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Frank Hunter is still working on the update, which because of the changes, has been upgraded from v3.06 into v3.10, as it is more that just tinkering with the existing version. A lot of the changes are under-the-hood, in the way the game behaves, with some more obvious display changes and language options.

The purpose of this mini AAR is to describe just one battle and the system detail that is working through this deceptively simple game. I have gone into some detail to illustrate what is available in the game.

I shall be describing the in-game battle resolution, as best I can, but AFAIK the game will still have the alternative, resolution by miniatures, or any other suitable battle resolution system.

There was always a LOT going on under-the-hood in CotD and I would like to raise the hood a little, as it's worth taking a little time to see what is in the computer controlled battle resolution system.

This battle took place in the scenario 'Invasion of Bavaria' – 'Neutral' handicap - 'Hidden Enemy' FoW – 'Randomised Leadership' (new in v3.10) – 'Campaign' mode selected.

Scenario duration : 15th April - 14th July 1809 (end date with 'Campaign' option selected)

French, AI – Coalition, Me.

New in v3.10 is a 'Randomised Leadership' selection in the opening panel, where commanders' attributes (Administration, Inspiration and Battle skills) are randomly varied from the historical ratings for that scenario. Also, a another new feature is that commander attributes will vary during the game, depending on circumstance, also on the load placed on each commander, and will be reflected in commander attributes.

Another addition is two 'Random Scenarios' options, one for 1805 and one for 1809 and by selecting a random option, the game will load one of the stock 1805, or 1809 scenarios, but you will not know which variant you are playing. This adds a twist to the game, as it becomes easy to know what is going to happen after you have played a named scenario, but now you have the opportunity to surprise yourself.

This is the area of the 1805 and 1809 Danube Campaigns as seen on a modern map of Europe.







There are only 200kbs available for images in this thread, so the quality is not the best !

Situation so far : Turn 23 - 8th May 1809

As Coalition (Austrians), I had delayed the advance into Bavaria from the East, holding the corps of ROSENBERG, HOHENZOLLERN, KIENMAYER, LIECHTENSTEIN, HILLER, and LOUIS between PASSAU and BRAUNAU on the River Inn, with CHARLES, as commander of the Austrian 'Army of the Rhine', back at LINZ, located with the operations centre (LOC) and hospital.

It is problematic whether this delay is historical and that the VIENNA 'War Party' would have allowed CHARLES to wait, but rather would have insisted on CHARLES making an immediate invasion of Bavaria, under threat of dismissal, although it is difficult to see who else could have taken command. Either way, it's nice to be able to mix up the strategy.

North of the River Danube the corps of KOLOWRAT, near CHAM, and BELLEGARDE, near PILSEN, were ordered forward to act as the matador's cape and tempt the French in that direction. I don't know if that had much effect, as initially I cannot see any of the French units' movements through the FOW, with 'Hidden Enemy' set.

However, the French corps of DAVOUT and VANDAMME did crossed the Danube, through DEGGENDORF, where they shattered BELLEGARDE's I Austrian Corps, in a series of attacks and pushed on towards KLATTAU, as BELLEGARDE fell back towards PILSEN in disarray.

CHARLES finally ordered the advance from the River Inn, on a broad front towards DEGGENDORF, LANDAU and LANDSHUT, with the intention of trapping DAVOUT and VANDAMME and finding the other French corps, expected to be in the region beyond the River Iser.

Now, later in the scenario, DAVOUT's French III Corps was trapped and has disintegrated, whilst VANDAMME's Wurttemburg Corps, with 4 units, still remains trapped South of KLATTAU. CHARLES had won the central position, by capturing ECKMUHL and REGENSBERG, with HOHENZOLLERN, and LOUIS and is well satisfied with the situation. That is until the French riposte occurs.

DAVOUT and VANDAMME made little effort to escape, so perhaps that needs some attention, in how units react to entrapment.

The Austrians are now thrown back from REGENSBERG, by a combined attack from MASSENA's French IV Corps, LEFEBVRE's VII Bavarian Corps and MOUTON's Guard Corps. LOUIS, at first 'wavering', is then later 'shattered' and sent reeling back from REGENSBERG and back over the Danube towards SCHWANDORF and CHAM, with losses, including (12) points in stragglers and (5) points in wounded.

