Modding so troops only go into column when ordered?

On the NSD forum, Martin II (aka Saddletank or Mr Digby or the other Martin) asked that:
[...] a simple change [...] be incorporated on the toolbar "move in this formation" as opposed to just the "take up this formation on arrival" which we have now.

NY Cavalry and KG_Soldier said this was already so in GCM:
In gcm and my own mod, regiments only go into column when ordered to. You can advance from Gettysburg to DD in lines and never go into column. Just start out in lines and they will stay in lines for any distance.

They also clarified that this happens whether or not the unit is TC'd.

I agree with Martin II that this would be great to have on the toolbar. Do other people agree, and, Kevin, do you think this would be do-able as part of the Couriers & Maps mod???

Jeff

The way it is done, I believe is to modify the formations in drills.csv and tell them to keep formation. That's easy since a modded version of the file is already in the mod. I will just have to see how it behaves when we order road march. Do the men go into column or do they march down the road in line?

Uncle Billy wrote:The way it is done, I believe is to modify the formations in drills.csv and tell them to keep formation. That's easy since a modded version of the file is already in the mod. I will just have to see how it behaves when we order road march. Do the men go into column or do they march down the road in line?

Presumably the player clicks "column" then "use roads". We'll have to just learn not to click "line" and "use roads".

We really need to differentiate between "use this formaation to move" and "assume this formation when you get there".

I just tried things out. It's quite simple to make the lines hold their formation while marching large distances. However, they will do that while marching down the road too. It's fun to watch but not very realistic. There are two ways around this, I think.

I assume that most people use point and click, either on the command map or on the battlefield itself to move the brigade. In other words the toolbar is used. That being the case, notice that there are two sets of brigade line formations. One is displayed when you click on the little soldier that is shooting and the other that is marching. I can make it so that when you click on the one that is shooting, the line formations will stay that way while moving. If you choose a line formation from the set that is displayed by pressing the marching figure, then they will form into columns when marching any distance.

The second way of doing this, is to have the line formations always stay that way while marching, and the player needs to pick the march column formation when he wants to move his troops via the roads. I'm not sure if the AI does this or not. I'll have to do more testing.

Uncle Billy wrote:I just tried things out. It's quite simple to make the lines hold their formation while marching large distances. However, they will do that while marching down the road too. It's fun to watch but not very realistic. There are two ways around this, I think.

I assume that most people use point and click, either on the command map or on the battlefield itself to move the brigade. In other words the toolbar is used. That being the case, notice that there are two sets of brigade line formations. One is displayed when you click on the little soldier that is shooting and the other that is marching. I can make it so that when you click on the one that is shooting, the line formations will stay that way while moving. If you choose a line formation from the set that is displayed by pressing the marching figure, then they will form into columns when marching any distance.

The second way of doing this, is to have the line formations always stay that way while marching, and the player needs to pick the march column formation when he wants to move his troops via the roads. I'm not sure if the AI does this or not. I'll have to do more testing.

Well. . . it's easy. . . when you give a movement command to a brigade you specify columns and use road. Now, in the GCM games, I will march my regiments down the road in column by division as I near the action and need to deploy quickly. But I don't think the Hits group needs to worry much about someone purposely road marching in skirmish formation to avoid arty fire.

kg little mac wrote:

Uncle Billy wrote:The second way of doing this, is to have the line formations always stay that way while marching, and the player needs to pick the march column formation when he wants to move his troops via the roads. I'm not sure if the AI does this or not. I'll have to do more testing.

Well. . . it's easy. . . when you give a movement command to a brigade you specify columns and use road. Now, in the GCM games, I will march my regiments down the road in column by division as I near the action and need to deploy quickly. But I don't think the Hits group needs to worry much about someone purposely road marching in skirmish formation to avoid arty fire.

This sounds to me to be just what we want. It makes sense. Thanks, Kevin, for testing this.

Jeff

I made a few changes to the Courier & Maps mod which will make the regiments keep their formation when marching large distances. If you wish to test it, let me know.

Uncle Billy wrote:I made a few changes to the Courier & Maps mod which will make the regiments keep their formation when marching large distances. If you wish to test it, let me know.

I'd like to give it a whirl, Kevin.

