Formations always face the same direction.

[bbmagill]

This has been happening for as long as I have played. Whenever I try to get any group of units into any formation, it always faces the same way (usually in a bad direction), and I can't figure out how to change this. This happens on all maps, on both single player and multiplayer, and with all factions.

[Itms]

Hello, this sounds a bit strange because we removed formations in the latest release, but maybe we're not thinking about the same thing when we say "formations".

Anyway, what version of the game do you run?

Thanks!

[Zeta1127]

Well, the unique formations, the phalanx, syntagma, and testudo, weren't disabled.

[auron2401]

They aren't functional though. At least not really.

Edit: Skirmish also sort of works, it makes your units spread out on first click, but if you click again they will all head for the exact same point and sort of.. circle jerk, as they do. Poor things, all want to sit on that rock.

Edited December 5, 2014 by auron2401

[sanderd17]

There's indeed a hard-coded angle when formations are created.

Formations were supposed to be created when you issue a command, it automatically creates a formation, and then the direction is known.

But since that's disabled, it takes the hard-coded angle as the only option. I don't know how the software can know what angle to prefer otherwise.

[agentx]

I really miss formations, every cavalry battle looks like Mongolian versus Mongolian regardless of involved factions.

Edited December 5, 2014 by agentx

[zzippy]

...., every cavalry battle looks like Mongolian versus Mongolian regardless of involved factions.

Better than cav flashing in lightspeed across the whole map when regrouping a formation

[greenknight32]

Mongols didn't really fight as a disorganized mass, it just looked that way to Europeans because their formations were totally fluid. They'd probably be tough to program...

[Lion.Kanzen]

Actually there is a patch by Scythetwirler to turn on turn off formations I'm testing it, don't need custom build.

Edited December 6, 2014 by Lion.Kanzen

[agentx]

Mongols didn't really fight as a disorganized mass, it just looked that way to Europeans because their formations were totally fluid. They'd probably be tough to program...

That's interesting, any links, background, keywords?

[greenknight32]

This page: http://silverhorde.viahistoria.com/research/tactics.html has a nice summary of the subject. You can find plenty more just by googling "mongol tactics".

I first learned about this by reading this book - "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan_and_the_Making_of_the_Modern_World. I highly recommend that for an alternative view of the Mongol Empire - though some have accused it of glossing over some of their more unsavory practices (Yes, they took slaves, who didn't in those days?).

Edited December 7, 2014 by greenknight32

[agentx]

Just learned I use Mongolian tactics a lot. Retreat and ambush backed by fortresses and towers.