by tonto_real, tonto_zorro and irish_stag
Preface by tonto_real, Lead Designer—Level 1, 0 A.D. (7/31/2003)
One of our design objectives for 0 A.D. is to make the use of formations in the game more useful than has generally been the case in other games of similar type in the RTS genre.
Toward that end I want to share with you the following article as it has served as inspiration for achieving that result. tonto_zorro and I were both avid AoK/AoC fans, though both of us were inveterate Singleplayers ( I still DO play that game now and then). Being of an age that was only a few months apart and both “old soldiers”, we used to feed off of each others’ “strategic” and “tactical” ideas for playing the game, and this article is an example that was consequent to ‘work’ I was doing with formations by playing and recording games that demonstrated how they could be used to benefit, at least in the playing of a Singleplayer game. LOL, we used the heck out of formations and had fun doing so. I say used to, past tense, because he is now deceased, but I doubt that he’d mind at all that I share his words with you.
Formations, though available, have never been much used in AoK/AoC by Multiplayers online for two reasons; one the games were typically so “fast” that time would be lost in making them up then keeping them “staffed”, and two, that doing so really didn’t bring a real boost to the player for doing that. So, duh, huh? No bennies perceived is no bennies. In 0 A.D, it is our goal that if you go to the” trouble” of placing your units into the formations that we want to make available in the game, you will be amply rewarded in both attack and defense for having done so. *BIGSMILE* Without further ado, enjoy!
By tonto_zorro 10/19/2000
Images by irish_stag
1. Why?
Down through history and in AOK, getting a gaggle of troops to the right place and in the right formation has been a problem. AOK provides the "line" and the "box." These roughly correspond to the column/line of battle and to the phalanx. A formation not included in AOK but which a player can employ via groups is the legion formation. That might very roughly correspond to the "staggered" AOK formation.
A huge military problem has always been to maintain formation integrity in the face of an enemy threat, in rough and broken terrain, or both. Some formations are good for battle but poor for travel and vice versa. The same basics apply to AOK.
2. The Column...
The column is the best way to move troops, especially in rough terrain. Alas, it's a poor way to go into battle. The troops at the rear have no way of supporting the troops at the front except to dissolve into an unmanaged, undisciplined gaggle. (This is what happens in battle when an enemy attacks a flank and "rolls up the line." it also happens in AOK when the player doesn't maintain close control of his groups.)
You've all seen it in AOK when a group assigned "line" is traveling. The basic column looks something like...
(Excuse the periods. That's the only way to sorta line thangs up.)
There's not a lot one do with a column except travel. It's a poor formation for battle. A variation is the column in echelon (might be a right or a left echelon)...
or in a "V" or wedge formation...
However, the wedge is really a variation upon the phalanx or box formation.
Turning a column into a line of battle or a phalanx is a ponderous operation requiring close command and control. Just think of what those ancient commanders had to go through to reform a traveling column of maybe 50,000 troops into a battle formation! No wonder it sometimes took a week for two armies to finally get lined up opposite each other. The side that could maneuver into the battle formation the quickest usually won.
A column becomes a line of battle if the enemy just happens to be perpendicular to the column's direction of march. The troops just turn in place to face the enemy. Otherwise, one must convert a column into a line of battle. (Or some of other desired formation.)
For example, a column might perform a left or right turn...
The other method is the wheel where the column ponderously swings left or right around the front rank to face in a new direction. (I'm not gonna even try to illustrate that. Use yor imagination.)
3. Line of Battle
The line of battle is essentially the column facing a perpendicular direction. It is a pretty good battle formation but a poor formation for cross country travel. Hence all the efforts down through history to make military maneuvers more efficient.
The battle line looks sort of like...
A typical variation has multiple ranks like....
There are other variations upon the line of battle. For example, a flank might be "refused"...
Uh huh. Looks kinda like a column in echelon. There's not many new thangs under the sun.
Of course, both flanks might be refused...
Uh huh. That's startin' to look like a wedge. A variation is the "advanced" center, kinda like a wedge again...
Now that has been a rather effective formation in certain battles. The idea is that the elite troops in the advanced center will slowly retreat into a refused center formation and the arms (flanks) of the formation will enclose the enemy in a double envelopment (actually a triple envelopment counting the center) and roll up their line.
Historically, it's a risky maneuver. As the center retreats, it becomes stronger as it approaches the line of battle formation. As the center retreats behind the flanking units, it becomes weaker. The timing has to be just right to unleash the flanks and center troops.
Another variation upon the battle line is the refused center...
The refused center has been used when the "center troops" were weak or undisciplined. The idea is pretty much the same as for the advanced center retreating, lure the enemy into attacking the weak center and then roll up both his flanks. The only real difference is the advanced center usually employs elite troops and the refused center usually employs weak troops. Both formations are intended to lure the enemy into a trap.
