• InexplicableLunchFiend [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 day ago

      Flanking is seen as a totally valid positioning tactic in RTS. More like they want this to be like Lord of the Rings where two sides charge into each other in pitched battle (never really happened that much historically - usually it was much more harassing, holding chokepoints, kiting back, sieging and surrounding armies or pinning them against natural formations like rivers or oceans)

      • Collatz_problem [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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        1 day ago

        The funniest shit is that the Lord of Rings books actually have very well-researched and well-written battles. The films changed that, because all of the maneuvering don’t look as good on screen.

        Edit: and also it resulted in Denethor turning from ruthless and very competent commander into a complete idiot.

        • PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml
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          21 hours ago

          I read Atlas of Middle Earth and they actually go into the details of that war and i was like “wait a second, that’s actually plausible logistics, tactics and strategy” but for some reason everyone only remember the quote that Sauron don’t care how many of his troops die.

          Two things strike me particularly: how little troops Gondor fielded in what was the existential conflict for them, pointing out that Gondor was actually sparsely inhabited shithole and that Numenoreans and their descendants were worst administrators ever. And second how Hobbit’s Battle of Five Armies was a colossal blunder for Sauron’s forces which most likely indirectly cost him the War of the Ring later.

          • Collatz_problem [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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            6 hours ago

            I remember reading an article by a military historian, where he showed, that even the troop numbers, distances and timetables are consistent with historical strategies, tactics and logistics.

            how little troops Gondor fielded in what was the existential conflict for them, pointing out that Gondor was actually sparsely inhabited shithole

            And also Gondor had to deploy 2/3 of its forces in the south, where the most populated areas were, and Aragorn brought some of them on the ships, captured from pirates.

            And second how Hobbit’s Battle of Five Armies was a colossal blunder for Sauron’s forces which most likely indirectly cost him the War of the Ring later.

            TBH, if Sauron guarded Orodruin, he would have won. He had amassed a decisive material advantage by that point, and the only thing he didn’t have was time to apply it.

        • Carl [he/him]@hexbear.net
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          1 day ago

          because all of the maneuvering don’t look as good on screen.

          I maintain that it could look awesome on screen but no Hollywood director is brave enough to be the first person to do it (and also it would be hella expensive) so we’re stuck with people running at each other and breaking off into one-on-one duels for eternity.