Re: The Art of Placement
 

Nice map there vfb.

Foodstamp, we're not playing American Football. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: The Art of Placement
 

That looks like a Hook and Go pattern. How exactly do I script that?

Re: The Art of Placement
 

Thanks, but I'm not sure it's 100% accurate. PvK thinks the zones are incorrect. I created one army with 4 commanders in the corners to determine the standard starting area, and then a 4000 unit army to see what happened in that case. From there I just counted the grids on the battle map.

Re: The Art of Placement
 

The grid is more like 58 wide by 28 deep. If the default placement spots are both filled to 4x4, then there are 26 squares between them. I think if you place a commander on the back edge, he starts out in the very rearmost square, or close to it.

Re: The Art of Placement
 

I've got 26 squares in the neutral zone, that's the yellow/black striped area.

I've got the 'startable' areas as 28 by 28, growing to 38 by 54. Should the max be 38 by 58 instead?

I know what you're talking about in respect to starting at the back edge. It seems commanders there don't have to run 10 full squares as I have it, when they retreat. But I have seen enemy flyers surround a commander on the back edge. I'll have to test it again.

Re: The Art of Placement
 

And of course it's possible to move off the edge of the grid, e.g. when being trampled, and then the tramplers pursue off the grid too.

-Max

Re: The Art of Placement
 

If having two bodyguards is effective, why not ten? Ten of your cheapest brand of troop, since the idea is to soak up ranged attacks, not to fight. Most mages, I daresay, cost more than ten chaff troops.

-- Mal

Re: The Art of Placement
 

The idea is to fill up the square of the commander being guarded. Two bodyguards will do that just as well as ten.

Re: The Art of Placement
 

The battlefield grid actually grows depending on the size of the attacking and defending army.

Re: The Art of Placement
 

One thing I have noticed and haven't seen mentioned is that single unit spells (paralyze, soul slay, eg)seem to preferentially target by size, ie, the size 5 and 6 creatures are targeted first, regardless of placement on the battlefield. They don't seem to pick out commanders per se, just the largest units on the field.

Because of repeated losses I stopped using SC pretenders against anything but indies. I also try to change spell scripts from single unit spells to AOE spells if scouting reports do not indicate large commanders or troops. No pleasure like soul slaying a slinger (say that fast 3 times).