What kind of formation system you want in PA?

I'm sure formations will be pretty important for a game like PA, so perhaps we need a poll?

1.pre-set formations:
The most common formation system in the RTS genre, no need to explain.

2.Spring like custom formations:
Hold the right mouse button to draw a line, then units will be positioned on that line evenly. It's very useful in combat, where you need to adjust unit positions to react to the situation on the fly.

3.custom formations with closed figures drawing:
Similar to the spring like custom formations, but additionally if you draw a closed figure, you will get a formation that shaped like a solid shape.

4.custom rectangle formations:
Drag with the right mouse button to create a rectangle formation, the width of the formation will depend on how far you drag, the orientation of the formation will depend on the direction of the mouse movement. It's a bit similar to the default formation system in Spring engine (the one you use when the custom formations widget is disabled), but the units with longer ranges will be postioned on the back of the rectangle.

Sorry I posted this in the wrong forum, could anyone move this to the general discussion?

Now in general discussion.

Thanks a lot for that.

If PA is going to be as strategic as I think it is, I don't think formations will matter all that much.

If PA were going to be as tactical a game as it's spiritual predecessor, TA, then I think formations would matter a lot more.

Clearly there will still be many cases you need to focus on a single combat base on what we have seen in alpha, so unit positioning will be important.

I prefer 2 formations

1: Clumps of units like in SupCom

2: Whatever the totally awesome devs decide

The main point of formations, for me, was that they stopped units from streaming in 1 at a time. I want spring-esque formations to be in at least to prevent that.

Formations WILL be need and they WILL be in its just what kind is the question

On top of spring style line formations I would like formation movement, maybe as a ctrl+move command? Formation orientation (as in what direction the formation will face) could be ctrl+click drag. Area formations might be nice but i can't point to any good examples. I imagined something like painting an area or drawing a solid shape and units spacing themselves equally within, so maybe a ctrl+alt drag. The spring custom rectangle formations described in OP aren't bad though. Preset shape formations like supcom could work but I'd prefer something customizeable.

I think it should have two such systems.

The "Draw a formation" bit works great for placing your units strategically. Getting your early base defenses up sometimes doesn't happen in time - being able to surround your base in units easily would help with that. e.g. draw a squiggly line and your units attempt to sit on that line you drew.

The "Units form up into rows and columns" bit works great for sending your units into battle - perhaps with customizable formation rules (e.g. in gameplay settings "Heavy units to front/Heavy units to back" "Artillery trails behind" a basic priority system.

That makes sense, so I change the options per user to 2.
But maybe we can mix them together, it's possible to have positional rules for a mouse drawn formation, perhaps if you hold ctrl while drawing a formation, you will be able to set a orientation for it by a additional click after you finished drawing, and when it have a orientation, rules like "Heavy units to front" will be applied to it.
Or even simpler, the orientation of your mouse drawn formation could depends on the start or the end point of your drawing.

Sometimes you need to scatter your units equally to avoid AOE or chain explosions (for things like suicide bombs), solid shapes are more useful than lines in these cases.

I still think the alpha formations know are really good

"Alpha Formations"

Last time I checked, there are actual negative tactical advantages to moving units as a 1-individual wide several mile long train.

Hi (first post here)

I m a former player of TA, Balanced Annihilation, Zero K.

From my point of view, the "draw a formation" system is the best option because it is:
- a power full system to handle mass unit
- a flexible tool which fit in any situation
- last but not least, a very intuitive and simple tool (no keyboard shortcut just click & drag)

The last point is maybe the most important, because you don t want to spend time to set up your army, you need to manage thousands of things at the same time in this kind of game. The "draw a formation" system requires just one click and one drag, you don t have to choose a type of formation, the size, and the orientation.

Hi (also my first post)

I go for the the "draw a formation" system together with the preset base.
And in the preset i would like to see line, column, V en Wedge.

what i think would be cool is the following

When you have a formation the computer will drawed of preset it will be defided in the different types you unit have.

then you can just with a fast click and drag decide with unit will be were.

I made a little example in pain about the idea
i use a V formation
and i have 3 units select. a havy arty and air

now i can chooice to have a defending top with air middle with tanks and boddem with arty

but for attaking i can do top tanks. middle air and boddem arty

this is just and idea hope you like it

I'd love to see formations be part of control group interface. Left click an icon or hit # to select the group, or right click to open a menu with wedge, 1/3/5/7/9 unit column, or wave/line of units. Maybe have alt+# rotate between options.

This would prolly mean you could only have any given unit in only one group.

I like the spring draw formation the most with an addition of how they form while moving (rows and columns...etc) until their final destination to get on top of the drawn line. that would be perfect

I think the best formation system I've seen would be from a game about Gettysburg, which had some pretty realistic formation movement from the period. But the ability to move a mass of units in lines total-war style would greatly increase the strategic depth and ease tactical management quite a bit. But like the post above suggested, units should move in deep columns while marching, and spread out in a line near the enemy. Of, course there should be a toggle to force units to remain in line and not column up and vice-versa. Units would be a lot more valuable if they worked as an army and not just a swarm of bee's. Also, how about a road structure that would speed up any unit using it to travel?

One thing i used to hate in sup com was when you set up a formation (which i really liked) and told the formation to move they would all move at a really slow speed.
I am not sure why they did this :s, maybe every unit moved as fast as the slowest unit to stay together.
So when advancing on turrets they would move at a the speed of a snail..

I hope this feature is added and this will no longer be an issue.

The feature is really cool because you can select a whole group of units click and drag them into formation and force all the arti and air defence to the back and stay in that position as they move. This is wicked!

Shame it was never used in sup com in competitive game due to the speed issue that i dont really understand.

Please incorporate it devs..