New BoA Patch!

[Gibbon]

Hurra!

BoA is still alive and kicking!!

Patch 1.12 is ready

Dear players,

After some waiting, here is the new patch. It has been beta tested this week-end and no errors have been reported. It fixes some annoying bugs and provides some tweaks in gameplay and user interface.

http://ageoddl.telechargement.fr/latest/BOA_Patch.zip

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Birth of America Update 1.12 Readme
Saturday, May 05, 2007
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This patch contains all changes since the start.
You can continue a saved game created before the patch. All entries will apply dynamically to your previous game (except the location of Skinner if already on map)

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Bugs Fixes
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fixed: Training ability did not work in 1.11 (reminder: you must be in full supply, non moving and not in offensive posture to train units)

fixed: Supply was resplesnished too fast in friendly territory.


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User Interface
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You have a new option to have the map focus on an enemy move during hosting (Options/Media window). Activated by default, you can disable it.

Units prevented from merging with others stacks will keep the option from turn to turn. (CTRL-L or right cliking on the army tab)

The "Save Under a new name" procedure (ctrl-click on the save button) has been rewritten to prevent file locking.

New System Option, 'Max Texture Size', which will allows the game to run in a safer mode.
See the technical forum thread for more details.


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Game Play, Rules Additions and Changes
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Disloyal cities don't prevent entirely weather damages, to counter the exploit of city-hopping in winter.

Force march percentage has been slightly revised (higher base chance)

Siege damages revised, more emphasize on artillery, less on others units.

Taking hits during siege unfix the units.


Reminder: if an inactive leader is caught in a battle, he will suffers heavy penalty if not in a region friendly controled (up to 50% penalty).
Ambush % and mechanic improved.


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Scenarios Additions and Changes
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fixed: The latter French reinforcements were not arriving properly (thus rendering the game too hard on the American's side).

Leader Skinner was not in the right place at the right moment.

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AI
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More cautious raiders/cavalry on recon.

More cautious AI against entrenchments and forts.

[Jagger2002]

Heads up on the new patch.  
 
Supply is unforgiving...so remember, supply depots are your friends. 
 
Also recuperation from losses seems slower than the previous version.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Jagger2002
Heads up on the new patch.  
Supply is unforgiving...so remember, supply depots are your friends ... 

Under 1.12, supply is not only unforgiving, its rules are applied in Draconian fashion; I have lost entire armies immediately after just losing my wagons, and some my troops have been out-of-supply in forts in areas that I actually control!

The Brit AI seems to be declawed and is no longer a challenge; it looks like the play balance is very uneven w/this new patch, which was supposedly tested before its release.

Anyone else experience this, or is everyone playing ACW?

[Will_L_OLD]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

ORIGINAL: Jagger2002
Heads up on the new patch.
Supply is unforgiving...so remember, supply depots are your friends ...

Under 1.12, supply is not only unforgiving, its rules are applied in Draconian fashion; I have lost entire armies immediately after just losing my wagons, and some my troops have been out-of-supply in forts in areas that I actually control!

The Brit AI seems to be declawed and is no longer a challenge; it looks like the play balance is very uneven w/this new patch, which was supposedly tested before its release.

Anyone else experience this, or is everyone playing ACW?

I just finished a 1775-1783 campaign with an American victory in September 1779. Normal settings for aggressiveness and detection and more time for AI.
It seemed that the Brits could never really get rolling after they lost the first battle outside Boston in '75 (I was shocked and Ward actually improved to a 2 attack and 3 defense afterwards). In '76 after their initial spread out in New England I was able to return from Albany and New York and wrest the New England region from them. They contented themselves with taking Ft. Ticonderoga and occasionally trying to take Ft. Stanwick. Had I realized their supply situation at Ticonderoga was so critical I would have beseiged it sooner, they surrendered after one turn of seige in August '79.
Was able to keep control of South Central and the Philadelphia/New York/Albany corridor the entire game and while they made a strong effort in the Deep South I was eventually able to overwhelm them there as well.
Built depots everywhere with supply which must have helped me out, wasn't able to build a depot with the two bateaux as previously. Regaining strength points, supply or ammunition was a slow proposition. The logistics nightmare was actually kind of enjoyable. Also there was never a withdrawal of any on map militia or continental army unit.
Now to try the British side and hopefully not suffer the same fate.

[decaro]

Check Pocus' post under the "Brits easier" thread; Pocus said he would look into the new supply situation, but he probably has a full plate now that ACW is out.

