BattleMaster > Development

Collaborative vs Individual Effects

<< < (2/7) > >>

Anaris:

--- Quote from: Tom on November 04, 2011, 12:52:13 PM ---The problem I see with this is that you would force people to be dug in that may not want that.

Digging in not only gives a defensive bonus, it also affects unit movement. Dug in units wait longer until they advance, for example.

--- End quote ---

This is part of the problem, Tom.  If you have half your infantry dug in, and the other half not, they will not advance together, and your army can face defeat in detail, when otherwise it might have been able to win.

Tom:
It can also be an advantage if that is exactly what you wanted to do.

Revan:

--- Quote from: Bedwyr on November 04, 2011, 05:24:33 AM ---It was sparked by digging in.  Used to be used all the time in the days when people could count on high cohesion on a single turn.  Nowadays, I never see it used unless you have at least a day to do it, because you split your melee line otherwise.  Cavalry never does, because you want them to charge.

--- End quote ---

The beginning of your argument is where it falls down. If in the midsts of time when there were even more players to juggle, digging in was a viable method of war, why not now? Though saying that, when was this mythical golden age for successful use of digging in? One of my worst defeats as General of ASI came in August 2006. We were sat in Wynford with Falasan and half our forces had not bothered digging in, allowing Abington a great victory against the odds.

If digging in isn't a regularly used option of warfare these days, it's because the ways of war have changed and the circumstances of its ideal use changed along with it. That or us old folk have too many bad memories and dismiss it's use out of hand, probably quite foolishly. With the reduced numbers of nobles nowadays it would likely be easier to see dig in orders followed en masse than when we were all sat around waiting for battles that would see in excess of 100 nobles present.

Either way, I'm opposed to the idea of single noble being able to click 'Dig in' and then ensuring every single one of the rest of us is behind some kind of fortification. That doesn't change any of the problems to me. You're still going to see war efforts potentially sabotaged by the action/inaction of a handful of nobles. I say leave it as it is. Just because it's there doesn't mean we have to use it and likewise, if we do use it, better prepare ourselves for the chance it could backfire.

Anaris:

--- Quote from: Tom on November 04, 2011, 01:50:35 PM ---It can also be an advantage if that is exactly what you wanted to do.

--- End quote ---

Most of the time, it's not.  Blobbing up your units, like it or not, is still the most effective method of winning.

Indirik:

--- Quote from: Bedwyr on November 04, 2011, 05:24:33 AM ---Which got me to thinking about different aspects of the game that are similar.  Like line settings.  There's been a lot of arguments about formations and such, organization coming and going...But what if that worked the same way?  Your whole army fights better the more people you have on the right settings, but we stop penalizing people who forget to check, and just have them fight alongside everyone else rather than charging out front like an idiot, or staying behind.
--- End quote ---
As far as line settings, what you're describing already exist: Marshal formations. So long as there is a marshal with the army, and he has a formation set, then everyone lines up nice and pretty. They don't even have to do anything. The marshal takes care of it.

Yes, some of the marshal settings are not good, but they do what you want. Maybe we can even add an advanced formation that includes digging in. Not sure how that would work due to the hours cost for individual units. I guess all you would really need is a formation where the defenders stay in place, unmoving, for 4 rounds, then charge. Call it "Hold the Line" or something. Then whether the defenders are dug in or not, it doesn't matter, because the lines won't get split.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page