We can talk a little part II

[Hard Sarge]

Hey, don't leave JC out of this, I am the Combat man, I am sure you have questions about how the Ecc works or how the setting do what they do, or how the screens tell you what they tell you

ask him about what the goodies are for being friends with the French, or who has better goodies if they are your friends

you really want to get him going, ask him about the GNP index, or how many banks you should have

[marecone]

[:D] lol
Ok. What are the benefits of beeing a friend with european powers?
And I am not asking this just because of Sarge but I am really ineterested.[;)]
Thanks

[dh76513]

Hard Sarge,
Would you please disclose a little about how the AI will select its command when you are playing a computer component? For example, what is the likelihood that in a human player versus the computer game one might not be facing Grant or Lee as the commanding generals on the computer opponent’s side? How did you select your general officers? Who was your commanding general?

Thanks,

David

[Hard Sarge]

this is really more combat related, but

to be honest, I am not sure how the AI picks who it's commanders are

I have seen Johnny Mac, but also have seen Mitchell as the 4 star, plus I have killed or POWed Mac a few times

for me, or the player

the first turn, you pretty much have a number of 1 star Generals (I would say I have seen some come in with 2 stars later on) at the end of your first turn, you are asked who you want to promote to 4 stars, and a list of your Generals show up, showing where they are at, where they come from (it makes there Governor happy if they get promoted) and a list of there known skills

the next turn you are asked for a 3 star to promote (if the 4 star does not die during the last turn, have seen that happen)

and then I think it is 2 turns of asking for 2 star promotions

and it pretty much stops until you either lose a higher ranked General, demote a higher ranked General (which would make his Govenor unhappy) or you build a/some acdamitys (sorry, spelling, school for Officers)

the number of higher ranked Officers is based on the number of these you have, which is a Ruff choice when you are trying to decide what to build, everything you got, you need, and you never got enough

I beleive it is easier then it may read, and once you are used to it, you do not even really think about it when it happens

for me, I have never demoted any General, but I have lost more then a few, one battle I think I lost Von Dorn and Chethamn (again, spelling)

another battle, I had one Union Bde kill 3 Generals and ruin 2 Bdes with vollies, took me 3 battles, but I kill that unit to the last man

for me, if he is there, I have always gone with Robert E, a few times early on, I have also gone with Stonewall and Johnson (early on, it was purely random, later on, I think it became more weighted as to when which Generals would show up)

[helop5]

Alright...here are a couple of new questions regarding the game....
 
1. How is recruitment of new troops handled? Is one able to implement a draft? If a draft is implemented does that raise unrest among the governers, people, morale of the troops recruited, etc.?
 
2. Is there an option for the Union to Emancipate? If they emancipate is there a large desertion rate among the union troops as historically happened?
 
3. Is there a limit to how many brigades there are in the game?
 
Thank you.

[scout1]

does the game address the boys going home after their 90 days ?

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: scout1

does the game address the boys going home after their 90 days ?

I'll field this one: no.

We thought about it, but it would have required extra programming without necessarily making the game all that more fun or challenging (and would have added extra complexity that many would find unwelcome).

Also, our main scenario begins in Nov. 1861 (for reasons explained on multiple other threads), and most of those 90-day units came and went before. The game will now have a July 1861 scenario (and other scenarios are not ruled out for patches), so there would be more justification for including it, but it's still much work for little overall improvement.

[scout1]

not complaining, just curious .....

looking forward to many pbem's on this one .......

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: helop5

Alright...here are a couple of new questions regarding the game....

1. How is recruitment of new troops handled? Is one able to implement a draft? If a draft is implemented does that raise unrest among the governers, people, morale of the troops recruited, etc.?

2. Is there an option for the Union to Emancipate? If they emancipate is there a large desertion rate among the union troops as historically happened?

3. Is there a limit to how many brigades there are in the game?

Thank you.

Heck, I can field these as well.

1) One doesn't institute a nationwide draft: instead, troops are purchased/mustered/conscripted on a state by state, city by city basis. Purchasing a unit never causes unrest or lowers a governor's attitude, but mustering and conscripting can have negative impacts.

2) The North can emancipate. It doesn't cause desertions, but there is a chance of serious unrest in the Union's own slave-holding states.

3) I don't believe there is an actual number programmed as the limit on brigades, but brigades require population levels to be built, and those are finite, so one cannot have more brigades than all of the starting brigades plus all of the ones one is able to create each year after the population levels are fully or partly restored. If a game lasts into 1865 and one doesn't lose any brigades and one has been able to use every last drop of population to create brigades every year one would probably have around 300 brigades in the field if playing the CSA and 500 if the USA (very rough guestimate). But there are A LOT of factors that will prevent that from happening... (It does seem like an interesting challenge to see if one can obtain the maximum possible number of brigades. It would take a heck of a lot of skill and luck. In fact, it would be far more challenging than actually winning...)