As the Colonials, under 1.12 I watched an entire Brit AI army self-destruct while it was billeted at Ticonderoga. The new supply rules are too severe, esp. in "civilization"; after all, colonists were required to billet Brit soldiers in their own homes, so how serious could resupply be for the Brits in territory they control?

[Will_L_OLD]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

Check Pocus' post under the "Brits easier" thread; Pocus said he would look into the new supply situation, but he probably has a full plate now that ACW is out.

As the Colonials, under 1.12 I watched an entire Brit AI army self-destruct while it was billeted at Ticonderoga. The new supply rules are too severe, esp. in "civilization"; after all, colonists were required to billet Brit soldiers in their own homes, so how serious could resupply be for the Brits in territory they control?

It makes sense that the supply rules would force the Brits to spread out. There are enough towns to billet them in, just need to match the supply level the region can produce with the forces you send there. I'll see how I manage with them later today when I start a new 75-83 campaign against the American AI.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Will_L
It makes sense that the supply rules would force the Brits to spread out. There are enough towns to billet them in, just need to match the supply level the region can produce with the forces you send there. I'll see how I manage with them later today when I start a new 75-83 campaign against the American AI.

Matching Brit armies to areas that can support them may prove easier said than done; it's ironic that the player advice at the end of the BoA manual (v 1.09) said not to disperse your Brit armies, but the new supply penalties under v. 1.12 may not give you much of a choice.

Anyway, let us know how you make out as Pocus often monitors these threads.

[Roads]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

The new supply rules are too severe, esp. in "civilization"; after all, colonists were required to billet Brit soldiers in their own homes, so how serious could resupply be for the Brits in territory they control?

In real life it was very hard. The British were never able to feed the army in New York off local supply, even though they held all of Long Island for the duration of the conflict. The reason Trenton happened was because the British had dispersed across the entire state/colony of New Jersey to ensure adequate supply. Basically they always had supply problems away from the ports (whcih I guess are depots for game purposes).

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Roads

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
The new supply rules are too severe, esp. in "civilization"; after all, colonists were required to billet Brit soldiers in their own homes, so how serious could resupply be for the Brits in territory they control?

In real life it was very hard. The British were never able to feed the army in New York off local supply, even though they held all of Long Island for the duration of the conflict. The reason Trenton happened was because the British had dispersed across the entire state/colony of New Jersey to ensure adequate supply. Basically they always had supply problems away from the ports (whcih I guess are depots for game purposes).

I assume the troops in Trenton were "living off the land," otherwise dispersing troops just makes it harder to get supplies to them (from port).

Well, BoA now has to make a decision between a historical supply system w/severe penalties that prohibits the Brits from forming large armies for any appreciable amount of time, or compromising the new supply restrictions to get back the challenging "cat and mouse" play between hit-and-run Colonials and large(r) Brit formations.

Wonder what Pocus will decide to do? What do BoA players want?

[Pocus]

AI must not be screwed. If players have too much trouble in sustaining their troops, imagine how hard it is for poor Athena. So the rule will be softened.

Any reports on the American AI? Are the US troops dissolving too?

[decaro]

I found it almost impossible to sustain any Colonial troop strength in Canada in the winter, even w/a train load of wagons. After the wagons go quickly red, armies can dissolve within one turn/month.

I was, however, able to use Spanish troops to take Florida, then Vincennes, from where it was a short jump to Fort Detroit. I was able to succcessfully seige it during the summer and maintain troops there through the winter.

In the US proper, Colonial troops usually don't disolve in most areas; they simply don't replenish their numbers, i.e., red units stay red. However, my Colonial armies tend to be smaller than their Brit counterparts.

I will have to play as the Brits and try to see how the Colonial AI does w/supply.

[Pocus]

for Canada, you need to take a town and establish a depot or even two, because you need to resplenish your wagons routinely, if you want to operate in winter (which is somehow ahistorical). In winter, wagons can protect you from damages, but will eat supply very fast.

[Jagger2002]

I have played a couple of years now as the Brits against the American AI. I can function properly with the Brits as I build plenty of depots. The American AI seems to play well.

After a year and a half as the Americans against the Brit AI, the Brits are having major problems. They are so scattered that they are easy pickings with my concentrated American armies. Also the Brit armies have weak strength either through lack of supply and/or lack of refit/replacements. The big Brit/Hessian reinforcements of 76 haven't yet arrived but I suspect I will take them out as well and finish the game off.

IMO, the American AI doesn't seem to have a problem with the new supply rules but the Brit AI is having major problems.

For a human, the supply and rest/refit rules are working great. The supply rules are probably fine for human vs human but not so much for the Brit AI.

