[Discuss] Feature request (troops and the elite)

[psymann]

Rob McDonald wrote:
> 
> Some more power in battle has to be given to 
> the casual gamers and lowly knights. At the moment you are given line 
> settings and orders, and simply turn up. It would be a lot more 
> entertaining for the people without lordships or government positions if 
> they had a bit more say in their units

Yes.  I would be very happy to see a few more options available to my 
lowly knights.

There is no way for me as a skilled player to pass on some of my skills 
to my characters.  I can pass on my ability to read and obey orders, but 
any tactic skill I can use in other games, I can't use here.  The 
tactics are all high-level, worked out by the realm leaders.  In other 
games I have played, the main diplomacy and goals may be worked out by 
leaders, but each player makes his own day-to-day decisions in battle.




Here's an idea... sorry it's long, but I wanted to explain it fully.
--------------

Currently, battles take one turn change to play out.  I walk in with my 
unit set as ordered, and then I get a report telling me what they did 
during the five rounds of battle before they won or were sent squealing 
from the battlefield.

*A battle could last for more than one turn.*  What if battles took as 
many days as they currently take rounds?  A battle might last five days 
instead of five hours.  I don't know the history of medaeval battles, 
but those I've been reading about in the 1800s could go on for days overall.

Because you're busy fighting: *if you're in battle, you can neither send 
nor receive messages*, but get them all when the battle is over, a bit 
like being wounded.  An exception would be for the marshals of armies, 
who would be able to message, but only up to ten troop leaders per turn. 
  After all, it's the middle of a battle, you can't get messages to 
everyone!

*During the turn, there are opportunities for each troop leader* to
- walk to the enemy
- run to the enemy
- retreat back a line
- rally
- change settings
- support another unit
- select the unit you wish to attack if you don't like the one you're 
preset to aim for
- even maybe setting my unit to stop other units retreating and sending 
them back to fight!  Maybe that's a step too far ;-)
- etc
- and one general one to just do something generic (for people who can't 
log in that turn).

Depending on various stats, these could have differing effects.  Walking 
towards the enemy could cause uncohesive men to become fearful and flee 
badly.  Running could make untrained men too tired.  Rallying could be 
done in the middle of the battle to bring your troops back into the 
battle reformed further back.  Seeing a load of cavalry remaining on the 
battlefield, you could change from line to box settings.  You might 
retreat from archers to let stronger units take them on and save 
yourself from their arrows.  Two small units might work better together 
supporting each other; a big unit might need to take on two or three 
enemy units in order to be fully utilised.  You might have a choice of 
attacking a close-by unit that you can do little damage to, or a 
far-away unit that you could do more damage to but would take longer to 
get to.  Anyway, you get the idea.  Options based on your troop stats.

These are mostly based on things that already exist, in that the 
different effects are based on cohesion, training, numbers etc.

----

This would allow the following in battle:
- *Overall control*: some basic success based on your line and 
aggression settings when you enter battle, and any other settings that 
can be made by the marshals.
- *Individual control*: other success based on your individual actions 
in the heat of battle.  With no-one to guide you (messages off), your 
decisions are important.  You can retreat to the back of the land, hope 
no-one notices you skiving, and get honour and prestige for doing 
nothing ... and gain a reputation as a coward from your comrades who may 
then levy fines on you.  You can carefully arrange your troops in the 
best order for each wave of the attack and make a name for yourself. 
You can support the king's beaten troops and save his life, or head as a 
line into a formation of cavalry and lose twenty good men in twenty 
seconds through incompetance.  You can be the troop leader who always 
runs head-on into the enemy regardless of the danger.

I think this would make battles far more interesting for the common 
noble troop leader.  I want to do some leading of my troops!

psymann