[marecone]

ORIGINAL: marecone

[:D] lol
Ok. What are the benefits of beeing a friend with european powers?
And I am not asking this just because of Sarge but I am really ineterested.[;)]
Thanks

Here I go again. Jc please answer.

[jchastain]

ORIGINAL: marecone

ORIGINAL: marecone

[:D] lol
Ok. What are the benefits of beeing a friend with european powers?
And I am not asking this just because of Sarge but I am really ineterested.[;)]
Thanks

Here I go again. Jc please answer.

Sorry, I have been slow to respond here. Things have been pretty busy and I haven't been by as much as I would like. I'll warn you now - I'll be away this weekend as well - it's my 1st wedding anniversary and we're going away for the weekend and something tells me an internet cafe with wargame discussions isn't what the wife has in mind. [;)]

Marecone - I just put up a new post discussing options and Diplomacy was one of the ones that I touched on so take a look. By to answer this question specifically, the European powers can and will give the CSA resources, technology and potentially even troops. Basically, releationships have the potential to get stronger and/or weaker. You manage relationships with Britain, France, and Continental Europe separately and as any of them strengthen with the CSA, they will find themselves getting shipments of goodies. Also, many excellent weapons were produced in Europe during this period and buying the best of them from their various producers often requires certain diplomatic levels. Having them actually enter the war will likely be quite rare, but it is possible should the North just ignore them completely. Generally speaking though, the South is the one trying to build better relationships and get support while the North is trying to prevent that from happening.

[Hard Sarge]

just to touch on one spot here, England and France may be drawn into the war, Europe never will be

some of the stuff if you get the right level, say England, you can then buy Withworth rifles, France you can buy Leige Rifles, and Europe will let you buy Lorenz Rifles

little higher and you can then buy 12 pound Withworth Cannons from England (I never seem to be too friendly with France, so don't know what else you may get)

Withworths and Lorenzs are worth every penny you spend, plus it only uses up money, the Leige is about the same as some of the Rifles you can build yourself, but you don't have to use resourses if you buy them

[spence]

The North can emancipate. It doesn't cause desertions, but there is a chance of serious unrest in the Union's own slave-holding states

I thought the South could emancipate too (though I argued against it in the thread that dealt with that some time ago). Was that changed?

[spruce]

does blockading has impact on Confederacy having access to European guns ?

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: spence

The North can emancipate. It doesn't cause desertions, but there is a chance of serious unrest in the Union's own slave-holding states

I thought the South could emancipate too (though I argued against it in the thread that dealt with that some time ago). Was that changed?

It's an option now. If you look at the Options Screen screenshot, you'll see one called "Allow CSA Emancipation." Turn it of, and that can't happen.

[Hard Sarge]

ORIGINAL: spruce

does blockading has impact on Confederacy having access to European guns ?

Blockading and the Annaconda plan are there, what and how it all works is over my head right now, I work on the land side of the battles

but over all, I would think the Blockading and Runners system is set up to handle the weapon buying, but over all, I do think if your level is high enough, it is figured that some runners are getting though

as Gil said, it is a switch, you can free the Slaves as the south, if it is a option you pick to have

[genie144]

What are the impacts of freeing the slaves as the south?
 
Sam

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: genie144

What are the impacts of freeing the slaves as the south?

Sam

Instead of typing, here's what the manual says (which is also provided as in-game text):

• CSA gains 3 levels of Diplomacy with each European power.
• Each state in the CSA has a 15% chance to step down from the war. If a state steps down, then the production value in all its cities is reduced to zero, and its population factors and maximum population is reduced to zero.
• Each city in CSA’s states gains a permanent bonus of +1 to its level of Men.
• Each city in CSA’s states gains a permanent bonus of +1 to any Labor production.
• All Plantation buildings become Mansion buildings, causing a reduction in income production.
• Both the USA and CSA lose 4 points of National Will.

[genie144]

Thank you.  Pretty interesting scenario...
 
Does anything else affect the 15% chance of stepping down?  Does the support of the governor modify the decision?
 
Sam

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: genie144

Thank you. Pretty interesting scenario...

Does anything else affect the 15% chance of stepping down? Does the support of the governor modify the decision?

Sam

I believe it's purely random. Linking it to governor's power or attitude might be something to consider once the game is out.

Since I know that someone will be asking this soon, here is what happens if the USA emancipates first:

• CSA player loses 3 levels of Diplomacy with each European power (unless that power is at already at war with the USA).
• USA player gains 3 levels of Diplomacy with each European power (unless that power is already at war with the USA).
• All provinces in MO, KY (if Union), MD, and DE, which were slave-holding Union states, have a 15% chance of suffering high levels of Unrest.
• In each city under his control, the CSA player has a 50% chance to receive a free infantry brigade.
• USA and CSA both gain 4 points of National Will.