HOHENZOLLERN is slow in coming up from LANDAU in support, possibly due the the muddy roads and the need to rest his men, only reaching as far as ECKMUHLand leaving REGENSBERG to be lost to French control, with CHARLES' central position collapsing. New in v3.10, corps commanders will rest their men on their own initiative, which may not always match your plans, although you can still order 'rest days' to try and keep your corps in better condition.

French reinforcements, LANNES II Corps, is still to appear and BERNADOTTE's XII Corps is expected to arrive soon, through NURNBURG.

So the situation on 8th May 1809, which had initially looked so good for my Austrians, is beginning to crumble. It has been raining almost continually and the roads have been muddy for days.

KOLOWRAT, with KIENMAYER, is holding a cross-roads West of ECKMUHL, which if lost, will allow the French to press into the centre of the Austrian deployment, while CHARLES still has army corps spread North and South of the DANUBE.







Ominously, two French stacks are building on KOLOWRAT's front containing a total of 11 units, mostly MASSENA's IV Corps, with the support of LEFEBVRE's VII Corps and KOLOWRAT is re-set from 'engage' to a more cautious contact stance of 'defend', with a 'regular' march urgency stance, whilst the accompanying KIENMAYER has the same orders.

I was tempted to withdraw these two Austrian corps, to avoid a battle against possibly greater odds, fearing that there may be more French units nearby than those visible. However, decided to try and hold the cross-roads, to buy time to bring up more corps, through the muddy roads.

The image above has supply units excluded for clarity, but I have moved the LOC and hospital forward to LANDAU, so these must be protected.

With some trepidation 'end orders' is selected and turn resolution starts for the next day :

Turn 24 - 09th May 1809

The weather for this turn is 'Rain' and it has been raining for several days (turns), so the roads have become muddy, increasing movement delays and stress on marching troops.

The rain will also reduce the battle effects of fire weapons, muskets and cannon, it also reduces the chance of units, not already in the battle hex, hearing a battle and marching 'to the sound of the guns', even provided that this option has been selected in the corps commanders' info panel.

As a house rule, I am not using 'To the guns' for the Austrians to reflect their lack of co-ordination and initiative.

During this turn resolution, an information battle panel indicates a battle at (Hex - 22,12), as I feared at the crossroads, with the forces involved shown as – KOLOWRAT, 43 Inf/16 Cav/7 Art – MASSENA, 66 Inf/6 Cav/5 Art.

Each infantry point is worth 500 men, so KOLOWRAT has 21,500 infantry, whilst MASSENA has 33,000 infantrymen, a clear infantry advantage to the French.

Each cavalry point is worth 500 horsemen, so KOLOWRAT has 8000 cavalry, whilst MASSENA has only 3000 horsemen, a clear cavalry advantage to the Austrians.

Each artillery point is worth 48 pounds of shot, but 'one strength point can represent four
12-pounders, or eight 6-pounders and so on' (Manual).

So the artillery comparison is in hitting power, rather than in the number of actual guns, however, KOLOWRAT has a slight artillery advantage, with the combined guns of two Austrian corps, except that it is raining, which might reduce their effectiveness.

The first thing to note in choosing battle tactics is that, as Austrians, the Artillery will be an advantage if I want to 'Defend', or alternatively the Cavalry will be an advantage, if I want to cover a 'Withdraw', but which to choose?

When you move to the next battle screen, the centre of the main map is obscured and you cannot see the battle hex and terrain, so it would be an advantage if this next panel could slide to one side, or the map still scroll as with some of the other game screens and the battlefield hex could then still be seen.

However, because the map currently will not scroll after the next battle screen is selected, best do it now and slide the battle hex to one side, where you can see it when the next battle panel is displayed, as in the following image.

Which I keep forgetting to do !

Press 'continue', to move to the battle decision screen.







All the Austrian units are listed as already on the field, none are listed as entering in later battle rounds, so they will all be in the battle from Round One. KOLOWRAT is shown as the Austrian commander for this battle, although he will have the use of KIENMAYER's units.

