I have a number of newbie questions I'd like to ask; is anyone still around here who might answer them?
Amyone still here for help?
Moderators: Joel Billings, PyleDriver
Amyone still here for help?
So, I finally took the plunge and just bought this one (having never figured out ACW or FF!).
I have a number of newbie questions I'd like to ask; is anyone still around here who might answer them?
I have a number of newbie questions I'd like to ask; is anyone still around here who might answer them?
RE: Amyone still here for help?
Yep still my go to civil war game
RE: Amyone still here for help?
Sorry guys, been at work all week! And TBH I didn't think anyone would actually reply...
These are probably ramblings. Finally bought WBtS, including the printed manual. My goodness there's a lot to learn!! I have been thru tutorials & videos (though perhaps I ought go thru them again now).
One thing I'll say about the manual: it's very detailed about the rules/mechanics. But what it doesn't do much is give you any "summary/advice" about what it adds up to meaning in simple terms. For example, "your units will be OK for supply while in friendly territory, but in (potential) problems once you invade", or "you should use your 2 upgrades to mounted units every turn", or "you should normally use your 2 leader recruitments each turn, but you might be better saving up till a better leader is available", or "there is or is not any point having multiple leaders move into a combat region". I could probably go on!
Been trying out the Union in '61. I can't actually do a lot! So I've taken some time out to try reading the manual, which does seem to have stuff I don't think is in the tutorials. here are a few things I think I've learned, but please correct me if not:
1. The list button above does nothing!
2. I really need leaders with initiative to move my units much, and certainly if I want to go into enemy territory.
3. 1861 gives restricted initiative, so I may have to wait till later to get more mobility than I have now.
4. From my Limey knowledge of the Civil War, I probably have bad initiative for my Union leaders at the outset, so that's also limiting me.
5. I basically want one Theatre Commander for the East and another one for the West. The Eastern one will be at his best if in DC. Don't go moving your TCs into combat! TCs have a 6-odd region range.
6. An Army Commander affects leaders who start out the turn stacked with him (not adjacent). He should or should not move with them if they move to combat?
7. I recall that Sheridan was a good Union cavalry commander. Let's say I'd like to recruit him. Do I need to try recruiting loads of Union cavalry leaders till he shows up? Or am I supposed to wait (I think he might have been not at the start of the conflict) till a later date, and then he''ll show up automatically, or at that point I start recruiting to get him?
8. I don't know if I'm supposed to do anything about the CSA Commerce Raiders? I seem to start out with most sea areas adjacent to CSA being blockaded for me? Am I wanting to occupy every sea area to make it better?
9. If I want to do much with a gunboat/ironclad, I need a naval leader to command them? (I tried moving one on his own up a river near The Big Easy, and he just got killed!)
10. This forum has AARs, but often the author just stops after a couple of posts!
On a final note. I found ACW & FoF way too fiddly with everything to do, difficult interface with all their leader attachment stuff. I do think WBtS is going to be more up my street. I come from a background, many years ago, of hex war games. Victory Games' The Civil War was my idea of just great, especially with its idea of limited Command Points you had to spend to do much in a Theatre. I'm thinking WBtS might have similarities.
If you guys reply I'm sure I'll find more questions! It would be nice to liven up this board. I think I ought stop now and post this; I'll go try again in 1861 and maybe come up with more questions [:)]
***STOP PRESS***
I have (only) just discovered that the manual has a section Strategy & Tactics! I must go read this, at last something that gives me an overview of what is going on and what I need to do....
These are probably ramblings. Finally bought WBtS, including the printed manual. My goodness there's a lot to learn!! I have been thru tutorials & videos (though perhaps I ought go thru them again now).
One thing I'll say about the manual: it's very detailed about the rules/mechanics. But what it doesn't do much is give you any "summary/advice" about what it adds up to meaning in simple terms. For example, "your units will be OK for supply while in friendly territory, but in (potential) problems once you invade", or "you should use your 2 upgrades to mounted units every turn", or "you should normally use your 2 leader recruitments each turn, but you might be better saving up till a better leader is available", or "there is or is not any point having multiple leaders move into a combat region". I could probably go on!