Jeff

Uncle Billy wrote:I made a few changes to the Courier & Maps mod which will make the regiments keep their formation when marching large distances. If you wish to test it, let me know.

Is there another mod to be downloaded to use this?

Thanks

J

I'd be happy to test.

A small game tonight perhaps, 19:30 UK time?

In fact it can be tested in SP anyway, can't it?

Either way, Kevin, please send me the update and I'll try it out.

I like the concept of the shooting figure button being for tactical movement and the non-shooting figure button being for approach marches, but as Soldier says, if we want to use roads we just hit the column button like we always have.

Thanks Kevin, for e-mailing the files to me. I've forwarded them to (the other) Martin, too.

I've tried the amended mod out and so far am not having any joy.

First I tried with my usual set-up, including the GCM toolbar, and regiments behaved as in the vanilla game,
I have tried again, with just Couriers and Maps activated and get the same result.

IIRC, there are two versions of your mod. I am using (again, IIRC) the one needed for smaller screens / lower resolutions.

I have been ordering brigade commanders like this: Brigade is formed up in double line. I select the brigade commander, click somewhere a ways away on the terrain map and then click on the double line button. The regiments form into column, march off and then shake out into line when at their destination.

Please shout if you can spot what I may be doing wrong. Hopefully (the other) Martin can feed back too when he gets a chance to test.

Yours,

Jeff

You must load Couiriers&Maps last. The GCM toolbar is overriding the changes in my mod.

Uncle Billy wrote:You must load Couiriers&Maps last. The GCM toolbar is overriding the changes in my mod.

I've only got your mod activated now and still no joy.

Are you sure you overwrote the drills and gui files in the \CouriersAndMaps\Logistics folder? Niall and Ollie didn't have a problem. It's the same zip file I sent them.

Uncle Billy wrote:Are you sure you overwrote the drills and gui files in the \CouriersAndMaps\Logistics folder? Niall and Ollie didn't have a problem. It's the same zip file I sent them.

Aha ! The file you sent me (logistics addition.zip) has battledef.ini and rifles.csv in it.
I've just re-downloaded it to double check.

Oops. Well I only had two zip files in that folder, so I guess it was inevitable I sent you the wrong one. I'll send you the correct one, (maybe), when I get home this evening. Sorry about that.

Uncle Billy wrote:Oops. Well I only had two zip files in that folder, so I guess it was inevitable I sent you the wrong one. I'll send you the correct one, (maybe), when I get home this evening. Sorry about that.

Thanks, Kevin. ;-)

Poetry in motion!

Great to see lines of men marching forward. Thank you.

The icing on the cake, for me, would be to combine this with the extra buttons available on the GCM toolbar (originally Bugles & Flags toolbar?) Has anyone got it working with the GCM toolbar? I'm not sure how to "load couriers & maps last". Last in the list of activated mods, or first? Above or below GCM toolbar? Or will it not work with non-stock toolbar?

Uncle Billy wrote:You must load Couiriers&Maps last. The GCM toolbar is overriding the changes in my mod.

Thanks again.

Jeff

On the mod activation screen, the files in mods lower down the list might overide files in higher up, if they are the same files.

Therefore the file lower will replace and will be played

Please correct me if i am mistaken, anyone

Mike

I know that's how it works in TW modding. I think the reverse is true in SoW.

Mods are installed into the game in the order they appear in the list. A mod that is listed below another will overwrite any files they have in common. So if you want to be absolutely sure a mod is not overwritten, load it last.

Uncle Billy wrote:Mods are installed into the game in the order they appear in the list. A mod that is listed below another will overwrite any files they have in common. So if you want to be absolutely sure a mod is not overwritten, load it last.

Thanks, all. I'll try Couriers & Maps below GCM Toolbar and see how it goes.

I currently run GCM toolbar and terrain after Hits mod and everything
works fine. ( current hits mod )

I currently run GCM toolbar and terrain after Hits mod and everything
works fine.

The only thing the GCM toolbar might conflict with are the custom division and corps formations I added to the Couriers&Maps mod. Since those are never used in MP it makes no difference which order the two mods are loaded. However, if people decide to use the new 'maintain formation' changes, there may indeed be a conflict. It's not something that would crash an MP game since the toolbar mod is just a personal preference mod.

Kevin, can you release the update please? I'd like to start using it. Thanks.