This first battle screen shows your battle choices and the friendly forces involved, as the purpose of this initial battle screen is to select your battle strategy, from the options available. The available options will depend on the 'contact stance' which has previously been ordered and received for this corps commander. The battle commander’s 'Command Rating' will dictate what strategies he is capable of carrying out, depending on the skill (Battle Attributes) of the commander. Note that in v3.10 these can vary.

If units are noted as joining the battle in later rounds, you could choose 'Escalating Assault', or 'Defend in Depth', where your battle intensity starts low and increases in these later battle rounds, when those other units have become available.

When a corps commander has an 'engage' contact stance, the battle strategy options available will be more aggressive, towards assault and attack. If a corps commander has a 'defend' contact stance, the options will be less aggressive, as in this case, KOLOWRAT can choose Defend/Counter-attack/Withdraw/Defend in Depth, which are safer options in this situation. Changing KOLOWRAT to contact stance 'defend' last turn was a good decision, as he now has some good defensive battle choices. If he had been left at 'engage', he would have been committed to more dangerous attacking options, when enemy units of unknown strength are nearby.

Also in this screen, there is the option to resolve the battle out-of-game,using miniatures, or any other battle system. The game has an option to extract the battle data, resolving the battle in the system of your choice and inputting the results back into the game, to continue normal play.

This initial battle screen shows a list of Austrian units to be involved in the battle, their strength, experience and morale states. KOLOWRAT has the advantage of both his own corps' artillery and that of KIENMAYER, likewise he has some of KIENMAYER's infantry and cavalry. The units are all 'Steady', or 'Confident', which is good, but that may not be the case in future battles.

You also get some guidance in the battle intensity ratios, which will be used by each side for the different strategy options available and for each of the potential four rounds of battle, including those which could result from the various choices your opponent may select. Depending on the battle strategy choices, the battle may end before the full four rounds and, additionally in v3.10, a feature has been added that if a force is unexpectedly over-matched, the battle stance might be automatically changed to 'Withdrawal' or 'Feint'. This is to avoid a force blindly continuing with an obviously hopeless battle strategy.

A failing defensive battle strategy may automatically downgrade to 'Withdraw', with the force attempting to leave the field. Whilst a doomed attacking strategy may downgrade to 'Feint', stopping the attack to cover the failure, so that in v3.10, a corps commander can use his own initiative in fighting a battle, to overrule your orders as Army Commander, which is a nice touch of realism.

So to the battle strategy decision and in this case I want to hold the cross-roads at (hex 22,12), as this is my Quatre Bras. If I give up this position, having already lost REGENSBERG, the French will be able to advance into the rear and split the Coalition position, threatening the river crossings at LANDSHUT and LANDAU, including the LOC and hospital at LANDAU.

MASSENA, for the French AI, is normally a good commander and has a significant advantage in infantry, but I am playing 'randomised commander attributes' (new in v3.10), so there is more uncertainty here. Enemy commanders are not visible on the map, so you cannot see their attributes, apart from knowing them from previous games when you played that side, but now they can be randomised it's not so certain.

I am not at all confident and thinking of withdrawal as the safest option, but select 'Defend', my troops are not going to be moving back, at least not without a fight. I don't feel confident enough for 'counter attack' and 'defence in depth' starts at lower intensity, but I have all my units present for an immediate firm defence.

The 'Defend' option will give the highest initial level of battle intensity to the Austrians, in whatever battle option that MASSENA chooses, which will result in more damage to the French, if KIENMAYER is successful, but more loses to me if MASSENA is better.

Historically, these decisions are being made in the early hours, to give time for messengers to take the commander's orders out over the battlefield, to be ready at first light. All that can be seen of the enemy at this stage are camp-fires, giving some idea of the size of the enemy force, but not much more.

Having made the battle strategy decision, we move on to the next battle screen.

Begin Battle :







The sun rises to reveal the enemy array lined up for battle.

Before this stage I can only see the basic total strength number of the enemy in the top left panel, but in this 'Begin Battle' display I can see the actual enemy units engaged, except for those which may join the battle in later rounds.

New in v3.10, if you are using the modded unit counters, these modded counter graphics will now appear in the line-up of forces and also now including the unit strength data shown on those counters. With the sun, the FOW lifts and you can see for the first time the strength of your enemy lined up before you, but your orders have already gone out and it's too late to make changes.