Been trying out the Union in '61. I can't actually do a lot! So I've taken some time out to try reading the manual, which does seem to have stuff I don't think is in the tutorials. here are a few things I think I've learned, but please correct me if not:
1. The list button above does nothing!
2. I really need leaders with initiative to move my units much, and certainly if I want to go into enemy territory.
3. 1861 gives restricted initiative, so I may have to wait till later to get more mobility than I have now.
4. From my Limey knowledge of the Civil War, I probably have bad initiative for my Union leaders at the outset, so that's also limiting me.
5. I basically want one Theatre Commander for the East and another one for the West. The Eastern one will be at his best if in DC. Don't go moving your TCs into combat! TCs have a 6-odd region range.
6. An Army Commander affects leaders who start out the turn stacked with him (not adjacent). He should or should not move with them if they move to combat?
7. I recall that Sheridan was a good Union cavalry commander. Let's say I'd like to recruit him. Do I need to try recruiting loads of Union cavalry leaders till he shows up? Or am I supposed to wait (I think he might have been not at the start of the conflict) till a later date, and then he''ll show up automatically, or at that point I start recruiting to get him?
8. I don't know if I'm supposed to do anything about the CSA Commerce Raiders? I seem to start out with most sea areas adjacent to CSA being blockaded for me? Am I wanting to occupy every sea area to make it better?
9. If I want to do much with a gunboat/ironclad, I need a naval leader to command them? (I tried moving one on his own up a river near The Big Easy, and he just got killed!)
10. This forum has AARs, but often the author just stops after a couple of posts!
On a final note. I found ACW & FoF way too fiddly with everything to do, difficult interface with all their leader attachment stuff. I do think WBtS is going to be more up my street. I come from a background, many years ago, of hex war games. Victory Games' The Civil War was my idea of just great, especially with its idea of limited Command Points you had to spend to do much in a Theatre. I'm thinking WBtS might have similarities.
If you guys reply I'm sure I'll find more questions! It would be nice to liven up this board. I think I ought stop now and post this; I'll go try again in 1861 and maybe come up with more questions [:)]
***STOP PRESS***
I have (only) just discovered that the manual has a section Strategy & Tactics! I must go read this, at last something that gives me an overview of what is going on and what I need to do....
RE: Amyone still here for help?
7. Activating Leaders
OK, I'm beginning to get some of this.
a. Leaders have an activation delay. As each turn passes and it gets lower, at a certain point (but not before) a leader gets moved into Leader Activation Probabilities screen.
b. Once in Activation screen, I'm not sure whether a leader's probability gets higher on its own each turn, or whether he is "stuck behind" another leader with a high percentage till that leader gets recruited first? I need to understand this one!
c. I try not spending my activations to see what happens. Sometimes, but not always (often?), a leader gets activated for me (perhaps he needs an unused activation, but even with unused and some leaders on 100% nobody gets activated?).
Most importantly: once I have been shown this turn's Activations/Promotions/Constructions page, and it has been dismissed, I cannot find any way of getting to see it again? Even the turn replay with "messages only" does not give me this one again?
OK, I'm beginning to get some of this.
a. Leaders have an activation delay. As each turn passes and it gets lower, at a certain point (but not before) a leader gets moved into Leader Activation Probabilities screen.
b. Once in Activation screen, I'm not sure whether a leader's probability gets higher on its own each turn, or whether he is "stuck behind" another leader with a high percentage till that leader gets recruited first? I need to understand this one!
c. I try not spending my activations to see what happens. Sometimes, but not always (often?), a leader gets activated for me (perhaps he needs an unused activation, but even with unused and some leaders on 100% nobody gets activated?).
Most importantly: once I have been shown this turn's Activations/Promotions/Constructions page, and it has been dismissed, I cannot find any way of getting to see it again? Even the turn replay with "messages only" does not give me this one again?
RE: Amyone still here for help?
Have I been stuck in a bug?
I suddenly noticed the only way I could move anything at all was strategic (no wonder I couldn't attack anywhere!). The panel's "Move Strategic" icon was shown selected. Nothing would happen if I tried to change to "Automatic Move" or unselect Strategic. After ages of clicking and not understanding, I saved the game, exited, re-loaded, and now all is fine again. Does this happen, did I do something wrong?
