2nd try..just darn awkward

[battleground]

Playing this for a 2nd time (not 2nd game! lol!). map interface awkward. when you click on a unit it kinda sticks to your shoe and you have to be careful when you move on
so that have not accidentially give it a move order or removed a unit from its container.
also strategic gameplay seems very tacked on. not really politics just being brow-
beaten by governers or ignoring them. no nationa draft laws. no troops with their
enlistments running out. standard game is just plain wierd. it appears the Rebs have
stolen all the Northern weapons and they are running around in many cases with pistols
and swords! Northern industry appears very weak and it will take well into 1864 to make
serious headway. Rebs appear to start with most of the North's artillery as well. Only
guns i see in the Yankee army in masse are out in Missouri! You also have to be very
careful with the mouse giving move orders as you can miss just the right place to click
to move where you wish. Also hard to find ways to cities. have had troops wander all
over (and hitting backspace repeatidly) until i found exactly what provice some river
cities can be entered. Also could have had units with state numbers rather than with
all numerical. if you raise a unit in a state is should simply be numbered in sequence
in that state (1st Iowa raised followed by 2nd, 3rd, etc).

I know i appear to complain but after playing the Napoleonic version this is very much
a disapointment in how it plays. It exhausts you having to be careful with every small
click so much you feel you are dragging the game along behind you like a weight rather
than giving orders. Is there any naval combat? I have played one game over a year and have yet to take a raider or blockade runner in battle. promoting generals (at least
for the North) is difficult although it gives you a list and where it is you have no chance
to inspect the troops they are with so you don't accidently promote the officer out of command of his troops.

The tactical is fun but the strategic is very weak feeling. also the South raising alot of
Negro troops? Do you actually believe that when in combat they would not move in masse to the Union lines? (like the Saxons at Leipzig). Fight for your freedom or simply
march across and get it. 1 or maybe 2 regiments but that would be it.

Although somewhat old the David Hunter game on the civil war appeared alot stronger
strategic wise although very basic in tactical. more fun tho. AEGODs ACW is fun but
the map is terrible (4th grader quality) and the side view makes it hard to really see the
terrain. at least the map in FoF is superior here tho the provinces around Richmond are
too large. should be some way to click on changing weapons without running the risk
of moving your army or regiment by mistake. hard to see on naval having no names
for ships as well.

I realize this post is a ramble but i am out of surgery for spinal damage and so run a bit
short of sleep and am running on pain pills. at least i have some time to play FoF tho!
LOL! I do appreciate the hard work put into this. Just wish it had more depth. If you
do an update (i understand the next version is tactical) please add MORE history rather
than dumbing it down as this was.
thanks!!!!

[evwalt]

While I do agree about the "sticky units" I must disagree with just about everything else.
 
For "state units," the lowest unit in the game is a Brigade.  Brigades were often (but not always) organized by states so that is why there is no numbered state units.  If you feel really strongly about that, you can always rename the units yourself.  I often do that with "Garrison" units I send to the field.  It really isn't a big deal.
 
As far as "northern industry" it is hard to comment because you don't mention the level of play.  I believe above 1st Sergeant, the player gets big (and getting bigger as you increase the level) economic hits.  As far as the units at the beginning of the game, all I can say is to read some material about the beginning of the war.  Often both sides were scrounging weapons.
 
No naval combat.  Raiders and Runners can be damaged/destroyed but by no specific actions that a player can take. 
 
Promotions.  I GUESS things could be a little easier but am not sure how.  Remember with the update you can promote generals (and more than 1!) outside of the "end of turn" action.  Indeed, I really don't promote generals at the end of the turn, unless I happen to see a 1-star with great stats I missed.
 
Not sure what you are talking about with the south raising "lots of Negro troops."  First, I disagree that "they would have moved in mass to the Union."  From the (admittedly very isolated incidents I have read, especially about Free Blacks serving in Confederate regiments from LA), that is not necessarily the case.  Plus, have you read what can happen to the Confederacy in the game if they do emancipation?  Whole states can drop out of the war.  Personally, I have never seen the computer do emancipation as the Confederacy and have only done once myself.  Having watched 3 states "drop out of the war" I can't imagine ever doing it again.
 
While I certainly disagree with most of your post, I hope you feel better soon!

[battleground]

thanks, am feeling alot better. i am getting more of a handle on the game and enjoying it more. i guess i had assumed the basic
game was the historical one but it appears very off in numbers for the armies and i enjoy the coming fury 1861 game much more and play at captain level with advanced rules. it is sad no real info is given on naval victories and nothing on rebel raiders that i can see.
the game needs more depth in the political field and an updated database of ship names and flags (Irish brigade comes to mind). I just purchased GG ACW game from Matrix and am learning that. Each of the ACW games out now has their strengths and their
weaknesses. FoF is not as bad as i originally thought but if ever updated can use some real work to improve the historical raising
of troops by calls to the states without worrying about unrest, after all they are volunteers! its when you conscript you have the
problems. i am not interested in the upcoming tactical FoF version as i am more interested in long term strategy games with very
high detail and historical accuracy. tactical games are not my style. FoF will provide some interesting gaming hours now tho. Thank you Matrix!

[evwalt]

With the advanced rules, you can Muster or Conscript troops in the states.  If you do either in a state where the governor supports you, there is no chance of unrest at all.
 
True, there is no real naval action; however I don't think there was much (any) during the civil war anyway.  Might have been interesting if the French or Brits join in though.
 
As far as things like the "Irish Brigade," these units ARE present.  When you muster, raise or conscript units, there is a chance that one of these "legendary units" will appear.  If you play the South, you begin with several of these units already in play (Stonewall Brigade, etc.)

[battleground]

I have seen the special units, its the flags i was mentioning. there are alot more flags that
could have been added (i suppose they will show up in the tactical FoF game). too bad you
cannot even tell if you snag one of the blockade runners.

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: battlegroundvehicles

1. there are alot more flags that could have been added (i suppose they will show up in the tactical FoF game).

2. too bad you cannot even tell if you snag one of the blockade runners.

1. You know there are several more flags to chose from? Click on the flag of a brigade/division/corps/army and you will have quite a few to select from.

2. Look at the "events"-log, it will tell you something like "1st Runner took X damage in "Sea area"". If the damage is 8,9 or 10 the runner is sunk, less than that and it is damaged and likely to sink if ever damaged againb unless repaired.

Terje

[battleground]

No worries on the flags as currently shown. I do swap out with the ones in the files.
There are alot more that could have been done as well (such as the Irish Brigade) that
are not there. I expect these will be in the FoF tactical game that is coming up.

Thanks of the info on blockade runners. I must have missed that in the event page
when it happened. I do note that sometimes by 1863 that sometimes the Confederates
no longer appear to be making blockade runners (perhaps out of resources).

[terje439]

Depending on how you do, lack of resources is a distinct possibility indeed.
I've never seen that as I never play the Northern agressors.

Terje