The French units are all from MASSENA's IV Corps and, with NAPOLEON's 'bataillon-carré' strategy, each French corps was configured as a self contained small army and able to fight individually, until support could arrive. MASSENA commands a corps which outnumbers KOLOWRAT, even with the support of KIENMAYERS II Reserve Corps and although CHARLES was implementing reforms to copy the French pattern, these reforms were not complete and the Austrian commanders could not normally match the expertise of the French marshals.

You can re-arrange units in the various corps to create your own army configuration, using the 'Transfer' order, but if you overload a commander with too many units, his attributes reduce, as he will not be able to cope if you exceed his skills (v3.10).

To the right of the Battle Panel can be seen, in text, the initial battle situation, MASSENA has chosen to launch an 'Escalating Assault', but uncharacteristically 'fails to execute a plan'. This choice will be low intensity for the French in the early battle rounds, rising in intensity as the battle proceeds into the later rounds. If I had chosen to 'Withdraw', there would have been a good chance of getting away, before the intensity of the battle was raised.

KOLOWRAT, in overall command of the coalition forces in this battle, has 'good execution' which is fortuitous, as he won't be this good later in the campaign.

KIENMAYER suffers from 'implementation failure' and leaves the battlefield, to be found in the adjoining hex after the battle is over.

I have the 'Randomised Leadership' option (v3.10) selected and these commander performances are not necessarily historical, but it does give an opportunity to mix things up a little.

The battle is taking place in open terrain, which is going to be an advantage for the Austrian artillery (+20%).

All the units involved, on both sides, are in good condition with only Truenfels, for the Austrians, suffering (1) point in stragglers.

The different options and combat odds effects mean that it is worth taking some time to think this through, even though you may still be confounded by the strong chance elements in the game. What strategy will the enemy choose, does he have more units coming toward the battlefield? Even NAPOLEON was overthrown by the unexpected effects of weather and chance.

But, there is no more to be done, decisions have already been made, so the die is cast, press 'Begin Battle'.

ORIGINAL: Rasputitsa

Frank Hunter is still working on the update, which because of the changes, has been upgraded from v3.06 into v3.10, as it is more that just tinkering with the existing version. A lot of the changes are under-the-hood, in the way the game behaves, with some more obvious display changes and language options.

Wow! This is great news! Rasputitsa, thank you for sharing this information with us and for providing an example of what we can expect. I'm enjoying your AAR and looking forward to reading what happens next.

The AI runs through the battle, using the decisions that both sides have made, remembering that the battle could have been resolved with miniatures, or any other gaming system. The AI will be applying the terrain and weather modifiers and taking into account commander attributes and unit quality and morale, etc., until a result is reached, shown in the following 'Battle Completed' screen.

Battle Completed






There is relief that KOLOWRAT has held, inflicting significant losses on the French (44), whilst suffering manageable losses himself (19).

The details of the completed battle are in this screen, where neither side changed their battle strategy and fought the battle out over a full four rounds.

The inset text panel on the right shows the detail of the battle, with a slider, so you can see all the action over all the battle rounds, but this is lost when you close the battle screen. However, you can highlight the report's text with the mouse, sliding to the top to get it all and this can then be copied and saved as a text file, for future reference.

I only discovered the ability to copy the battle report text recently and it is a useful way to see what happened, when you have gone back to the main map and are then able to see the overall situation, after battle resolution is completed. It is during battles that you get to raise the FOW and see the opposing forces, when using the 'Hidden Enemy' setting.

The variability in the game is high and MOUTON's Guard Corps is nearby in REGENSBERG, with Dorsenne's Old Guard Infantry Division appearing in the hex adjacent to the battle, after it was all over. If the Guard had been present on the battlefield, it would have given all other French units a 20% boost.

NAPOLEON did not appear, as MASSENA was the French commander for the battle, but (Manual extract), if the Napoleon counter is within 2 hexes of the battle, then he is considered to be active in the battle. All French units therefore receive a 33% increase.

Note: This bonus applies to all units involved in a battle within two hexes of the Napoleon counter.

KOLOWRAT may have been saved by the rain, which reduces the range where march 'To the guns' is effective down to only 1 hex. Better weather may have brought more French units onto the battlefield, marching to the sound of the guns, especially as the battle lasted the full 4 rounds, giving more time for that to happen.