Just happened again when I went back in. [:@] OK, I just figured, I'm playing full-screen, I pressed <Ctrl>+<Esc> to get to desktop to come here, then went back into game. It then appears it thinks my <Ctrl> key is permanently held down --- hence forcing strategic move --- till I depress & release it, then it gets back to normal. I had no idea, and spent ages on this. How infuriating [:(]
I suddenly noticed the only way I could move anything at all was strategic (no wonder I couldn't attack anywhere!). The panel's "Move Strategic" icon was shown selected. Nothing would happen if I tried to change to "Automatic Move" or unselect Strategic. After ages of clicking and not understanding, I saved the game, exited, re-loaded, and now all is fine again. Does this happen, did I do something wrong?
Just happened again when I went back in. [:@] OK, I just figured, I'm playing full-screen, I pressed <Ctrl>+<Esc> to get to desktop to come here, then went back into game. It then appears it thinks my <Ctrl> key is permanently held down --- hence forcing strategic move --- till I depress & release it, then it gets back to normal. I had no idea, and spent ages on this. How infuriating [:(]
RE: Amyone still here for help?
OK, last question for today!
Union Turn 1, I attacked Manassas with a force so as not to lose PPs, but I saw message come up real quick which still said I had lost PPs for not attacking Manassas? I think this might have come up before it resolved the end-of-turn combat there? Was I maybe supposed to force-resolve earlier? Or was it because it was badly outnumbered and lost?
I should love to see responses to any of the above stuff you feel like commenting on. If you keep replying I'll keep asking.... [:D]
Union Turn 1, I attacked Manassas with a force so as not to lose PPs, but I saw message come up real quick which still said I had lost PPs for not attacking Manassas? I think this might have come up before it resolved the end-of-turn combat there? Was I maybe supposed to force-resolve earlier? Or was it because it was badly outnumbered and lost?
I should love to see responses to any of the above stuff you feel like commenting on. If you keep replying I'll keep asking.... [:D]
RE: Amyone still here for help?
As far as your last one, if you do not send enough units to attack then you still get the penalty. Not sure what that exact number is, but it's somewhere in the patch notes
RE: Amyone still here for help?
#7 your last point I believe if you press the "e" key the screen you're looking for will pop up
RE: Amyone still here for help?
ORIGINAL: rs99z28
#7 your last point I believe if you press the "e" key the screen you're looking for will pop up
You're a LifeSaver! (@Progammers: Please don't put in a feature like this which requires knowledge of a key press without an icon!)
Now that I can see what went on, I also discover that my attack on Manassas was 5 vs 180!
RE: Amyone still here for help?
Naval unit combat is quite beyond me [&:]
I believe I have discovered:
* Transports are needed for strategic movement, and amphibious landings. I get their capacity. I (Union) seem to start with so many transports dotted around that I can't see I'm going to need to build any more of them?
* Cruisers are needed to blockade. I am unsure whether (some) ports/coastals would benefit from more than 1 Cruiser? (I know I need to invade islands --- waiting for Spring!) I have just discovered "Region AO2", so now I know how to get at those Commerce Raiders!
* Gunboats, and Ironclads once I can build them, are for attacking each other, killing CSA Transports, and I think cutting off cities. they can fire at Heavy Artillery, though the HA gets to fire at them first.
My very limited attempts at collecting a couple of GunBoats under a naval leader and moving them along rivers result in CSA's Heavy Artillery blowing them up. I think I need more GunBoats at a time so that they outnumber the HAs, but they have more HAs than I have GBs. Would anyone care to summarise in English how I am supposed to go about actually using my naval units?
I believe I have discovered:
* Transports are needed for strategic movement, and amphibious landings. I get their capacity. I (Union) seem to start with so many transports dotted around that I can't see I'm going to need to build any more of them?
* Cruisers are needed to blockade. I am unsure whether (some) ports/coastals would benefit from more than 1 Cruiser? (I know I need to invade islands --- waiting for Spring!) I have just discovered "Region AO2", so now I know how to get at those Commerce Raiders!
* Gunboats, and Ironclads once I can build them, are for attacking each other, killing CSA Transports, and I think cutting off cities. they can fire at Heavy Artillery, though the HA gets to fire at them first.
