MeleeMod for the Infantry Square Formation

[RebBugler]

Here's a quote from the top regarding the Melee Mod function in the Drills.csv file when I asked what numbers are allowed for this to function properly: "...this is a number from 1-1000. This increases the chance of a melee kill."

Gunship quoted in another thread that this was not working. I haven't gotten around to testing it yet with this newly learned criteria but am putting it out for testing, because, I'm not sure it's results are what is necessary to make this formation viable and historically akin to it's defensive value against cavalry charges. So, better left to the Nap purists...test away. Of course, having opened this up, please let us know as soon as possible if it does not appear to work, maybe we can get it fixed for the patch...and post saves so it can be submitted immediately.

Thanks in advance for testing...

[RebBugler]

OK, did some testing on this and it works BIG TIME, but not as we had supposed. First I gave the MeleeMod infantry square 999 points, ran it, and the infantry square was practically destroyed by a small cavalry regiment. I said WTF, and went to watch the game, go SEC.

Then, I thought hmmmmm after a while of watching Alabama kick butt, something's amiss with those numbers, in fact, totally opposite of the result I was looking for. So, totally opposite must mean, DUH, negative numbers. Later I tested again with a -999, and TADAA, infantry square kicked cavalry butt, with practically no losses, I charged several cavalry units at them.

So, Nap gurus, find your formula to make the infantry square work historically using minus numbers up to -1000 (invincible) in the MeleeMod column.

One other thing, I made column H a 1, hold form, also with my testing, so this might be necessary for effectiveness.

[Grog]

Thank you Reb, excellent news

Hopefully, I will get chance to test this out tomorrow with the Nap mod.

How did you manage to test this. Was it MP? In SP I would think the AI side would need to be high in cav and the human player take the inf role??

I will also try to put together an OOB with one side cav (of different types) and one side inf for SP testing, unless you or anyone else knows a way around this?

[Garnier]

I wonder if firemod works the same way, will have to try it.

Still these might not be useful except for squares, because of the combination of unmoddable instant formation changes, and unmoddable autocharge.

Really good to find this out, thanks Reb.

[RebBugler]

Thank you Reb, excellent news

Hopefully, I will get chance to test this out tomorrow with the Nap mod.

How did you manage to test this. Was it MP? In SP I would think the AI side would need to be high in cav and the human player take the inf role??

I will also try to put together an OOB with one side cav (of different types) and one side inf for SP testing, unless you or anyone else knows a way around this?

To test this turn on AlphaOmega=1 in your SOWGB.ini file...thus controlling both sides.

If you don't have it, copy this to your ini file:

[Debug]
RakLog=0
DbgLvl=1
;NoAI=1
DrawTiles=0
;AlphaOmega=1
BenchMark=0
MPLog=1
;AutoGameDB=1

Many useful things here for testing...I use semi colons for turning functions off and on.

[RebBugler]

I wonder if firemod works the same way, will have to try it.

Still these might not be useful except for squares, because of the combination of unmoddable instant formation changes, and unmoddable autocharge.

Really good to find this out, thanks Reb.

Not sure where firemod would help Nap play, but have at it.

Yeah, this find will probably only help the Inf Square, and, with Nap MP play because the AI can't distinguish what is charging them, cavalry or infantry.

Another thing you might want to test with this is the column formation. This might put a halt to column charges, at least against infantry. I'll be looking into this aspect also, might put an end to those nagging column charge squeaks coming from the MP crowd. This would be a safe fix for SP play since the AI NEVER column charges.

[Garnier]

You're behind the times sir, column charge isn't and hasn't been a problem in MP for at least six months.

Although this would not fix column charge in the stock game anyway because formation changes are instant. Happily there is a better way for mods to solve it.

[Jack ONeill]

RB,

Brilliant! Have integrated this into a test game. VERY nice. The AI however is screwed since it won't form square. The other side of the coin now is to make line formations much more vulnerable to Cavalry attack (within the Nap Mod, of course), there by forcing the Human player, (at least), to form square to resist charging Horse units. I use square formation anyway, because it looks right for the period and is how it was done back then, but it would be great to HAVE to.

Jack B)

[RebBugler]

RB,

Brilliant! Have integrated this into a test game. VERY nice. The AI however is screwed since it won't form square.

Yeah, definite advantage player over AI with SP play. However, for MP play...Wunderbar! ...except for CoOp play...advantage players.

The other side of the coin now is to make line formations much more vulnerable to Cavalry attack (within the Nap Mod, of course), there by forcing the Human player, (at least), to form square to resist charging Horse units. I use square formation anyway, because it looks right for the period and is how it was done back then, but it would be great to HAVE to.

Jack B)

I suggest leaving the infantry lines alone. From my testing those little cavalry units already KICK BUTT BIG TIME, so, just finding the right number for the Infantry Square should do the trick, I suggest starting your testing number midway at -500.

[gunship24]

Wow great find Reb, thats great news, no wonder I couldnt get it working! Im going to have to do some testing here. I wanted to use those modifiers to change the melee and fire modifiers Square, attack column and skirmish. To resist cavalry only a little change would be required i think, perhaps -200 not sure for small cav units. Im not sure increasing the melee modifier only will work due to the square then becomeing a better defensive formation then attack column. In addition in my testing Keepform had little difference in the square formation, this only prevents it forming to line to fight. Instead i set both CantMove and CantCharge to 1. Testing time!