• On Clear days the base range is 3 hexes.
• On Rainy days the base range is 1 hex.
• On Snow days the range is 2 hexes.

The battle could have been transformed by either of these events.

The 'hits' which are recorded in the battle report are the hits achieved by the units concerned.

The battle went for the full four rounds, hence the significant casualties. If I had chosen 'Withdraw' and succeeded in getting away, which is likely in these circumstance, the battle may have only gone one round, with fewer casualties.

As already noted as new in v3.10, the AI will end a battle after one round if there is an unexpected mismatch in opposing forces. This means that the AI opponent will not blindly continue a battle, if it finds itself confronted by overwhelming odds. It might change a battle stance to 'Feint' and the attack will stop, or 'Withdraw' and 'discretion being the better part of valour' a force may attempt to leave the field after round one.

This v3.10 addition is intended to avoid the AI battering away at a hopeless situation and be able to use some initiative, to break off the engagement. However, in this case with more closely matched forces, MASSENA and KOLOWRAT stayed to fight the battle to a conclusion. This works for the human player as well, because your corps commanders will not persist in a badly failed battle strategy, except that if a powerful enemy is coming forward in a 'frontal assault' you still may not get away in time, as the battle intensity is high from the first round.

AI resolution of battles may seem simple, leaving the player little to do, but there is so much to take into account with your battle stance decisions and many circumstances can transform the result, so it's worth taking some time to look through all the options and ramifications of that decision.

Once you have made your battle strategy decision and launched into the battle there is no way back.

In starting the battle, my mouse had hovered over 'Defend/Withdraw', as I knew that I was taking a risk, but the result was better than I could have hoped for and it could have been much worse.

Because MASSENA chose 'Escalating Assault', the French battle intensity started lower than the Austrian’s 'Defend', which also stayed higher in the first two rounds. The two sides' battle intensity became 'even' in Round 3 and only in Round 4 did the French battle intensity surpass the Austrians. Perhaps MASSENA chose 'Escalating Assault' to allow for units arriving later on the battlefield, when the intensity would rise in later rounds. However, as the battle escalated in this case, the French had already suffered enough casualties by Round 4, to significantly blunt their assault.

MASSENA uncharacteristically 'failed to execute a plan', whilst KIENMAYER suffered 'implementation failure' and left the battlefield, but KOLOWRAT (attributes - 6/7/5) achieved 'good execution' of a plan, which probably has saved the day. On another battlefield the same commanders may act differently, with very different results, so I was worried when choosing the battle stance, but KOLOWRAT came through and the cross-roads was held.

Conclusion, as the player, all I had to do in this battle was make one 'deciding' click in choosing the battle strategy and then click through the battle screens to process through the battle. It is for your subordinate commanders to do the work of following your orders. The original 'Contact Stance' that you have ordered for your corps commanders will dictate what battle strategy options you will have available when a battle screen opens.

Not too hard on the surface, but the work is in your head, where it should be, in judging the weather, terrain and the different forces' effects. In most games, you just look at the odds and try and get 3:1, or better, pile in more units to get the odds you want, which should ensure success.

Whereas, in CotD it's all down to player judgement, which could all be confounded by the historical variability in the game and a realistic chance element.

But then, war is hell.

'Everything in war is very simple. But the simplest thing is difficult'.

Which is 'Campaigns on the Danube', simple to play, but difficult to master, when you set the challenging options which are available.

NAPOLEON always liked lucky generals, but how long can the luck last ? Which is why most generals took the safer options, especially the Coalition, as how many times will the dice fall in your favour, if you keep pushing the odds.

This battle worked for me this time, but next time ?

The Aftermath of the battle :






The battle is completed and KOLOWRAT loses of (5) KIA, as seen in 'View units', but also has (11) wounded and (4) stragglers, for a total loss of (19) amongst his units.

MASSENA has lost a total of (40) infantry and (4) cavalry in KIA, wounded and stragglers, which although classed as a 'Draw', is a considerable achievement for KOLOWRAT.