My very limited attempts at collecting a couple of GunBoats under a naval leader and moving them along rivers result in CSA's Heavy Artillery blowing them up. I think I need more GunBoats at a time so that they outnumber the HAs, but they have more HAs than I have GBs. Would anyone care to summarise in English how I am supposed to go about actually using my naval units?
RE: Amyone still here for help?
Attrition/Supply:
It's Winter. I am starting to lose guys from Attrition. I know I can lose troops even if supplied, but 5x more likely if unsupplied. Manual (p.134) says <Shift>+U is a hotkey to show unsupplied regions --- it shows nothing. Possible. As an experiment, I pile up troops in regions, and disband all Depots I have. I advance a couple of turns. Still losing to attrition, seemingly in stacked areas. I look through every unit and they all have "supplied" marker on them. <Shift>+U still never darkens a region or shows me anything.
Do I really have no unsupplied units? Does <Shift>+U actually do anything? How do I find unsupplied units? Is my attrition nothing to do with unsupplied?
It's Winter. I am starting to lose guys from Attrition. I know I can lose troops even if supplied, but 5x more likely if unsupplied. Manual (p.134) says <Shift>+U is a hotkey to show unsupplied regions --- it shows nothing. Possible. As an experiment, I pile up troops in regions, and disband all Depots I have. I advance a couple of turns. Still losing to attrition, seemingly in stacked areas. I look through every unit and they all have "supplied" marker on them. <Shift>+U still never darkens a region or shows me anything.
Do I really have no unsupplied units? Does <Shift>+U actually do anything? How do I find unsupplied units? Is my attrition nothing to do with unsupplied?
RE: Amyone still here for help?
You will definitely need more transports if you're going to do any costal invasions besides the minor islands.
Don't send your gunboats in a few at a time, build up a good sized force first. Then you can start knocking out those heavy arts.
You need more than one cruiser per port. I'm not sure how many exactly but press your e key and check the blockade level, if its low add more cruisers.
You will lose troops from general disease and desertion a few every turn usually. This is normal.
Don't send your gunboats in a few at a time, build up a good sized force first. Then you can start knocking out those heavy arts.
You need more than one cruiser per port. I'm not sure how many exactly but press your e key and check the blockade level, if its low add more cruisers.
You will lose troops from general disease and desertion a few every turn usually. This is normal.
RE: Amyone still here for help?
Thanks for your comments.
Does <Shift>U actually show any unsupplied anything? How do you know if you are over-stacking, and possibly need to build more depots --- please don't tell me that from the full pop-up information I have to calculate for myself?!
Does <Shift>U actually show any unsupplied anything? How do you know if you are over-stacking, and possibly need to build more depots --- please don't tell me that from the full pop-up information I have to calculate for myself?!
RE: Amyone still here for help?
As the union I've never experienced a unit being out of supply, shouldn't happen unless you get yourself cut off.
And as far as I know there is no stacking limit, although I think the more units you have in a territory the more will be lost from attrition
And as far as I know there is no stacking limit, although I think the more units you have in a territory the more will be lost from attrition
RE: Amyone still here for help?
questions 2 thru 6: Put one TC in Washington and the other in Cairo. The Western TC moves to Nashville when available. Initiative is poor in 1861; use amphib to capture islands and one fort at the mouth of Mississippi. Use your cav to occupy Missouri & W.Vir. After the cav occupies the region the infantry can inch forward even w/o initiative.
Your AC should probably go into combat with his troops to give them his combat advantages. The critical thing for AC initiative is to have 2 or more depots in the area and keep them protected with your inept cavalry. As the AC stays still on top of his depot he will eventually get initiative.
uestion 7: I have never understood the "automatic" show up; I wait until he is on the screen and try for him. Frankly, you may wish him to command an infantry corps and groom him for an AC position.
question 8: I typically build 10 cruisers turn one and get almost all the cruisers into the Atlantic to kills raiders; build gunboats for the Atlantic blockade and be sure to put depots on captured island to double the blockade effect. Leaders are critical to successful blockades.
Activating leaders: a. yes, b. yes use the hotkey to activate the chronology for recent actions, which should include new leader activations
Manassas: rs99z28 has it right; send the minimum amount.