4. The Phalanx
The phalanx has been the basic, if not the best, tactical infantry formation ever since the first tribal feud back in pre-history. The phalanx concept covers all from an undisciplined gaggle to a disciplined, ponderous, irresistible force.
The phalanx is a variation upon the line of battle. The difference is that the phalanx is more square or boxy with more ranks of depth. Like the line of battle, the phalanx is a poor formation for cross country travel or battle in rough terrain. But in smooth, level terrain a disciplined phalanx can be unbeatable. There have been times when two armies tacitly cooperated in leveling and smoothing a proposed battlefield so their opposing phalanxes would have good terrain!
The phalanx looks something like...
but it might be more rectangular or more square.
Two phalanxes composed of decent and disciplined troops meeting in battle were kind of like the immovable object meeting the irresistible force. Just imagine a "box" of hyped up troops yelling and screaming in a good formation bristling with pikes and spears charging towards you. Yep...don' wanna be there on that receiving end. Alexander the Great conquered the known world using the Greek phalanx. (However the real secret of his success was his masterful use of his Companions heavy cavalry in coordination and exquisite timing with the phalanx.)
Alas, in history most phalanxes were not composed of decent and disciplined troops. The phalanx has been the easy way for the stupid, lazy or ignorant commander--back to the ancient tribal mob. But it has it's uses, especially in defense.
As noted above, a player can employ a phalanx-type formation in AOK by assigning a group the "box formation."
5. The Legion
The Romans invented the concept of the legion. It has many of the benefits of both the line and phalanx with only a few of the drawbacks. The Romans ruled the known world for centuries employing the legion formation. Alas, they didn't pay enough attention to a balancing cavalry force. But...
The Legion formation looks something like...
(I hope that comes out sorta lined up.) Each letter above stands for a "maniple." (That's like a group in AOK.) The "H" is for the "Hastati." They were the young and semi-green troops at age 25 to 30. The "P" is for the "Principes" who were the older, seasoned, and best warriors. The "T" is for the "Triari" who were the old f***s fighting in their last campaign but maybe the most fierce and formidable of all. The "v" is for the young wannabes, age 17-25, called Velites.
Each H and P maniple represents a group of 120 troops with a front of 60 feet and a depth of 45 feet. The lateral space between H and P maniples is 60 feet--the same as a maniple's front. The H and P maniples were armed with the pilum and gladius and buckler, that's a javelin and short sword and shield.
The T guys units were 60 troops strong. They were armed with pikes. The adolescent Velites were in groups numbering 120 strong. The Velites were armed with slings, darts or other missile weapons. A twosome of Triari and Velites formed the third rank maniple. From front to rear, the Hastati, Principe, and Triari/Velite groups troops made up a Roman "battalion" called a "cohort" of 420 troops plus commanders. Ten cohorts made up the basic infantry grouping of a legion.
But I'm straying away from the subject into details...
One might look at my poor representation of the basic legion formation, above, and say, "Huh? Looks like a phalanx or box." But there's all the difference. Note that the spacing between the front line Hastati groups exactly equals the front of both Hastati and second line Principe groups. The commander had the option of bringing up the P guys into the gaps between the H guys to form a solid phalanx-like line to exploit a going victory. If the front line H guys were in trouble, he could retreat them back into the gaps in the P line, again forming a solid phalanx-type front.
The legion has been compared to a fist--open the fist and you have the fingers that move through rough terrain and maintain formation integrity. Close the fist and you have a phalanx.
In practice, battles were opened by the adolescent Velites who acted as light infantry or skirmishers moving fast and shooting fast. (Ancient Age Duke Nukems.) They were lightly armored and depended on speed for protection. Slings and darts are not to be put down. The kids would often open gaping holes in the enemy ranks.
As they tired or the enemy charged, the Velites would retreat back through the gaps in the legion lines to the third rank. There they would add their missile support to the efforts of the Hastati in the front rank.
The H guys, either charging or in defense, would first hurl their javelins which at 20 feet or less could penetrate the toughest armor of the time. A maniple's-worth of 120 javs might equal 60 or so enemies out of the fight. The maniple's locked shields formed an almost impenetrable barrier. (The shields could be raised or lowered to match arrows from above or spears or swords below.)
Pikes and spears were no problem for the legion guys. Confronted with a wall of bristling pikes, the Legionnaire would dive under the points and strike up with his handy short sword.
Both the Velites and the ol' f*** Triaris acted as the reserve for the legion. Many a battle was saved by the ol' f***s yelling and charging with those bristling pikes in a cohesive formation.
In AOK it's not easy to use some semblance of the fabulous Roman Legion formation. The secret is groups. The player cannot operate on as grand a scale as a Legion, but forming units into properly sized "maniples" can pay off. An AOK group closely controlled in coordination with neighboring groups is some thang fierce!
So there you have the basics of formations and maneuvers. Happy hunting. |
