I like the fact that the formation of nizam fusilier affect their bonus damage and range. Formation was always important in large scale battle, and especially in the time frame of the game, where you can see attack column attacking infantery deployed in line. I believe this concept could be applied to all musketeer-type infantery and offers strategic tradeoff. This is obviously a suggestion/discussion of something that won’t be included in the game, but I think this is something that could have been included in the game.
Let’s take a classic musketeer with 150 hp, 20% melee damage resistance and 4 speed.
1/- You have the standard mode. You shouldn’t use it a lot because it does not come with any special bonuses.
2/- The line formation (kind of like the staggered formation) : -10% speed (the unit have to maintain the cohesion of the long line while marching), only 10% melee resistance but a boost in firing rate (ROF 2.5 instead of 3).
3/- The column formation : +10% speed (this will be the standard formation when marching for long distance) +15% melee damage but -2 range and an inherent weekness to artillery because the soldier are densily packed). The soldiers are in melee mode.
4/- The square formation : The anticav formation par excellence. +20% melee resistance but with -25% speed. Same vulnerability to artillery because the troops are densely packed. You should able to see your glorious infantery square repelling cavalery charges.
There should be a cooldown of something like 5 secondes to avoid perpetual formation changes.