(Too) Efficient formation setting?

[Atrik]

Under Options > Gameplay > Formation control, one can set orders to unit to not override current formation. With the current workings of formations, this can lead to a non-negligible efficiency gain for orders like gather, build, capture... This because units will waste far less time bumping into each others while in the same formation.

I'm posting this because I have for a long time, I not understood it was a setting when witnessing players using it, thinking it was marginal usage of a custom command where the game allowed you to define formation. Recently, much more players starting using it, so I started to try it too. I'm used to using formation at my advantage in fights, so I don't hate the current formation buffs. However for economy, it feels a bit... Weird... To be able to make gains using formations, that should be more like a battle thing.

I don't have a defined opinion or improvement ideas for this, but hoping opening a thread on it can gather interesting ones.

[OP Farms]

I've been using this option too for a while now, and honestly, the difference is quite noticeable, especially for tasks like gathering or building.

[AlexHerbert]

I heard that from weirdjokes too and I also use it

[Boudica]

I just recently discovered that option too. It's probably the easiest of the strong tricks to use. Maybe the option should only be available through a separate mod that people will install if they prefer a less APM-intensive gameplay. 

[Atrik]

27 minutes ago, Boudica said:

Maybe the option should only be available through a separate mod that people will install if they prefer a less APM-intensive gameplay. 

It's a bit more APM overall, you have to make sure formation is toggled only when desired. Which is what I don't really like, you want to get the efficiency gain from it, but you also have to go with the frustrations of having units in formations at random times .

[real_tabasco_sauce]

so basically there's less unit pushing when they are technically in a formation, so they spend less time bumping into each other when gathering.