[Roads]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

ORIGINAL: Roads
In real life it was very hard. The British were never able to feed the army in New York off local supply, even though they held all of Long Island for the duration of the conflict. The reason Trenton happened was because the British had dispersed across the entire state/colony of New Jersey to ensure adequate supply. Basically they always had supply problems away from the ports (whcih I guess are depots for game purposes).

I assume the troops in Trenton were "living off the land," otherwise dispersing troops just makes it harder to get supplies to them (from port).

That was my point. The only time that the British really tried to live off the land led to their forces being so dispersed that they were beaten handily. Howe needed almost all of New Jersey, in addition to Long Island, New York and Westchester to draw enough supplies for his amry (admittedly the biggest British army in the war). Supply problems led to his dispersing his troops and their being beaten at Trenton. Supply problems stopped Cornwallis cold in North Carolina. Supply problems led to Burgoyne sending his light troops to where they could be beaten in Bennington.

I haven't played the new patch enough to have an opinion on the new rule. But IMHO supply wasn't enough of a factor in 1.11, especially for the British. The continentals certainly had plenty of supply problems, but these didn't constrain their operations the same way that comparable problems constrained the British. Ultimately this was because the rebels were almost always able to assert political control where the British weren't present.

[decaro]

Under 1.12, BoA is almost a new game; I now have to use the supply filter on every turn to see where I can/can't stay or go. In fact, playing as the Brits, an area in supply could suddenly go bad with the advent of winter or a nearby Colonial army!

Historically, the Brits sometimes caused their own supply problems by pointlessly chasing Colonial militia into the wilderness (Cornwallis) or trying to get an entire baggage train of personal comforts -- including a mistress -- through the wilderness, as did Burgoyne.

But you're right; BoA supply restrictions weren't sufficient in 1.11, but in 1.12, these retrictions may have gone too far re play balance is concerned; so there may still have to be a compromise.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Pocus
AI must not be screwed. If players have too much trouble in sustaining their troops, imagine how hard it is for poor Athena. So the rule will be softened.
Any reports on the American AI? Are the US troops dissolving too?

Playing as the Brits, I watched an entire AI army under H. Gates quickly change to red after a short seige -- by land and sea -- in NYC! Otherwise, the AI seems to handle supply better as the Colonials than when playing as the Brits. It also seems more feisty, foolishly engaging Brit armies early in the '75 scenario, but that was probably because I didn't give "Athena" a FOW break; I kept the same parameters for this game as when I played the Colonials: normal AI w/extended time w/o any FOG advantages.

[decaro]

Playing as the Brits in the 1775 scenario vs. the Colonial AI set at normal w/extended time: it's 1780 and my lead of 1610 to 1500 plus is slowly vanishing because I can't get my troops and officers into a town where they could be resupplied/replenished. Even w/only a few regiments to billet for the winter, areas that are clear for supply just go dark when my troops finally get there; all that way for nothing because the town doesn't have enough supply to support a handful of troops!

All the stars earned by my regiments -- one had 3 -- have been for naught since the last of my veteran units has dissolved; I then lose town after town because I have no troops left to defend them.

Perhaps BoA has become too realistic for gaming purposes; I have certainly gained an appreciation for supply problems in the 1700's, but what was an exciting -- if not frustrating -- game of "cat and mouse" is now more like being slowly squeezed to death by an Anaconda of supply restrictions that is sucking the life right out of this game.

Well, at least was a good history lesson while my attention span lasted.

[Pocus]

I agree with you, I tried to play also the Brits and they have one hell of a time with supply. My testing was done as the Americans so the problem was much amended by the fact many regions are friendly to you.

I will try to update BOA next week, thanks for your feedback all !

[decaro]

Thanks for taking the time to listen to our feedback; this doesn't always happen with all the games on Matrix forums.

[anarchyintheuk]

IMHO after playing as Brits in the 1775 and 1775 alt campaigns with the new patch, supply "feels" about right. It forces you to advance slowly, garrison the areas you take rather well and disperse your forces in winter. Although not historical, you can park and rotate regiments in Halifax and the West Indies for r&r (terming service in the West Indies as r&r would not have amused the soldiers of that age). Whether or not that reflects a valid game construct only the designers can answer.

May sound odd but I'd like to play those campaigns with the old supply wagon availability rates. Having to fill supply wagons would approximate the extensive preparations that large Brit armies of the time would have had to make prior to a campaign. Guarding supply wagons to and from your depot/main base would recreate on a strategic level the logistical tail historic for the period.