Some questions!!

[Ike24]

Hey guys!

Gotta first start off by complimenting the devs for creating such a mind-engaging game. There haven't been many games out there that cover both wars that took place in NA as well as this one here. Mightily impressed

Okay then, on to my question....

How exactely do you have to read the detection values of a unit? Lets say it's 3/2. I know that the former number represents the land value while the latter the naval value. But in terms of gameplay mechanics and logic, what does this tell me? Does it mean I can see 3 units max? or can I lift the FoW 3 regions deep? and, do these units have to be like in the same province I have some units in? Could anybody clarify this for me please? Does Loyalty also help me increase my value? lets say by assuming Tory or Rebel sympathizers acting as spies in the countryside and warning the leaders of impending marches of an army?

Also, the military control. I know you get advantages of a +1 detection value bonus (to both or just to one by the way? (land/naval) and you also get a slight bonus in terms of combat (defensive and offensive, I think?). Can you effectively trap an army within a certain region when you gain enough military control of some regions around the enemy army? Like cutting off their path of advance/retreat and making them have to make a stand and face me?

I know lots of questions, but I'd immensly appreciated it if you guys could give me a heads up! Thanks!!!!

Ike

[Hobbes]

Fog of War, Detection and Hide Value.

When the region is in gray it means you have 0 detection points in the region. If the region is not labelled as being in FoW, it means you have at least 1 point.

Points are generated by 3 sources:

a) you have at least 51% in military control: you get 2 points.
b) you have at least 51% in population loyalty: you get 2 points
c) you have troops: the troops with the highest Detection rating give you his points (Add indians or rangers with a regular army, it can be useful!)

these 3 sources are not cumulative, instead the highest is used.

Note that in case of c), each group (an army or a fleet) has a detection value against land units, and one against sea units.

Once the sources are computed, the engine checks if regions adjacents to a source can benefits from it, by using either the highest value between the region, or the best adjacent source detection points with a penalty of 1.

A source won't be able to give points farther than 1 region away (ie adjacents to it).

Being detected, or not:

If a group is in a region with a structure (your or enemy) and is not in passive posture, the Hide Value is 1, and nothing else is checked. This has been done to solve several problems, like a sneaky rangers in defensive outside a structure, who can go unnoticed but still able to prevent the capture of the structure... or indians besieging you, and being so stealthy that you can't even see who is the offending besieger, etc.

A group has the hide value of the unit with the lowest hide value in its rank.

Modifiers:
If you have only leaders, +1
If you have 2 or less units (leaders not counted), +1. This is the number of units a one-star leader can command.
If you have more than 12 units (leaders not counted) -1. This is the number of units + one more than a 3-stars leader can command.
Being in a region with sneak terrain (wilderness, mountain, ...) +1
Harsh weather such has blizzard: +1

The 2 values are checked against each other. If you have a detection value equal to the hide value, you detect the enemy, but with reduced accuracy (you know that there is x leaders and y regulars for example)

Based on the excess of detection points which you possess, the accuracy of the intelligence information you will receive will increase. The game recognizes four distinct levels of intelligence quality.

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Many questions have been answered on the forums - but many more are still to be asked! This is one of the best games I have played with one of the worst instruction manuals!

Has anyone seen exactly how the protection value works?

[Hobbes]

"If a group is in a region with a structure (your or enemy) and is not in passive posture, the Hide Value is 1"

If you are in a passive posture I assume the hide value is the regular one?

[Hobbes]

One other point of confusion, the tooltip :-

"Your Army is in a zone of control generated by the presence of enemy units or forts in the same region"

As far as I understand ZOC - they can only be generated by forts? Can they also be generated by enemy units without forts being present? Or citys? Or anything else?

I have now had this game for 5 weeks and I still have a hard time understanding the mechanics. But I don't really care - I will understand them and have a good PBEM game later in the year - in the meantime I just love reading up on the history and tinkering!

Many thanks, Chris

[Pocus]

Has anyone seen exactly how the protection value works?

-4% to the to hit value, the base to hit value being 4% for each point of fire you have (modified by tons of parameters).

This will change to being the to hit chance time 0.96 for each point of prot, thus allowing a better modelling of units with high protection.

[Pocus]

"If a group is in a region with a structure (your or enemy) and is not in passive posture, the Hide Value is 1"

If you are in a passive posture I assume the hide value is the regular one?

yes, this allow indians to sneak by cities... on the other hand units in passive do not interact, so its not the perfect posture either...

[Pocus]

One other point of confusion, the tooltip :-

"Your Army is in a zone of control generated by the presence of enemy units or forts in the same region"

As far as I understand ZOC - they can only be generated by forts? Can they also be generated by enemy units without forts being present? Or citys? Or anything else?

I have now had this game for 5 weeks and I still have a hard time understanding the mechanics. But I don't really care - I will understand them and have a good PBEM game later in the year - in the meantime I just love reading up on the history and tinkering!

Many thanks, Chris

Yes, a region where you have 8 or more combat units AND 51% military control also generate a ZOC (a ZOC in BoA exists in the region where the effect is generated, not in the adjacents ones like in some other wargames).

Basically when you enter a region with a ZOC (a fort or a big army in a region friendly to the army), you are stuck, and can only go out by reverting to passive, or moving toward a region with enough military control of your.

cavalry and irregular don't respects ZOC restrictions.