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Indeed, with differentiation I do not mean enforcing specialization; hard bonus attacks are ugly and ought to be avoided. With differentiation and more unit types I simply mean units with different values; e.g. Rome ought to be able to train both hastati and principes, the latter of which has higher resistance and metal costs (chain mail), but is otherwise identical; likewise, Macedon ought to have Macedonian (lancers), Thessalian (spearmen), Paeonian (javelineers with shields), and Odrysian (javelineers without shields) cavalry; they all have different statistics, yet perform the same function. Currently all soldiers have the same costs and training time (infantry 50 food, 50 other resources, 10 seconds; cavalry 100 food, 50 other resources, 15 seconds), despite very high differences in damage per second: javelineers 12.8, swordsmen 7.3, spearmen 5.5, pikemen only 2. Add to that a 20% cost and time reduction of Celtic structures and it is no wonder people want to play Britons and not Macedonians. To facilitate a systematic approach it is important to start from a clean and consistent situation; that's what my patches have mostly focussed on. (Getting people to review, accept, and commit them is the hard part.) Another simple idea is keeping units trained at the civic centre of basic rank, while increasing those from the barracks to advanced rank. In my opinion Age of Empires II is a great example of what 0 A.D. shouldn't do. What would already be a great first step is if the formations already present in 0 A.D. would give minor bonuses; e.g. a square or line would increase resistance by one level, while a compact syntagma or testudo adds two levels, but reduces movement speed. Doubling the training time of ranged troops and twice the population for cavalry would already go a long way towards more realistic ratios.

"Battalion" is shorthand here for a group of units. We could have used the term "platoon" or "file" or something closer to an accurate number of men, but what they represent are essentially battalions within an army (the game's scale is representative, not simulation; authenticity, not accuracy). We're talking about something like 18 (cavalry)-24 (infantry) soldiers per "battalion" (not counting officers and bannermen) and perhaps max 30 such possible units per player (typically between 15-25). Call it 10 pop cost per battalion (1 large house), 1 pop cost per support/civilian unit. This has been achieved by other (much older) games, including the variation bit. In fact, I think because of 0 A.D.'s actor variation it's kind of imperative that they be grouped into battalions for visual verification reasons.

Recreated the 128x128 thureos texture in 256x256 size and created two new shield textures for the Thracians.

Indeed. If we want to depict what combat looked like, melee infantry should be about 70% of each player's force, 20% cavalry, 10% ranged infantry. The percentages fluctuate a from faction to faction, but those are generally accurate numbers (I'msure someone will correct me). The Macedonian player should be making hundreds of phalangites instead of whatever ranged unit is OP this alpha.

Just my 2 cents, unless something dramatically changes more differentiation won't bring much improvement to both gameplay and historicity, in my humble opinion. AoE2 has a wide variety of counters, well defined rocks-paper-scissor, and I feel it's kinda boring/spammy/mechanical. Focusing on mechanics, I wouldn't say an extreme change - maybe flanking, ranged recharge, trampling, melee focus could both make it more interesting from a tactical pov and historically. Lake trasimene, cannae, Alexanders numerous hammer and anvil with wedge cav formation all could be easily recreated (not that it should be the end-goal but would be awesome nonetheless).

Post the commands.txt file for the game in question as evidence. Enjoy the Choice

I played 1vs1 against fedesalas94 and when he was already losing he closed the game, that's not okay, so I wasted my time? help some moderator commands.txt

Just to let my opinion on the battalion idea be heard since I might have come off as a skeptic to it, I think that it is a great way of streamlining an otherwise micro-intensive genre and would fully support its use in the main game. Despite that fact, I think that having some of the aspects such as flanking could and should be represented even without that kind of feature. Since its beginning 0 A.D. has embraced the idea of proper tactics being in place instead of a mosh pit style of fighting represented in many RTS games, and I want to push towards that goal as best as possible... by just posting my opinions in the forums.

i had forgotten writing this.. very fascinating stuff past vinme. deep,wise and brave a thinker easily hundreds of years ahead of his time. 10/10 would read again