TeMagic
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New to the game - new on the forum

Thu May 03, 2007 1:05 am

Hi there.

Having played Forge of Freedom to its death, I wasn't even aware that this game existed. I'm so glad I stumbled upon a post on the FoF forum, by a player saying he had bought Ageod's ACW, so I could see what the fuss was all about. Well, two days ago I frantically searched for a credit card with availible credit, and after having located one, I donwloaded this fine shaped diamond of a game.

Well, it's been two days without sleep now, learning the basics of this game, and (since I didn't even bother to play the tutorials, I know, I know..., and only skimming through the manual quickly), I've restarted the Grand Campaign like 15 times, learning the setup from scratch...

Reading this forum has helped quite a lot (just wish there were more AARs availible).

Now, I just have one comment on the game so far (in addition to all the other great suggestions already voiced here on the forum) and that is that Fort Sumter should recieve a garrison after it has been captured (just like Norfolk does, via an event I think)

That's it! Great game, I'm having a blast!

TeMagic
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Fri May 04, 2007 5:57 am

Just had a few more things to add:

The Map:

1. Ahistorical railroads (sure hope they get removed)

ANV OOB:

1. Is it possible to have all cavalry regiments form cavalry brigades as was done historically, instead of having cavalry regiments scattered with the infantry brigades?

2. Why is it that two confederate generals starts attached to brigades (their historical brigades) while Gen. T. Jackson doesn't? Also, there is a nasty bug with these brigades, which prevents the player from shifting the generals from these brigades to for instance divisions, as the brigades simply evaporates.

AI:

1. In 20 or so started campaigns, I've yet so see the Battle of Bull Run...
The union army just sits at Alexandria, Va, or Leesburg, Va, or attempts to recapture Harper's Ferry, Wv.

2. Maybe as a result of 1, Gen. McDowell seems to lead the union army in the east for a very long time, and I've yet to see the Army of the Potomac be formed.

3. Naval aspect: the union puts way too much emphasis on bombarding my forts (I read in the readme that this was supposed to have been fixed in a patch, so I presume it was even worse before) and not nearly enough on blue-water blockade. This is even though Lincoln has declared a total blockade. I hope you program the ai to prioritize blue-water first, then brown-water + bombardements.

Other:

1. I would wish for the militia system to be redesigned so that militia regiments can move (i.e. not be locked to one city), but limited to the state of origin. I think this would be really nice feature (maybe even with raised militia regiments (not the ones that comes through events)

2. The ability to manually alter the names of commands, brigades, regiments and ships... This is a big one for me atleast, in roder to get the right "feel of the game"

3. After the union fleets has bombarded some of my forts, the garrison has completely been erased (due to casualties), I find this ahistorical, and it prevents me from reinforcing the garrisons. I sure would like a fix to this.

4. I would like the stats of generals to be hidden at start, until they have experienced some battles...

5. It seems that my units do not recieve the training that my generals are supposed to give them...

And last 6. After capturing forts, (like Fort Pickens, Fortress Monroe, Fort Sumter, the forts do not recieve a garrison, unlike the city of Norfolk does. It would be cool if a scripted event celebrating the recapture of these forts added a garrison...

With all these comments/suggestions/ranting, I must say again that I'm falling in love with this game (I know, I'm sick), and I think the developers have done a great job... So take my comments as positive critisizm at worst.

Thanks for the game! Now back to my campaign...

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Pocus
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Fri May 04, 2007 9:32 am

a lot of works there :)
We are prioritizing requests, as you guess. We have now enough time left after fixing bugs to start improving the AI. You will also see that each little patch add something for the user interface, but be patient, the game is less than one month old (and we already produced 5 updates/fixes).
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

TeMagic
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Fri May 04, 2007 10:04 am

I have no doubt that you'll continue improving the game, but as I already said, it is a great game, by all means.

Having played a number of civil war games (Virgin Interactive's Civil War (A great, old game, though too easy, and full of bugs), Sid Meyer's Gettysburg, The Civil War Generals series from Sierra, North and South (Magic Interactive, I think), and the list goes on and on, until recently, Forge of Freedom, and now your masterpiece ACW, I can truly say that this magnificent piece of work will stay on my harddrive until it crashes.

My suggestions are nothing else, just suggestions... Still, I love your game, and I find it most entertaining.

