Originally Posted by
Paerisades
No, unfortunately it's impossible to implement. Despite common believe, roman army was on a same scale in terms of moral and discipline with other Hellenistic armies.
The "Trip Apex" was needed to get to the battle site and don't brake a front line along the way. It was a big problem, for example for Greek and Macedonian phalanx, especially on the uneven terrains.
Each maniple consisted of two centuriae, one standing after another therefore between maniples were gaps equal to one centuria. Once army had to form a frontline a second centuria of every moved right and forward i.e. filed existed gaps between maniples and in such way formed a front line usually 4-6 soldiers depth. As far as we know that it were at least two active lines of maniples (hastati and principes) it gives enough depth of 8-12 soldiers.
If we would accept your idea that maniples engaged into fight not as a front line but with gaps it would mean that flanks of every maniple had to suffer a double pressure and in the end could flee. Inevitably, at certain point principes would have to help to suffering hastati and fell the gaps and we would end up with the front line.))) Because if hastati would retreat through the gaps between the maniples of principes and they in turn would engage into battle in the same manner it would mean that they would have the same problem as hastati and likely loose.