first impressions

[gravyhair]

Well, I've spent the last 5 hours playing w/out reading manual. I've played all the SC's and I know my history. I give it a 8/10 so far. Lots of fun flavor events that seem well-reasoned, requiring hard decisions.

Gave the CSA AI a +1 spotting and played the Apri61 campaign to August 1862. Mucked about a lot in the West with Indians and cavalry ranging back and forth from New Mexico to Colorado and up into Missouri and Kansas. Sent Grant out there to work down the river and he's made some progress but the Rebels are putting up stiff resistance. Used Little Mac to invade West Virginia and he is stalemated there. Got close to Staunton with a drive down the Shenandoah but the enemy keeps fighting back and the weather was difficult. In the East it's a raw slugging match reminiscent of WW1. Emphasized building frigates, gunboats, two monitors and 4 ships of the line so the blockade is in force and we've sunk one CSA ironclad off Norfolk. Trying to play the long game with researching industrial techs and grinding the bad guys. Should have made more HQ's. Halleck commanding in the East (!). Butler holding out on the coast.

It's fun. The fruit of my strategy won't come in until 1863 at the earliest, and that's intentional. Lee has been kicking my butt around Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville but I am grinding him down (I think). Put some effort into talking the Brits down. Got a bunch of ironclad river gunboats below St Louis but until Grant clears the shore I can't get to Memphis. Having a good time. I recommend it.

[DavidG3276]

I've tried several campaigns and the map is so large that the game is unplayable even with zoom. You need more zoom levels and a better strategic map. In the meanwhile, I would hold off purchasing this game.

[Hubert Cater]

I just mentioned this in another thread and perhaps this might help, you could try playing at a lower resolution to replicate the effects of further zoom.

Go to Settings and select one of the lower resolutions in the list to see how that might help.

[Hubert Cater]

For the strategic map, one option you could try, and it is not guaranteed to work as some systems do not support it, is to rename the following file for the campaign you are playing.

For example, if you navigate to your root installation folder, and are playing the 1861 campaign, rename the following file:

\Campaigns\_1861 Blue and Gray\Interface\map.png

Rename it to let's say map1.png

This way the original file is preserved in case you need to re-enable it by renaming it to its original name again.

What this will do is auto-generate a strategic map with the national colours similar to the mini map if 'National Colours' are enabled in the OPTIONS screen.

This might be easier to see the various areas of control and the state lines might be more easily interpreted. It's not an officially supported solution, but could possibly help.

[DavidG3276]

I tried changing the resolution with no real improvement and I really do not want to have to play around with map files. I'm to the point of thinking that the real issue is the scale of the game itself. It's just too large. I shouldn't have to go through so much map movement to try to get a general picture unlike other games in the SC franchise. Thank you for your suggestions but I think you're trying to do something new with this game in terms of the scale and it just doesn't work for me. It may work for others.

[Aurelian]

I don't find the map too large myself. Reminds me of DG's War Between The States.

[OldCrowBalthazor]

The map scale is perfect for me! It conveys the geographical immensity of this vast conflict.
I've been waiting for something like this since Victory Games 'Civil War' board game. My crew and I played the hades out of that game, back in the early 90's, and we mused about whether we would ever see an epic scale American Civil War game for the computer. Well here it is and I and quite a few other old school grognards are quite happy now, (and we are a grumpy lot ya see...normally lol)

[devoncop]

I am also enjoying this game a lot.

I have a couple of MP games against seasoned opponents who are teaching me some lessons and a SP game as the Confederates which is just going into 1862 and where things are going better (normal difficulty)

What I do enjoy in particular in this game is the great fun you can have in New Mexico and with the Indians who are helping to prop up the Rebs pretty effectively in south western Missouri and making a nuisance of themselves. The naval ( particularly river) warfare is modelled pretty well and as has been said the size of the map is amazing and truly ensures that it is largely a war of cut and thrust.

[Aspirin]

The map size is good for what the game is representing. Another zoom level would be nice though, as it can be hard to find things. Asking players to adjust their settings or change file names is not an ideal solution.

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Aspirin,

Yeah it's a bit of a catch 22, I can opt to not suggest possible workarounds (not ideal), or suggest something and have it still be considered less than ideal.

In the end, and just to clarify, I'm not actually asking players to adjust their settings or change the names of files, they are just optional settings or adjustments that can be made. Entirely up to players if they want to try them or not.

I also don't disagree that another zoom level would be nice, it is just unfortunately not a trivial thing to implement at this point in time with the current engine, thus the optional suggestions.

Hope this helps,
Hubert

[Aspirin]

Thanks Hubert, I was unaware that the lack of an additional zoom level (for the bigger map) was more about technical issues. Other suggestions that might help are therefore most welcome.