KOLOWRAT's Austrian Klenau infantry and Truenfels infantry were routed (shattered) and have left the field, with both already back near STRAUBING, heading for safety. Notice that in the KOLOWRAT commander panel I have set 'Retreat' as STRAUBING, which is where shattered units, or the whole corps if routed, will head for if a route is open. This 'Retreat' point needs to be somewhere safe, have access to supply and not too far away, as shattered units will be further damaged, or even destroyed in a long march. If the shattered corps, or individual shattered units cannot reach the 'Retreat' point, then they will head for the LOC, so it is important that the LOC is in easy reach, but not too close to the action to be at risk. The same applies to the Hospital, because units cannot recover their wounded and cannot receive replacements, unless within about 5 hexes of the Hospital and LOC respectively.

So you have a balance to maintain, updating the corps' 'Retreat' points, as the action moves, and positioning the LOC and Hospital to the best advantage, remembering that moving these excessively will reduce their effectiveness, Command headaches, balancing safety, against effectiveness, because if you lose your LOC (with a lot of supply), you're done !

You have to position the LOC so that it can feed supply out to your various corps, as they move, but also in a position to receive supply into the LOC from the rear area, VIENNA in the case of the Austrians. The army commander info panel (NAPOLEON/CHARLES/MACK) has an indication 'LOC operating', which should say 'Yes', meaning that the LOC is connected to the rear and is functioning, keep it that way.

KOLOWRAT himself is 'wavering', but still on the battlefield, supply is at (28), which is improving. Fatigue and Stress levels are rising and if thrown into battle again, too soon, he and his corps may 'shatter' and it will take many days to restore.

KIENMAYER, moved back to the adjoining hex, joining Neustadt's infantry division, a green unit which was not directly involved in the battle. I am not using 'To the guns' for the Austrians, so Neustadt did not attempt to join the battle.

…..............................................................


Battle near ECKMUHL 9th May Turn 24 - Draw

Text copied from the 'Battle Completed' screen.

French Plan Mods 1st(0) 2nd(0) 3rd(0) 4th(0)
Coalition Plan Mods 1st(0) 2nd(10) 3rd(10) 4th(10)
Massena, fails to execute plan (-12%)
Kolowrat, good execution (+8%)
Kienmayer, implementation failure (-8%)

** ROUND 1
French intensity 1
Coalition intensity 2
Legrand Str:20 Mod:30 %
Hits 2
Saint-Cyr Str:22 Mod:30 %
Hits 0
Molitor Str:14 Mod:28 %
Hits 0
Marulaz Str:6 Mod:34 %
Hits 0
Boudet Str:10 Mod:30 %
Hits 0
IV (A) Str:5 Mod:70 %
Hits 2
Brady Str:22 Mod:103 %
Hits 4
Treunfels Str:5 Mod:103 %
Hits 1
Klenau Str:8 Mod:103 %
Hits 1
Klenau Str:4 Mod:87 %
Hits 0
II A Str:5 Mod:175 %
Hits 4
Rohan Str:8 Mod:102 %
Hits 1
Schneller Str:4 Mod:87 %
Hits 0
Clary Str:2 Mod:87 %
Hits 0
IIR A Str:2 Mod:175 %
Hits 0

** ROUND 2
French intensity 2
Coalition intensity 3
Legrand Str:17 Mod:41 %
Hits 2
Saint-Cyr Str:19 Mod:45 %
Hits 1
Molitor Str:11 Mod:43 %
Hits 0
Marulaz Str:6 Mod:47 %
Hits 0
Boudet Str:8 Mod:43 %
Hits 0
IV (A) Str:5 Mod:104 %
Hits 3
Brady Str:20 Mod:158 %
Hits 5
Treunfels Str:5 Mod:160 %
Hits 0
Klenau Str:7 Mod:160 %
Hits 1
Klenau Str:4 Mod:127 %
Hits 0
II A Str:5 Mod:175 %
Hits 1
Rohan Str:7 Mod:151 %
Hits 1
Schneller Str:4 Mod:126 %
Hits 2
Clary Str:2 Mod:130 %
Hits 0
IIR A Str:2 Mod:175 %
Hits 0

