all up like you want, and then march the whole army forward, when they stop, some units march 'slightly' ahead of others, and the officers a bit ahead of all of them. Weird thing is, when it seems an attack is eminent, the officers all run back and get in place where they should be!!!

I'll keep experimenting.

**the lightning legion** · February 26, 2014, 11:52 AM

I think it was in 2.1 aswell but I never minded it officers should lead by example anyway

**MacBlain** · February 26, 2014, 02:49 PM

I'm pretty certain it's an animation problem.

"fs_o_f_spearman" is broken or has some faulty animations, I'm not sure which. Replace it with "fs_s1_hoplite" for a quick fix. They'll hold their spears wrong, though.

I can't find deviations in their walking animations, but basically they are acting as if the soldiers aren't going quite where the unit formation expects them to be, which causes a disjunction between the destination displayed in the yellow arrows and the actual stopping place of the men. If you create a forward walking animation that is slightly diagonal, for example, this will happen.

I've tried repairing it, but I can't seem to hunt down all the culprits. Or perhaps it's some mystery hidden in the nebula of the skeleton data, in which case who knows?

**High Fist** · February 26, 2014, 07:47 PM

Yes, when they brace for attack everyone runs into their correct places. Same when you put them into loose and back into tight formation. Sometimes units are "out of shape" anyway, so going from loose to tight lines them up properly; might be something since vanilla but IDK.

Appreciate you and anyone else looking into it. Makes life a lot easier for us less knowledgeable/more lazy.