I would like to propose a feature that should be extremely easy to implement (and remove should it turn out to be a bad idea): Give units the option to patrol.
To elaborate, you click on a unit, click on patrol movement, and then selects two points on the map. The unit will now continously walk between those two points.
What do you guys think?
Here is why I would love it:
(1) It will add a new strategic element to the game.
Players will likely exploit the patrol movement by having single units (likely scouts) run in straight lines across the map to obtain vision/knowledge about the enemy. Now, if both players exploit the patrol of single scouts they will frequently find them in fights with the enemy’s scouts and, of course, the stronger scout wins. So perhaps one of the players decides to always send scouts in pairs of two, and, to counter that, the other player might decide to always send in pairs of three … and it continues. Consequently, a lot of smaller interesting fights, more frequent with smaller batches of units. Without the patrol movement feature, this constant movement of units isn’t feasible as it would require too much time and effort to contiously be moving all these minor batches of units and single scouts.
(2) I think it would make for a more immersive experience to have your units patrol some area rather than standing still. It makes it more interesting to look at in that it gives a feeling of your “empire” actually being alive. A big group of units that just stand in one big pile most of the game is kind of boring.
Anyways, I don’t think it would hurt to at least try it out. It is easy to implement and easy to remove again – should it not fit into the game. Perhaps, you could have us try it out in the beta?
It’s actually used a lot, but not in a way you would think.
People generally use it instead of attack move. So you patrol your units on to the enemy units and they will attack automatically as soon as they see an enemy. This way your units will also attack the enemy even if you are not looking at that part of the map while they find enemy troops. It is less used to actually patrol certain areas of the map.
You also use it on islands to patrol edges to spot landings, and for spearmen guarding lumberjacks against early scouts combined with defensive stance.
But yes, patrol is very important and used in AoE2.
Would love to have a patrol feature - also it should allow shift clicking, so you can make patrolling circuits.
It’s super important for having some spare spears patrol your eco if your getting heavily raided late game.
I can see uses for mangudai management too (which honestly needs something, because when you look away at the wrong second you loose half your army and its basically gg, and that feels like a disproportionate hurt for such an expensive unit thats weak to ranged such as that. I dunno, you could argue its part of the skill of the game, but no one is a perfect machine, and I should be able to queue patrolling scouts at the very least.
While we’re at it, a “defend” , which could be expanded above and beyond the measely defend of the aoe2, and it could enforce a square stand ground formation around a unit. This would be amazing to tell 10 or so spearmen to defend a treb.
