Fine tuning of brigade formation.

[luckymarine]

Still, in this day and age in the forces we do arms drill. This, although just looking pretty now was of paramount importance back in the day when you needed to be able to move, turn, halt and fire in ranks of 3, all together, as a unit.

How many times have you been utterly frustrated by trying to move a unit around, only for that unit to turn its back to the enemy, and then do some sort of spiral swirly nonsense to get itself back to facing the enemy all whilst exposing it's rear and flanks? I lost count.

I'd like to see some fine tuning options for individual brigades, separate buttons perhaps adjacent to the unit command bar with 10% turn left/right, you can click it any number of times you need to properly adjust a brigade in line without it having to reset itself entirely whilst under fire. Maybe have the buttons either side of the 'hold' button. 

I'd just like a little more control, I'd like my units to stop doing stupid things in front of the enemy and I know from experience it doesn't take too long to train a body of men to become fairly proficient in drill.

 

 

 

 

[The Soldier]

If you just want to rotate the brigade on the spot, then select the brigade, hold Shift, and you'll get a little indicator under the brigade that rotates with your mouse.  Let go when you've got the rotation to where you want it.

[luckymarine]

Ooh I'll give this a go, thanks for the info!

[Jacksons]

Open field drill was challenging in the real world since training was often company or regimental but in battle brigades and divisions had to occupy terrain and fight.

Early in the war combat units forming a fighting line often looked like cars trying to parallel park as officers backed and pushed their units into line. It turned out that maneuver depended on senior sergeants than officers.  Given an order like by the quick Step forward a noncom could actually execute a quarter right forward then use his sword to steer a unit like a boat right where it needed to be.  If the unit need to bend in the middle or occupy more or less space experienced ncos would dress the men.

[MarshalN]

On 7/21/2017 at 10:31 PM, The Soldier said:

If you just want to rotate the brigade on the spot, then select the brigade, hold Shift, and you'll get a little indicator under the brigade that rotates with your mouse.  Let go when you've got the rotation to where you want it.

I have 20+ hours in the game and I didn't know this exists

[Albert Sidney Johnston]

5 hours ago, MarshalN said:

I have 20+ hours in the game and I didn't know this exists

That's okay. I was halfway through my first legendary campaign before I realized it even existed

[The Soldier]

Reading the manual has it's perks.

[Sir Texas Sir]

On 7/28/2017 at 4:33 PM, The Soldier said:

Reading the manual has it's perks.

Real men don't read no Manuals.....goes to read his now...

 

[A. P. Hill]

On ‎7‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 10:31 AM, The Soldier said:

If you just want to rotate the brigade on the spot, then select the brigade, hold Shift, and you'll get a little indicator under the brigade that rotates with your mouse.  Let go when you've got the rotation to where you want it.

How is this different than holding the right mouse button and rotating the unit? 

[The Soldier]

I'll let you figure that one out.

[A. P. Hill]

Such a Pal!

[drhay53]

One tip, if you do the "click-drag" movement from the center of a unit along it's long axis, you can get a few steps of strafing movement before the unit starts to turn. i.e. if you want to slightly reposition the unit, click-drag from the center left or right, then when they get where you want them, shift-click them the direction you want them to face. This will override any movement command and voila, you shifted the unit left or right without exposing any flanks. 

This also works great for moving a unit backwards who is exposed in your lines. Wait until the enemy volleys, then fit fallback; right when they get where you want them, shift-click or hit spacebar and this will cancel the fallback.

 

That said, I still have had many times where units do some crazy swirly "WTH were you thinking" movement that ends with them routing from flanking and rear fire. Sometimes it's really hard to avoid. 

[The Soldier]

Fear not anymore.  Next update will have you all excited about some certain sideways movements.