Weird Formations

[Tactician]

There used to be 'illegal formation' penalties to attempt to control formations. However some folks shouted loudly, in the name of realism, that there should be freedom to use whatever formations they wanted.

So you now get these formations more. I actually don't mind either way since its a game but I'd guess that the original penalties were there to mitigate the unusual effects that can occur in an engine when people do unrealistic things.

(Sometimes when folks want realistic they get the unrealistic and even the surreal >.<)

Playing with only 2 defenders or no strikers should be allowed but playing messy formations or formation that looks like hollow shapes with nothing in the middle should be penalised. The 'funny' thing is that, based on posts in this forum, it seems that some teams who played decent formations lost or got a draw against teams using hollow formations. How can this be realistic; all players playing on the sides, leaving the middle free, and still the teams beats or draws with a team playing with players both in the middle and on the sides? Even a team with is far much stronger should get beaten by a much weaker team playing a decent formation if a hollow formation was used.
This gives doubts on how the game engine functions.

[Buffs Mad]

*snip* The 'funny' thing is that, based on posts in this forum, it seems that some teams who played decent formations lost or got a draw against teams using hollow formations. How can this be realistic; all players playing on the sides, leaving the middle free, and still the teams beats or draws with a team playing with players both in the middle and on the sides? Even a team with is far much stronger should get beaten by a much weaker team playing a decent formation if a hollow formation was used.
This gives doubts on how the game engine functions.

Agreed and this ofc gives insight into why illegal formation penalties existed in the first place. Its a game and is no place for realism without a keen eye on 'playability' effects.

(Which is why I'm not keen on suggestions that cite realism as there basis. But maybe that's just a pet hate of mine. )

PS. I ofc often use the flanks only passing formation with through the middle option as my standard tanking set up. (Called it 'Guard of Honour' but I might change to referring to it as 'Wedding'.) Most of the time it works (or should that be fails).