The game is great and as always your support and passion are excellent.

[Hubert Cater]

Thanks Aspirin for your understanding, much appreciated as well

[delbert57]

Unless I am missing something the next unit button only works for land units.It would help me a lot if I could cycle through my ships as well as I often lose track of them or forget to move them.

[BillRunacre]

It cycles through the unit type you've last selected, so if you click on a naval unit and then click on the next unit button, it should cycle through just your naval units.

[stormbringer3]

I finished my 1st game as the CSA on intermediate difficulty. I won in late 1863. Some thoughts are that the Union AI built way too many deep water navy units and not enough land units. I built all the Indian units and I think that they have too much power. I moved them east and they joined the other CSA armies. Perhaps there should be a regional restriction to their movement.
I think It's a great game and I look forward to tryng different strategies.

[crismac_slith]

I tried changing the resolution with no real improvement and I really do not want to have to play around with map files. I'm to the point of thinking that the real issue is the scale of the game itself. It's just too large. I shouldn't have to go through so much map movement to try to get a general picture unlike other games in the SC franchise. Thank you for your suggestions but I think you're trying to do something new with this game in terms of the scale and it just doesn't work for me. It may work for others.

Thanks for posting this as resolution with my 3440 x1440 monitor is always a concern before I purchase a game. What resolution are you using? I might hold off buying until it is released on steam to refund if this is an issue. Thanks for bringing this up.

[delbert57]

Thank you Bill,I should have realised that myself.

[Hubert Cater]

I tried changing the resolution with no real improvement and I really do not want to have to play around with map files. I'm to the point of thinking that the real issue is the scale of the game itself. It's just too large. I shouldn't have to go through so much map movement to try to get a general picture unlike other games in the SC franchise. Thank you for your suggestions but I think you're trying to do something new with this game in terms of the scale and it just doesn't work for me. It may work for others.

Thanks for posting this as resolution with my 3440 x1440 monitor is always a concern before I purchase a game. What resolution are you using? I might hold off buying until it is released on steam to refund if this is an issue. Thanks for bringing this up.

Hi Crismac_slith,

If I can ask:

1) How big is your monitor? e.g. 27 inch, 32 inch etc

2) Do you run your PC with Windows scaling? e.g. run at a scaling of let's say something other than 100%?

More info on scaling here:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set- ... windows-10


* * *

The answers to these questions will give me a better idea on how it might look on your end. For example, if you run at 3440x1440 on a smaller monitor then quite a few applications, not even including this game will have text that will look on the smaller side.

In these cases, Windows scaling is often used, and when this happens it increases the size and look of things, where in fact you are actually not running at 3440x1440 anymore, even though Windows lists you as running at that resolution.

e.g. if you scale at 200%, you are actually then running at half of your selected resolution, so no longer 3440x1440 but rather 1720x720 etc.

Either way, knowing some of these details can help me to at least give you an idea how it might look on your PC.

[crismac_slith]

I tried changing the resolution with no real improvement and I really do not want to have to play around with map files. I'm to the point of thinking that the real issue is the scale of the game itself. It's just too large. I shouldn't have to go through so much map movement to try to get a general picture unlike other games in the SC franchise. Thank you for your suggestions but I think you're trying to do something new with this game in terms of the scale and it just doesn't work for me. It may work for others.

Thanks for posting this as resolution with my 3440 x1440 monitor is always a concern before I purchase a game. What resolution are you using? I might hold off buying until it is released on steam to refund if this is an issue. Thanks for bringing this up.

Hi Crismac_slith,

If I can ask:

1) How big is your monitor? e.g. 27 inch, 32 inch etc

2) Do you run your PC with Windows scaling? e.g. run at a scaling of let's say something other than 100%?

More info on scaling here:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set- ... windows-10


* * *

The answers to these questions will give me a better idea on how it might look on your end. For example, if you run at 3440x1440 on a smaller monitor then quite a few applications, not even including this game will have text that will look on the smaller side.

In these cases, Windows scaling is often used, and when this happens it increases the size and look of things, where in fact you are actually not running at 3440x1440 anymore, even though Windows lists you as running at that resolution.

e.g. if you scale at 200%, you are actually then running at half of your selected resolution, so no longer 3440x1440 but rather 1720x720 etc.

Either way, knowing some of these details can help me to at least give you an idea how it might look on your PC.

Hi Mr Cater. First off love your games. I have all of them. And thanks for such a quick response.

1) It is an ASUS 34"

2)Yes I do with my vision issues for health and age. I have Windows 11 set at 110%.

I made a mistake. I put 125% but changed that a while ago and forgot it is now 110%

[DavidG3276]

I run at 1920 x 1080 resolution.