....and here is how it would look in the game.
Alexander the Great has just landed in Asia Minor and is about to cross the river Granicus....
....obviously all these units would normally be in a single tile. I have spread them out for display purposes.
If anyone is interested, the units are (starting on the left):-
2 units of Companion Horsemen, a unit of elite Hypaspists, 3 units of Macedonian pike Phalanxes, a unit of Thracian Peltasts, and 2 units of Greek Horsemen. There is also 2 units of light infantry skirmishing in front of the army (Javelinmen & Archers), and a stack of Allied Hoplites in reserve, as well as a fortified Spearman unit in the nearby city of Granicus.
Large figures, such as ships/chariots/elephants/tanks, because of their size, will have to stay as 'single figure' units.
But for the others, I was thinking along these lines:-
3 figure units = all horseback units, Cannons (3 guns, forming a 'battery'), mortar crews, Workers, Settlers, and Aircraft (with one large aircraft in the foreground, and two smaller ones in the background, to simulate a 'squadron').
6 figure units (3 by 3) = all Ancient & Medieval foot units (including Bowmen & Longbows, but NOT skirmishers).
4 figure units (in a line) = British Napoleonic infantry, Medieval Crossbowmen, and 19th century Riflemen.
4 figure units (in skirmish formation) = Slingers, Javelinmen, Archers, Napoleonic light infantry, and all Industrial & Modern foot units (except for American Civil War and Victorian Riflemen, which would fire in volleys, in a line).
All thestonesfan is suggesting, and all I am working on, is to change the appearance of the units, so that instead of each unit looking like a single man, it could look like a proper UNIT (i.e. a body of men, representing a phalanx/cohort/legion/battalion/regiment/squadron/battery, depending on the period).
Any thoughts?