Though I must say I'm really dissappointed with general Huger, as he lead the siege of Fort Monroe, having created two breaches in the walls of the fort, he tried to storm the fort with his 22 000 man strong army, loosing them all against general Butler! All of them, I guess those who weren't casualties deserted for lack of confidence in the leadership of the Confederacy. This was truly a big blow to my forces, this early in the game (late october '61), that coupled with Butler and McClellan leading a counterattack against Richmond (which by now only defended by some 3000 men under Lee, will surely fall). My army is trapped in Harper's Ferry, with McDowell having cut the rail and road south to Leesburg and Manassas with superior forces, are starving. AoP and Johnston's corps numbering no more than 10 000 men... It's a disaster! In the west though, Kentucky chose to secede, even though the Confederacy is loosing big-time by this point, with the capital soon lost, and all its armies destroyed. Horrible, horrible... Too bad my only options for a new capitol is Memphis (which will surely fall), New Orleand (another bad choice) and Mobile (why not Montgomery?)

Well, I think this constitutes for another crack at new campaign. (nr. 22) As have been clearly seen, I don't master this game yet, but it's thrilling...

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Heldenkaiser
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Fri May 04, 2007 12:54 pm

TeMagic wrote:1. Is it possible to have all cavalry regiments form cavalry brigades as was done historically, instead of having cavalry regiments scattered with the infantry brigades?


Actually they started the war this way - even with squadrons distributed in penny-packets among the infantry. Large bodies of cavalry are a mid-war reform; the Federals for all I know didn't united their cavalry in a single corps before the summer of 1863. :)

TeMagic
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Fri May 04, 2007 1:09 pm

Heldenkaiser wrote:Actually they started the war this way - even with squadrons distributed in penny-packets among the infantry. Large bodies of cavalry are a mid-war reform; the Federals for all I know didn't united their cavalry in a single corps before the summer of 1863. :)


So, will the brigades change mid-war in the game? So that the cavalry are no longer dispatched to the infantry brigades? If so, that is truly great! I haven't played wery far in the game yet, but in the cyrrent game that I've started, I'm doing really well, though I must say, I don't really see the problem with a somewhat high inflation. It's now nearing the winter of '61 and my army of Tennessee is already 80 000 man strong, ready to take on Grant for the spring offensive into Kentucky...

Well, that's my strategy, a quick victory, with little regards to the after-war consequences of economics, as I'm sure the Davis' administration can just devalue the CS Dollar :)

I'm bringing in 100 war supply each turn, and with printing money, my real problem is really obtaining the manpower to fill the armies, though of course, full mobilization has been declared, and volunteer callouts been made.

(On a historical note, the Confederacy experienced hyperinflation during the war, and if I'm going to experience it anyway in '64/'65, why not do it in '62, but have an army and a fleet to meet the union head-on?)

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Heldenkaiser
AGEod Grognard
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Fri May 04, 2007 3:19 pm

My comment was historical, not game-related. You said "form cavalry brigades as done was historically"; and I was merely pointing to the fact that penny-packeting the horse was in fact historical - for the first two years at least. :)

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Pocus
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Fri May 04, 2007 3:53 pm

you get brigade sized cavalry units later, at least in the Union (don't remember for the rebs)
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

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Queeg
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Fri May 04, 2007 4:37 pm

I've received brigade-sized cavalry units as the CSA. 120+ power units - which I assume would qualify as a brigade. I recall getting one as early as late 1861.

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caranorn
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Fri May 04, 2007 4:55 pm

Actually, at least in the April 1861 scenario the Confederates get a "brigade sized" cavalry unit early on (with the Army of the Shenandoah). I have a feeling like this might be unintentional though. The 1st Virginia can hold 3 Cavalry Regiments and a Light Artillery Battery. Later then the Confederates get the Laurel Brigade.
Marc aka Caran...

TeMagic
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Fri May 04, 2007 6:16 pm

caranorn wrote:Actually, at least in the April 1861 scenario the Confederates get a "brigade sized" cavalry unit early on (with the Army of the Shenandoah). I have a feeling like this might be unintentional though. The 1st Virginia can hold 3 Cavalry Regiments and a Light Artillery Battery. Later then the Confederates get the Laurel Brigade.


Sweet,

and as I've gotten more accustomed to the game, I've realized that adding the cavalry regiments to a division along with horse artillery basically constitutes the same OOB as was with Stuart's division IRL, so no longer a deal. I'll even cross it off my list.

Again, super game... and a new patch has just been released, with some great tweaks and fixes.

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