Threadspotting: troop positioning and tactics

[Kobal2]

Over at the Something Awful forum, they usually have a few Dominions DARs going on at any given time, and there's usually some good strategery to be found for newbs and not-so-newbs.

This particular post (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3454638&pagenumber=23#post400702956) however seemed spectacularly useful enough to cross-post. Maybe even put up on the wiki by someone not quite as thoroughly lazy as I am.

[Shangrila00]

Hmm, there's that "morale check for attack rear" thing again. I guess nobody really knows how that works?

[Soyweiser]

Good idea, but! Ask for permission first. The goon might not like it if you lift the guide without asking. Anybody know the goon irc channel?

[Torgon]

http://wbe004.mibbit.com/?server=irc.synirc.net&channel=%23dom3goons&nick=dom3goon_%3F%3F%3F

[RonD]

This particular post however seemed spectacularly useful

True, but before you use the "have a squad in front set to guard a commander in the rear" trick in an MP game, you might want to ask the other players if they are OK with it.

[legowarrior]

My god, if you use archers in front as the squad....

[Torgon]

This particular post however seemed spectacularly useful

True, but before you use the "have a squad in front set to guard a commander in the rear" trick in an MP game, you might want to ask the other players if they are OK with it.

Is this considered an exploit? Seems like it could have negative implications as well if you were expecting it, but I may be wrong. Do people generally have a problem with this tactic?

[bbz]

This particular post however seemed spectacularly useful

True, but before you use the "have a squad in front set to guard a commander in the rear" trick in an MP game, you might want to ask the other players if they are OK with it.

Is this considered an exploit? Seems like it could have negative implications as well if you were expecting it, but I may be wrong. Do people generally have a problem with this tactic?

I dont see any problem with it or any difference between that and the arrow actchers, you can apply the same tactic with single commander/thug set to retreat. Its all a question of scripting your armies better than your opponents.(So yea + 1 why is it considered exploit if it is?)

[janthony]

I would think it would be an exploit because the battle engine should allow units to adjust their attack closest as the closest enemy changes. However, you constantly hear about battles where the first attack was routed and the defenders give chase, only to be wiped out by the reserves. So this could be considered an exploit, but wouldn't it be nice if troops with higher morale or more intelligence(?) were able to figure out which enemy was closest and adjust. Like if the unit's morale is over 10, then it can calculate, if not, it just chases and gets mown down. That would be interesting if that was possible.

[Kobal2]

Yeah, I don't see the exploit either. Mastering the battle AI and its quirks is, like, half the game.

I believe the attack (unspecified) order sics the closest unit at the start of the turn rather than locking on one unit forever (and same for fire (unspecified) making the archers shoot whatever's in range at the moment), but don't quote me on this.

My god, if you use archers in front as the squad....

Only really works with Firbolg nations (and LA Man), whose slingers/crossbowmen pack shields. Shieldless archers are bad at surviving arrow fire themselves, so your handful of archer decoys would just get murdered turn 1 and rout immediately, then the enemy archers would simply retarget. Might buy your own archers one turn of not getting shot to pieces I guess.

[curtadams]

I think it's an exploit because it's pretty ridiculous behavior. It only works because Illwinter hasn't had the time to work out a better targetting system. Illwinter has acted before to cut down on other exploits in the past; they care about having a passably realistic battle system.

[Soyweiser]

I never have heard anybody describe that as an exploit. It is an easy was to get your commanders killed. If your enemy uses this, just put a very large block of archers at the front line, set to shoot closest (With range 30 they can hit the enemies in the back). Even better if the shooters are strong like storm demons. I love enemies that make it easier for me to target commanders. :D

Usually we call things exploits here when you cannot do anything against it. Scout blocking movement, shooting commanders orders stealing, hidden pan fort blocking. But this an exploit, nope.

[bbz]

Yea and I can see at least one way of avoiding arrow catchers = there is a way to counter it = it isnt imbalanced.

You can retreat the commander that is commanding the and set the archers to guard that commander (this way they will pull back "guarding the commander" until the enemy bait units fall back and then your achers will bounce back and start firing at the closest army(which by now should be the main army))

And as Kobal2 said learning this tricks is the difference between a battle won and lost.

I also think that the creators of the game did quite a good job, they made a deep game with loads of small tricks and quirks, which reward the more experienced players and players who are willing to spend more time organising their armies, rather than putting newer players at the same level as experts.

[Kobal2]

I think it's an exploit because it's pretty ridiculous behavior.

You're using a fairly idiosyncratic definition of "exploit", then.