wish for a new command: hold
 

i'd really like to see the ability to just issue a "hold" command, where your troops would sit right where they are and not move at all, unless they rout. Currently the only way to do it is set them to guard commander which means 1 you have to have a commander sitting in the middle of the troops, and 2 they mill about. It also means that with 1 commander generaling the entire army you can't set up multiple spots for your army to hold at. It seems kind of strange that you can issue a command that both has the hold order as part of it, and then makes it more complicated (hold and attack) but you cant just have your troops hold.

it gets kind of annoying for me sometimes when i can issue all these more complicated orders to my troops, but the one thing i really want them to do, and the easiest thing to do (stay put and do nothing) they cannot do.

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

Supposedly, this was brought about because of the possibility of having two armies face off that just sit there and make nasty faces at each other, which does not make for a very interesting battle to watch. Or so goes Illwinter's justification.

Personally, I think this is a lame excuse, and if I ever run into the person who actually came up with it, I will pummel him to within an inch of his life. I mean, seriously: Who says you actually have to *WATCH* this? It's not like anyone's FORCING you to watch boring battles, or that battles don't have a terminating auto-rout condition in 50 rounds anyway if the attacker elects to simply sit there instead of attacking.

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

Yep, a well discussed topic and I cant recall that a lot of people disagreed with that expect for Illwinter...
...maybe it could be abused by stopping a marching army or something like that. Dont know.

[ July 05, 2004, 22:45: Message edited by: Chazar ]

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

The way I see it, the worst that can happen is that two sides face off on the battlefield and spend 50 rounds lobbing spells with barely concious mages, until the attacker decides to go home. Considering that mechanisms already exist to prevent endless battles(which unfortunately also stop battles that ARE in progress, but simply have killing rates), I don't see any particularly logical reason why units shouldn't be allowed to simply stand there if they so choose.

I stand by my decision that the person who thought of this design idea deserves to be pummelled within an inch of his life.

[ July 05, 2004, 23:29: Message edited by: Norfleet ]

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

heh Dominions from the grunts eye view must be alot like a really really bad acid trip. At least it would be if you could make them stay put like that. Sitting there feeling the effects of various spells that wash over the entire army (relief, etc) while armies of skeletons, elementals, phantasms, and fake horrors battle in the middle and various multicolored sprays of death fly over the top of the battlefield. Suddenly you turn to your buddy and discover his heart has crystallized inside of his chest and burst out of his armor. Horrified you look the other direction just in time to see somebody else catch a drain life and wither into a skeletal husk of leather. And thats all before the SC's finish powering up.

man it would suck to be militia.

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

If you zoom way in on a combat, and lower the camera view to "eye level" with the units, alot of things become clearer. Many of the arguments about what units should or shouldnt do becomes much less "obviously logical" from that viewpoint.

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That still doesn't adequately explain why units can't be ordered to stand there, an order they attempt to carry out as long as their morale holds out, after which they head for the hills like everyone else.

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

Because if troops were perfectly controllable like that Harold might have won at Hastings?

Re: wish for a new command: hold
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">They are asking for a Hold command, not asking for the soldiers to hold beyond Morale levels.

If Illwinter insist on having some randomsness, they could even make a check for the units, that gives a slight chance that the units decide to take action into their own hands and charge the enemy. Maybe have units with high attck vs. defense levels be more aggressive i.e. harder to keep on hold orders.

I think a hold order would be a vey good addition. I would also like to see reactive orders, but they may be harder to implement.

What about the following orders:
Counterattack Cavalry
Counterattack Fliers
Counterattack Commander

I would also like to see a recall units order for a commander. This would make all his remaining units come to him and go to Guard commander.

Dom2 is a great game, and could be even greater with more tactical possibilities. I like that the units don't always do what I want them to, but I would like the possibility to make a more detailed battle plan.