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Formations

"Get behind my shield Azumgi!"

This is Battle overhaul to make melee units more relevant and range units to fulfill their support or specialized roles while keeping the vanila game feel.

All "line infantry" style units with shields, spears and halberts got eather shieldwall, spearwall or phalanx formation.
Bestial and monstrous units excluded.
Dwaf- special formations unlocked by tech tree (testudo formations) renamed from shieldwall to shieldscreen.

Swift attacks are better with formation off. When you attack with formations on units will charge out and breake the formations.

Be avare of enemy artilery and magic as it is more potent to close formations.
Missile units have to attack from flanks and rear to harm close formations (apart from phalanx)

AI usage is on. However...The AI use them mainly in melee fights but does not triggers them every time. Thats Game Developer problem, I tired every single possible setting with AI usage.

Animations changes: No more spinny, jumpy animations that cataplut soldiers into enemy ranks where they die. They fight in ranks and use atack animation on place or with one step out and back.

Why did you created this mod?
-because I like the backbone of my armies build by regular units to make it more lorefriendly. I use hight tier special units as elite support or special task force. The current META in the game is sadly to spam high tier units which makes battles extreemly boring for me personaly (the doom stacks). Formations give you room and time to maneuver or make shieldet units actualy work against missiles.However! If you just keep you soldiers in front on attack agains better units long enough, you will loose!


Recomended Mods for more immersion(the ones that I run this with), they are all compatible together and with my mod as well:
1. Shorter weapon trails
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2857602959

2. Resized lords and heroes
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2789865816

3. Distinct faction towers
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2978043725

4.Better Camera
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2789858755

5.Better Sound Levels Mod v7.3
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2963986848

6.Thundering Cannons (Appropriate firing sounds for Dwarf, Empire, and Vampire Coast cannons)
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2868333328


Alternative Versions of the Mod:

-Formations for Norsca and Chaos removed:
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3561046436

-Without any Stats-Buffs:
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3561037370

-Formations for Norsca and Chaos removed and Without any Stats-Buffs: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3561047985

-Animations only no formations:
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3561229824

-Version without the new Animations (this should theoreticaly work with other animations mods):
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3561979869


More advanced Info about animations changes:

I wanted to keep the new animations name as original so the game use them without edditing further files BUT!
Due to some weird data reading mechanics of the game, modded animations work only if renamed to something else as original animations data files. That means I had to add new named animations in DB as well. Aditional DB animations tables for new animations, culture use animations tables and that means edditing land_units_table so the units use them propperly, which sadly means not compatible with any other mods that edit those specific files. If someone knows how to do that, so the game reads mod animations files even if they have original names please let me know!!!! It would make such Animation mod much more flexible and more compatible with other mods.

Animation changes:

Chaos Halberds:
-They carry their polearm weapons upright like pikes instead of twohanded carry like greataxes. You can much easier recognise them on a battlefield as a polearm unit and it looks better, more manacing.
-spinning attack animation removed

Chaos warriors and marauders:
-editted ther combat_idle/ready animation and shields up animations standing and moving so they cover themselfs properly with shields from missile fire.
-removed spinning attack animation

Kislev Tzarsguard shielded:
-Use combat idle animation from armorred kossars with shields (they dont stand in open stance when attacked the put their shields in front of them),
- removed jumping animations

Armorred Kossars, shields: removed jumping attack animations

Empire spearmen(pikes):
-removed underhand slashing animation that halbers use and replaced it with dobble jab animation from cathay peasants animation

Empire spearmen, shields and swords with shields (these are used by bretonia as well):
-removed jumping and spinning animations
-imported to their skeletons animations from kislev shiedled units for more attack wariations (overhand stab, overshield slash, short shieldbash, and chestleveled slash)
-corrected shield possition while shielding them from missiles

Dwarfs:
-removed all attack animation that made dwarfs jump into enemy lines and make them die faster
-mashed together standing animation with single axe swipe animation to make the dwarves fight in a single line without breakign the formation
-added new combat ready animations so they presend their shields towards the enemy when braced, in original they just stand there like they are waiting for a buss....
-corrected shield possition whil covering them from missiles


Main inspiration for this mod were 2 mods: "Proper Combat mod" and "Formations 3"

I used the art and some scripts from Formations 3 mod. Huge Thanks to its authors without them, I would not be able to create this as i learned a lot while studying hos mod.


List Of Mods That I used to create this or got Inspired by:
1. Propper combat Mod
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2790056353

2. Formations 3
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2822827945

3. Every Chaos Warrior, Marrauder and Longbeards wears a helmet
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2853592240

4. No more Yeeted Units
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2808726207

Huge thanks to The autors!!!

For Other Modders: Feel free to use any of this in your work :)


FAQ:

1. Is the mod save-compatible?
-Yes, at least vanila save safe. Probbably with many other mods as well as long as they don't add new stuff that would be missing when you load that savefile.

2.Does AI use the formations as well?
-Yes. It is not perfect but it use them in melee combat now and then.

3. Could you bind all formations for all nations to skill tree like vanila dwarfs have theis vanila shieldwall(testudo) formation?
-Sadly no. I don't know how to do it.

4. Submod for my favourite mod that adds aditional units?
-No as well. I would love to, but I don't have time for that. Its extreemly time consuming. Its not hard just time consuming. So maybe its time for you to shine and create it for the rest out there. They would love it :) all you need is Rusted Pack File Manager made by Frodo: https://github.com/Frodo45127/rpfm/releases, if you plan on edditing animations as well which is absolute black hole sucking your entire lifetime you need Asset Edditor https://github.com/donkeyProgramming/TheAssetEditor/releases, and its lot of work!

5. Is it Multiplayer compatible?
-honestly I don't know as I don't play MP. Theoreticaly if your oponent has it installed it should work. But I am not sure. Try it! Let us know.