** ROUND 3
French intensity 3
Coalition intensity 3
Legrand Str:14 Mod:54 %
Hits 2
Saint-Cyr Str:17 Mod:54 %
Hits 1
Molitor Str:9 Mod:56 %
Hits 0
Marulaz Str:4 Mod:63 %
Hits 0
Boudet Str:7 Mod:54 %
Hits 0
IV (A) Str:5 Mod:136 %
Hits 3
Brady Str:18 Mod:154 %
Hits 4
Treunfels Str:3 Mod:158 %
Hits 3
Klenau Str:5 Mod:156 %
Hits 0
Klenau Str:4 Mod:119 %
Hits 1
II A Str:5 Mod:175 %
Hits 2
Rohan Str:7 Mod:151 %
Hits 1
Schneller Str:4 Mod:118 %
Hits 0
Clary Str:2 Mod:122 %
Hits 0
IIR A Str:2 Mod:175 %
Hits 2
Marulaz has been routed off the field
Treunfels has been routed off the field

** ROUND 4
French intensity 4
Coalition intensity 3
Legrand Str:11 Mod:66 %
Hits 0
Saint-Cyr Str:14 Mod:64 %
Hits 1
Molitor Str:6 Mod:66 %
Hits 0
Boudet Str:5 Mod:64 %
Hits 0
IV (A) Str:5 Mod:172 %
Hits 2
Brady Str:16 Mod:146 %
Hits 3
Klenau Str:4 Mod:154 %
Hits 1
Klenau Str:4 Mod:115 %
Hits 1
II A Str:5 Mod:175 %
Hits 1
Rohan Str:6 Mod:147 %
Hits 1
Schneller Str:4 Mod:110 %
Hits 1
Clary Str:2 Mod:118 %
Hits 0
IIR A Str:2 Mod:175 %
Hits 2
Molitor has been routed off the field
Boudet has been routed off the field
Klenau has been routed off the field

…....................................................................

In the Battle Report text, hits (my emphasis) record the hits that a unit has inflicted on the enemy. You will be able to see the damage suffered by your own units, after a battle in 'View Units', from the commander and unit information panels, which show accumulated stragglers and wounded, additionally, the unit counters show available points strength (top box) and the lower unit counter box shows stragglers and wounded, meanwhile the corps commanders' 'View units' panel also show how many replacements are need by units to replace KIA.

However, you don’t get to read the enemy battle reports, so the only information comes from observing the actual battle. After the battle, FOW descends again and you have no information on the strength of enemy units, with the enemy unit counters blank again, but the battle report text shows that Legrand's French infantry division started the battle at strength (20) and by Round 4 had been reduced to (11).

The battle report text is therefore useful, as this is the only time that you will see the strength of enemy units and those enemy units which have been routed.

For the French, Marulaz (cavalry), Molitor (infantry) and Boudet (infantry) are routed, which means MASSENA is neutralised for a while.

For the Austrians, Truenfels (infantry) and Klenau (infantry) are routed, however, there is also a Klenau cavalry division, so checking KOLOWRAT's 'View units' panel will show which 'Klenau' unit is shattered.

Just one battle, a clash of two subordinate commanders, not the main match, with neither CHARLES, nor NAPOLEON involved, but such battles can decide a scenario. The Austrians have won time in keeping this flank secure, whilst the other corps can be reorganised and concentrated.

There is a lot to consider and think about before making your strategy decisions and setting your orders, which is the true role of a commander. It is not for you to laboriously move units around the map, that's a job for your subordinates.

So draw the information from the map and information panels, as in all Frank Hunter games, if it is on the screen, it is important.

Use that information to make your decisions and then, groping through a realistic the Fog of War, watch the results play out.

The battle was bruising and KOLOWRAT was left 'wavering' and probably cannot fight again soon, without suffering serious damage, but hopefully the same applies to MASSENA. This was the best result that I could have hoped for, as although I have suffered loses, the AI French have suffered more.

Realistically, should KOLOWRAT have survived this fight with MASSENA, probably not, as historically MASSENA was the better commander, but it certainly livens things up to have random features in v3.10. The historical options are still there, but now there are more choices, to shake things up a little.

I have gone into this in some detail, to show the variability and complexity that is hidden under-the-hood. There is a lot going on in this game and it is worth taking the time work though all the possibilities which are available.

So there you have it, like a rich meal, take your time and savour the feast.

