Matrix Games Forums

I own SOW Gettysburg and the Antietem and Chancellorsville expansions... Enjoying the heck out of playing the various scenarios.

Any tips on setting up a fun sandbox mode? Like how big of an engagement, how long (I prefer shorter), where, when, what orders of battle?

I always seem to pick a brigade that gets ordered away from any action. I've been reading a lot about the Civil War lately and trying to go back and read some recaps of the battles to pick divisions where the action is. Even then, I still often get ordered to defend an objective that's away from the heat of the battle...

Any tips?

Perhaps pick smaller Size of Battle. If you are brigade CO in a division sized battle, you will not be likely to be in reserve. Also pick Line of Sight which starts the battle fairly soon.

The sandbox actions are all random battles and have nothing to do with which units were or were not engaged in the historical battle.

Happy combat.

-Jim

I enjoy sandbox battle and almost always pick just a brigade. But there are some odd things that go on. I watch almost every time the other brigades in the division take off chasing routed units and they chase them until the unit is completely killed, routs off map or surrenders (which isn't often). Think one of the problems is units can rout and continue to rally and come back into the fight. I would believe after routing two or three times the unit should be shot both moral wise and physically not able to rally.

Have the unit retreat completely off map or something to remove the continual chase the AI gets hooked into.

Thanks!

I do see units rout off the map. I think the status of the ones that come back is not rout but 'retreating'. The graphics look like a rout though.

So, the problem is probably just one of a setting for the point at which true 'rout' kicks in. I agree that it's too late. Also that routing units should be ignored by the AI (but not retreated ones).

I found Jim's suggestions to help. I still have the occasional scenario where I'm sent to a part of the map where nothing is going on and all I have to do is sit there to get a brilliant victory.

Also - pet peeve: I'll occasionally put a unit and a commander on an objective and the game won't recognize it so there's no way to accrue points and win the scenario. Happens in the scenarios and sand box.

Otherwise great game. I'm just to experience the joy of corps size scenarios after cutting my teeth on brigade and division sized scenarios.