what would you suggest to improve pbem battles?

[Ichtarian]

I have been reading some of the debate on the current battle mode vs. more tactical battles, etc. I for one like this game as a pbem game but would like to see more "options" in terms of battle orders. I have read where many people seem to think the same way and make the comment that "some improvements could be made", etc. but then do not go into detail. So...this brings me to my question, what would you like to see in terms of additional options to the current pbem battle design? Remember...I am not talking about adding tactical battles; rather, I would like to discuss features that you think would add to the enjoyment of the pbem gaming design.

For example:

I would like to see
1. greater control on army formations prior to battle
2. more control on how long troops hold before attacking
3. more commander influence (good or bad) on troop moral
etc, etc.

[Twan]

1. I dislike to place a mage/priest far away behind my troops and see him finally be at half a pixel behind them, and killed by archers (what seem to happen often when you have just one squad + his commander). If real troop formations would be hard to add, making the space between squads really meaningful (absolute instead of relative) would be a good thing I think.

2. Agree, but I think this idea if introduced as a base rule (something you have to chose for each squad) would make unhappy players disliking MM. So I suggest it as an option in the settings (say, you can chose any numbers from 0 to 5 or 6 rounds before attack and perhaps have also an option allowing to chose the duration for each squad). I would also like as a setting the option to play with longer or shorter commander scripts (say from 0 to 8 orders). The option to have 0 as a possible setting would probably please the players disliking micro management or wanting fast battles.

3. Agree but not that important IMO, anyway I think the game would have more flavor with most national non mages commanders having a standard like effect, and non-national strange summoned / undead creatures giving maluses to the morale of mortals.

4. A new skirmishing order ("fire and stay out of melee" ; the unit move back if engaged in melee and not already in the bottom of the battlefield) giving a real use to units like light cavalry or fast non armored missile troops.

5. A new "move or cast a specific spell" order, making the mages advance if they aren't at range for the specific spell but stop when they are at range instead of attacking in melee.

[Ironhawk]

#1 would be nice, yeah. Even to the limited extent of a thick formation (like a square) or a think formation (like a long rectangle)

#2 I dont agree with. Whatever level of Hold you give players they will always want more, so that they can stay back longer than the other guy and fire thier arrows, etc. Two turns is as good as anything else and keeps battles going quickly so the replays dont take foverever.

#3 Better commander effects would be nice, yeah. I argued for something similar to this in the beta.

[Gandalf Parker]

You can set units to guard commander, then use the commanders options for more control on hold, hold, attack, etc etc

[Shovah32]

Its even better if the commander has a standard, boosting their morale.

[alexti]

I'd like to see separate tactical orders for various situations:
1) "scheduled" battle;
2) assasination;
3) magic attack;