What Is Noob-box!

[LittleBabyYummy]

Today I was criticed by a opponent ,he said I use a noob-box and feel shameb on of me .I'm a newbie ,I don't understand what it means^

[Welsh Dragon]

Noob is generally used as an insult. But don't worry about it.

We all started off as new players, but sadly some people forget that.

Also being an experienced player doesn't mean you are good at everything. I have been playing Total War for nearly 15 years... I am still terrible at multiplayer.

Basically play the game, have fun, and don't worry too much what other people are saying.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Катя Мяу <3]

In TW jargon the term "Noobbox" is generally used to describe a pike box.
Pikes have the disadvage that they are easily flanked, so with a Noobbox you surround yourself and eliminate all flanks.
It is usually combined with maybe some heavy covalry and tons of slingers.
Since this "tactic" doesnt require any combat skills for the commander it's called "Noobbox".

I personally dont mind if someone forms one, because it is actually not as OP as it might sound.

[SuperGorp]

Oh screw that "Marquis of Queensbury Rules" and "Code of the Gladiator" crap, this is war man! Whatever it takes to win baby. Oh by the way, I've been a "Noob" for over 16 years now.

[Vind Diesel]

Bruh don't even care, he's stupid for not bringing decent archers to kill all of your pikes

[Salty Nobody]

Corner Camping:

Unsuccessful but took half an hour to break:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=551510884

Also Unsuccessful:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=312825726


Noob Box:

Successful, against the same Armenian Player as above. I forced him to shoot through the entire rest of my army to get at my pikes and a three pike triangle was enough to beat him in melee.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=551511023

Unsuccessful, gave me total map control to go around and hit the weak points after shooting at him for awhile.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=308019792


Corner camping should be frowned upon in any situation. Using the edges of the map to protect the rear when in reality there is open space there is poor sportsmanship by any standared in a multiplayer setting. However,there are legitimate reasons to noob box, such as one player has a all cav army and that is the only way the box user can counter them with the army they have. Normally however the box just gives the opponent complete map control and the ability to do whatever they wish upon the box user.

[Fast Johnny]

Perhaps you can ask the guy who called you a newb (noob), where he got his Bachelors in Professional PC Gaming, so that you can be as wonderful as he is.

[CHE]

Originally posted by Fast Johnny:

Perhaps you can ask the guy who called you a newb (noob), where he got his Bachelors in Professional PC Gaming, so that you can be as wonderful as he is.

[Berserk Breton]

Originally posted by Fast Johnny:

Perhaps you can ask the guy who called you a newb (noob), where he got his Bachelors in Professional PC Gaming, so that you can be as wonderful as he is.

Some place where they teach you that whinging is an adequate substitute for learning to play, innit. :)

Seriously, pay no attention to people who say this stuff, if they can plan and use a balanced army they should crush a real newbie hiding in a box, at least 2 of my kids can handle such a situation just from lan play. Win, point and laugh at the opponent begging you to soften up your tactics so they can win.

[Fast Johnny]

Originally posted by Casinomorph:

Originally posted by Fast Johnny:

Perhaps you can ask the guy who called you a newb (noob), where he got his Bachelors in Professional PC Gaming, so that you can be as wonderful as he is.

Some place where they teach you that whinging is an adequate substitute for learning to play, innit. :)

Seriously, pay no attention to people who say this stuff, if they can plan and use a balanced army they should crush a real newbie hiding in a box, at least 2 of my kids can handle such a situation just from lan play. Win, point and laugh at the opponent begging you to soften up your tactics so they can win.

I'm not sure, but I think you are saying..."that is as funny as it is facitious." Correct?

I've been playing PC games for a long time and been called a newb countless times, just as anyone who has been around for a while has. It is always funny since anyone who is good from tactical skill and acumen in a tactical computer simulation never really says something like that. It is for the most part a pre-pubescent teen looking for an alpha male spot that is always going to be out of their reach or a loser adult with no social skills who calls his right hand his GF and lives in Mom and Dad's basement at 35.

Use the terrain and your unit availability to prevail over those who would rather insult you instead of actually using their brain to figure out a solution to a field problem.

I always used to reply to those people that since they were so good, the company should be paying them to play their game and that I wanted to be just like them when I grew up, so I could be given the legal right to be a huge ass.

[Yang]

You know how pikemen (and to a lesser extent hoplites and other units) are amazing if they are attacked from the front but are ♥♥♥♥ if they're flanked or hit in the rear?
A noob box is when you form a square of pikemen facing outwards so they can't be flanked because there are other pikemen whose fronts are their flanks.
People don't like it because (a) it kinda feels like your cheating by putting your army in a near-unassailable position without any sort of tactical thinking and (b) it isn't actually impossible to defeat but only a few strategies work and that very much depends on what units your opponent brought to the field, so its not interesting to attack tactically as well because you either need a stack of good missile units or a stack of cataphracts (works depending on quality of box).

[LittleBabyYummy]

Originally posted by Yang:

You know how pikemen (and to a lesser extent hoplites and other units) are amazing if they are attacked from the front but are ♥♥♥♥ if they're flanked or hit in the rear?
A noob box is when you form a square of pikemen facing outwards so they can't be flanked because there are other pikemen whose fronts are their flanks.
People don't like it because (a) it kinda feels like your cheating by putting your army in a near-unassailable position without any sort of tactical thinking and (b) it isn't actually impossible to defeat but only a few strategies work and that very much depends on what units your opponent brought to the field, so its not interesting to attack tactically as well because you either need a stack of good missile units or a stack of cataphracts (works depending on quality of box).

I didn't use pikemen,I use the Rome cohorts.I didn't make a troops circle at first,I find he has many carvalries and I change my formation to a circle to defent his attacking.Is this still noob-box?

[NeverOdd]

Originally posted by LittleBabyYummy:

I didn't use pikemen,I use the Rome cohorts.I didn't make a troops circle at first,I find he has many carvalries and I change my formation to a circle to defent his attacking.Is this still noob-box?

I say that's called countering your opponent.

[Yang]

Originally posted by Remedy:

Originally posted by LittleBabyYummy:

I didn't use pikemen,I use the Rome cohorts.I didn't make a troops circle at first,I find he has many carvalries and I change my formation to a circle to defent his attacking.Is this still noob-box?

I say that's called countering your opponent.

Yeah, and its actually got historical basis. For example Crassus used it against the Parthians (the Parthian army was completely made up of cav, although 90% of them were horse archers) at Carrhae, although he lost. In the 18-19th centuries a square formation was also used by infantry to counter cavalry.
Basically if you do the box with pikemen (or maybe hoplites or anything that can last forever - not just a long time - in a pure melee fight), it becomes a noob box. Cohorts are completely fine.

[Welsh Dragon]

Originally posted by LittleBabyYummy:

I didn't use pikemen,I use the Rome cohorts.I didn't make a troops circle at first,I find he has many carvalries and I change my formation to a circle to defent his attacking.Is this still noob-box?

Sounds like your opponent was a sore loser. What you did was perfectly reasonable given the tactical situation, and shows an ability to adapt to enemy tactics which is quite handy in a General. You outplayed your opponent, so be happy and ignore them being a bad loser.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[bbolto]

Yang's explanation is very good, though, I don't think hoplites would qualify in Rome II (though they would in Rome I).