While I can understand the need to have certain controls locked on what they do, can we get a keybinding interface, or maybe an in-game keybind chart to see what all does what? Perhaps also allow a keybinding for strat and one for tactical battles..
I play with a N52 Belkin, so I always tend to rebind my keys for ease of use with that peripheral, and a interface of some kind would simplify the need to look and test for keybinds and build them into a customized listing on the n52.
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Secondly, in the tactical battle maps. I have the idea of a more simplified UI, and perhaps a third tab for quick access to spells on champion units. Right now the spell interface is kinda clunky. Also on tactical battle maps, could we get larger grids of varied heights and widths, the standard size is kinda off small. also the addition of new tiles for the map, maybe a sheer cliff tile to add range and damage, Los breaks (it always seem weird that my Sov could cast at a unit behind a hill, or my archers for that matter.) Swamps and brush for an increase in movement cost, but an increase in defense.
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Third, the ability to designate unit formation on the tactical map, so that we avoid the problem of our Sov, or ranged units being in front of our melee units, or with wider map designs the ability to split our army stack to setup flankers or disperse them to avoid AoEs. This could be built into a whole new secondary system of how battles generate too.
Maybe make it where you could have three battle types: Fight, Skirmish, Battle. each with a unit limitation, both in # of units and squad size. If you could pick and choose from an army pool of which unit to bring it would increase the tactical nature of combat. Perhaps allow the initiating side to choose first so the defending side can see what they have to fight (link this to fortify maybe) or allow certain Sovs/Champs the ability to ambush opponents where the defending side has to choose first.
Fight- A scout type battle, limited to maybe 4 to 8 units, and allowing for only a 4 member squad if wish to bring a stack into the battle. Consider this to be the initial fight before armies clash and perhaps give the winning side a bonus to the full army in morale for a forewarned report.
Skirmish- A mid size-battle of 8-16 or 24 units, allowing up to one 8 squad, or two 4 squads, or maybe 2 and 4 for the larger end. This is a clash of picket lines, Cavalry etc. Your screening units for you main army, where the fight would have given you a morale boost, this fight would/could give a morale penalty to the loosing side since, they lost a hefty flanking side of their army. Or perhaps a defense boost to the winning side for a few turns as they know their flanks are secured.
Battle- The big one, full army fight, with access to the largest tactical maps. All squad sizes can be represented, and maybe only put an upper bound on the sheer number of active units on the field. If the army is larger then the upper bound you could say the rest are held in reserve, and if one unit/squad is lost you could have the reserves come in from the map boarders closest to your units.
* Additional note: allow for squad breaks. Perhaps you are forced into a fight setup, but have no single units or small squads. Allow a 12man or 8man stack to split into portions for a time for the length of the battle, and on battles end, the units would then assemble back into one unit.
** Second Note: To determine the battle type, you could give Sov/Champs leading a toggle to choose between Fight/Skirmishes/Battles if they initiate. Or perhaps some sort of weighted random system if attacked by a unit with no preference or differing preference if lead by an enemy champ/sov. Perhaps tie the weight to one of the stats for the Sov/Champ, and allow certain traits like Organized, Adventurer, or Warlord to additionally weight the roll. This would add an element of what could be considered a good general, by forcing maybe an overwhelming death-stack force into splitting their army up in the face of guerrilla tactics of a Skirmisher/Fight based army.
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Fourth, a simple request. but in two parts. Allow units, once the appropriate techs are unlocked to be retrained into better units or squads. Example: I have an army of 8 archers, singles. I have now unlocked the tech for 4man squads. It took 3 turns to train the individuals each, and 10 turns to train a group. Allow the option to choose and designate four units of the same type to be retrained together at the cost of two turns into a 4 squad unit. The overall time invested in training the singles and retraining into squads is still much higher then the cost of one trained squad, but it allows those intimal units, which might have leveled already to be pooled back into the standing army. (You could also have the level difference if their is one average out, and round down. IE a 2 lvl2 units, a lvl3, and a lvl5 retrain together. (2+2+3+5)/4 would yield an overall lvl3 squad.
Second part of this would be allow units to retrain for a fraction of the cost into upgraded units. Perhaps a 2/3 costs to train my peasants into Knights and so forth. Or perhaps have upgrade lines tied to weapon changes. IE Peasents upgrade at the 2/3 cost no matter what, but a Sword wielding Basic Knight could upgrade at 1/3 cost into a King's Ward or other equivalent sword based unit. Archer units would have a 1/3 cost as well for upgrade into other archer/crossbow units if we ever get variety in ranged weapons, etc. Basically so long as the weapon type matches the unit has a decreased training cost for upgrading.
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Custom-tactical map creation. Right now it looks like the tactical maps are made randomly on battle start. Wild suggestion here, but perhaps allow players to build tactical maps within the modding toolset and then allow maybe a new unit via the civic/warfare tech (Engineer/Army Engineer) that would allow players to designate a tile with their SOI as a specific map type they have. Again this a completely wild suggestion as I have no idea of how one would even begin to balance this. But it would be awesome as kingdom to notice that I have a single land path through a mountain range into my realm. As a king I would fortify that area into a nightmare for any invading army, my very own Helms Deep or Black Gates.
Well guess thats it for me for now. I hope yall like the suggestions or if not let me know why.