Transports: plenty for the West, you may wish to build some in your "second" tier of naval building for the East
Don't wait for spring to invade the island; put a bunch of leaders with one infantry unit in DC with the TC and AC and wait; inevitably one or two will get amphib initiative; you only need one inf to capture the island, then SM an efficient engineer to the island, build a depot and leave it garrisoned by a regular.
HA in double forts are very tough; if in single forts they are vulnerable to your ironclads. In the West, wait until you have 8 or 9 gunboats and just blast your way through the CSA HA in single forts.
attrition: every USA unit should be supplied every turn; it is criminal for anybody to have increased attrition for want of supply.
There is a hotkey to check for unsupplied units; use it. The other variable factor you can influence to minimize attrition is to keep your militia units in the north until they are trained up to be regulars. If a militia dies, you lost a unit. If a regular dies, it goes to the replacement pool so you only lose half the unit. rs99z28 has it right again on islands .
good luck and have fun
Your AC should probably go into combat with his troops to give them his combat advantages. The critical thing for AC initiative is to have 2 or more depots in the area and keep them protected with your inept cavalry. As the AC stays still on top of his depot he will eventually get initiative.
uestion 7: I have never understood the "automatic" show up; I wait until he is on the screen and try for him. Frankly, you may wish him to command an infantry corps and groom him for an AC position.
question 8: I typically build 10 cruisers turn one and get almost all the cruisers into the Atlantic to kills raiders; build gunboats for the Atlantic blockade and be sure to put depots on captured island to double the blockade effect. Leaders are critical to successful blockades.
Activating leaders: a. yes, b. yes use the hotkey to activate the chronology for recent actions, which should include new leader activations
Manassas: rs99z28 has it right; send the minimum amount.
Transports: plenty for the West, you may wish to build some in your "second" tier of naval building for the East
Don't wait for spring to invade the island; put a bunch of leaders with one infantry unit in DC with the TC and AC and wait; inevitably one or two will get amphib initiative; you only need one inf to capture the island, then SM an efficient engineer to the island, build a depot and leave it garrisoned by a regular.
HA in double forts are very tough; if in single forts they are vulnerable to your ironclads. In the West, wait until you have 8 or 9 gunboats and just blast your way through the CSA HA in single forts.
attrition: every USA unit should be supplied every turn; it is criminal for anybody to have increased attrition for want of supply.
There is a hotkey to check for unsupplied units; use it. The other variable factor you can influence to minimize attrition is to keep your militia units in the north until they are trained up to be regulars. If a militia dies, you lost a unit. If a regular dies, it goes to the replacement pool so you only lose half the unit. rs99z28 has it right again on islands .
good luck and have fun
"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace."
RE: Amyone still here for help?
@Treefrog
Thank you for your tips. The one about using cavalry with infantry behind to inch forward out West might help me! Also the one about wanting *2* depots.
It's about August 1862. I let the Confederacy invade Kentucky, and sure enough they have fortified Paducah. I can't seem to get past, neither by troops nor by gunboats. In the East they have just taken Fort Monroe from me. Their new ironclads & gunboats are popping up in the GoM & Atlantic to attack the blockaders. I suck, but love it [:D]
Thank you for your tips. The one about using cavalry with infantry behind to inch forward out West might help me! Also the one about wanting *2* depots.
It's about August 1862. I let the Confederacy invade Kentucky, and sure enough they have fortified Paducah. I can't seem to get past, neither by troops nor by gunboats. In the East they have just taken Fort Monroe from me. Their new ironclads & gunboats are popping up in the GoM & Atlantic to attack the blockaders. I suck, but love it [:D]
RE: Amyone still here for help?
Make sure you're updated to the latest version, ironclad production for csa should be very low
RE: Amyone still here for help?
I am indeed at latest (1.040, IIRC). But I'm talking about one ironclad appearing in GoM, sinking my defenceless cruisers --- remember, I'm just learning this game!
RE: Amyone still here for help?
I got this game when it came out and a still learn a thing here and there.
Ps.
Use New York entirely for ironclad production the first go round
Ps.
Use New York entirely for ironclad production the first go round