This game is one of my favorites of all time and Frank is one of the most talented designers willing to push the envelope in wargames.
Plus he knows that good UI/UX help...sadly not a given in this field.

My 65" screen can't wait to play with 3.10 and the new graphics...but OK enough with my game crush.

As you are here...

-any hint on the timeline for 3.10 and Hunter's next project? I think his approach on fow and realism is applicable to a lot of time periods.
- are any stats logged in csv format? It's the 21st century and this is a game for stat nerds .

ORIGINAL: governato

-any hint on the timeline for 3.10 and Hunter's next project? I think his approach on fow and realism is applicable to a lot of time periods.

Frank has started work on the Elbe Campaign, which could include 1806/1813, plus variants, and maybe 1807, although 1807 would require an extension of the map coverage required.

I think we are all suffering from the lockdown and the disruption that it brings and Frank has had other problems, so this is proceeding, but no time scale as yet.

- are any stats logged in csv format? It's the 21st century and this is a game for stat nerds

Have no information on this, although the basic game goes back so far !

Thanks Rasputitsa - I was beginning to despair.

Thank for this. Your AARs for this and PFE have been a huge help getting a handle on the games. Looking forward to this update and great news about the Elbe campaign. That'll be an instant buy for me.

ORIGINAL: ThomasJay

Thank for this. Your AARs for this and PFE have been a huge help getting a handle on the games. Looking forward to this update and great news about the Elbe campaign. That'll be an instant buy for me.

Glad this helps, because I think there is a lot of detail in these games which gets overlooked.[:)]

ORIGINAL: Rasputitsa
Frank has started work on the Elbe Campaign, which could include 1806/1813, plus variants, and maybe 1807, although 1807 would require an extension of the map coverage required.

I think we are all suffering from the lockdown and the disruption that it brings and Frank has had other problems, so this is proceeding, but no time scale as yet.

Thanks for the updates! It will be nice to get this COTD update out and perhaps see a PFE update and new Elbe Campaign. I continue to poke along with Empires in Arms development, but like Frank I also have other RL problems to deal with. It's like slow motion for everything these days...

ORIGINAL: zgrant

ORIGINAL: Rasputitsa

Frank Hunter is still working on the update, which because of the changes, has been upgraded from v3.06 into v3.10, as it is more that just tinkering with the existing version. A lot of the changes are under-the-hood, in the way the game behaves, with some more obvious display changes and language options.

Wow! This is great news! Rasputitsa, thank you for sharing this information with us and for providing an example of what we can expect. I'm enjoying your AAR and looking forward to reading what happens next.

Agreed! Was starting to wonder what happened....

Sadly 3.10 seems to still be 3.05

ORIGINAL: altipueri

Sadly 3.10 seems to still be 3.05

Frank is still working on the v3.10 update, including significant changes to the way the game behaves, which he has been testing. Plus the work on the 1806/1813 scenarios, which will need considerably enlarged maps.

Working on the new scenarios and extending the command system to larger scenarios (1813), where there is more than one high-tier commander for each side, is a considerable addition. Frank is also intending to adjust the AI (with the original going way back), into a more adaptive and variable opponent.

I don't know much more about computers than where the 'on' button is, but I think the aim is to have an AI which, while being more variable, will potentially make some mistakes, but with the ability to learn from game to game. Sounds like more human qualities.

So the update is still in the works.

thanks very much for the update info ; eagerly waiting

Thanks for the update!

Looking forward to this....

ORIGINAL: Rasputitsa
Frank is still working on the v3.10 update...

For the past year I've been wondering if I'd get the Empires in Arms update out first or if Frank would get his out first. I guess I won. So now I'm ready to shift gears a bit and play some COTD but I'll have to wait some. Curious if the update intends to add 1806/1813 scenarios and maps or if that will be a separate Campaigns on the Elbe game as previously envisioned.

I think the aim is to have an AI which, while being more variable, will potentially make some mistakes, but with the ability to learn from game to game. Sounds like more human qualities.

I don't know about that. A learning AI would need an editable file to update parameters, to make any adjustments along the way. And 'learning' from a mediocre player is different than learning from an experienced player, so I'm not sure I'd want a computer opponent learning from me! LOL

I also follow this one...Waiting