Newbie Observations

[LordLefty]

Gents:

I just installed BoA2 on Tuesday (8/18/09) and played through both the tutorial and suggested first scenario - Carolina's 76: Frustration in the South.

Wow! And some

My background is tactical WWII PC games, so the strategic grand scale of BoA2 is foreign to me! However; BoA2 appears to borrow some elements from Avalon Hill's old boardgame 1776 - especially features like forced marches, entrenchments, using two supply wagons to construct a depot, etc. I played 1776 many years ago during the "old record your turns on paper and snail mail days. apy:"

So; as I begin to get my head wrapped around strategic game play... I welcome any tips, tactics, things to look out for, etc. from BoA2 vets as I march up the learning curve.

Some newbie initial observations from a "just scratching the tip of the iceberg" standpoint:

* Understand your units and capabilities (Still digesting ALL unit stat info!)
* Understand how terrain (natural & man made) influence movement & combat
* Weather plays a big part in BoA2
* Set unit ROEs prior to movement!

One of the biggies: Understand what you are trying to accomplish, with what forces, in what time period AND what enemy forces are available... then set your unit formation ROEs - reviewing your unit dispositions on a turn-by-turn basis. Then execute on your directives.

Anyhow, I do like the look and feel of BoA2.

I'll feel more comfortable and more in control of my units once I can digest and understand the huge amounts of information / data that is available to players.

[lodilefty]

and then you'll update to 1.05 and discover the significant improvements [my opinion ] and noticeable changes in logistics, sieges, events...

Glad you're having fun!

[pvthudson01]

That is the same scenario I started with and now I am doing the Pequot War as practice. That one is hard though since most of my units are locked down during the 8 turns

[WallysWorld]

Glad to see you're enjoying the game, LordLefty. Once you play the game for a little while, it all becomes second nature.

[LordLefty]

Gents:

I just installed BoA2 on Tuesday (8/18/09) and played through both the tutorial and suggested first scenario - Carolina's 76: Frustration in the South.

Gents:

I played the 1776 Carolinas Scenario: 'Frustration in the South' 4 times as the British - each time scoring more points, but no victory. The scenario is appropriately titled!

However, on the 4th "redo," the British were victorious!

Here's my winning British strategy:

* Brown + Georgia Tories garrison Ninety-Six.
* Augusta Garrison garrisons Augusta.
* S. Carolina Loyalists march from Salisbury and capture Charlotte (Strategic Town).
* N. Carolina Loyalists march from Salem and join S. Carolina Loyalists in Charlotte.

When the British Southern Expedition force arrived off the coast of Wilmington, I divided them into two forces...

I sent Cornwallis + 3x infantry + 1x artillery + 1x supply and the Bristol (bombardment support) to Charleston... and

I sent James + Vaughan + 2x infantry + Royal Marines and the Experiment (bombardment support) to Wilmington.

Worked great!

------------------------

Then I switched sides and tried it from the American Colonists side. This is where it got a little weird.

The American needs to control Ninety-Six, Wilmington, Charleston + 2x Strategic Towns to win.

* I garrisoned Charleston and moved more militia into the city to strengthen the defenses.
* I garrisoned Camden.
* I was able to capture Ninety-Six when the AI moved Brown + Georgia Tories away from the Objective Town and left it undefended!
* Then Cornwallis captured Wilmington.

Now; according to the victory conditions, I believe that the game should have resulted in a "stalemate" since the Americans lost Wilmington, but instead the Americans won a victory! Americans did score more points then the British. Is that correct?

Anyhow, I enjoyed the scenarios, but I believe that BoA2 will really "shine" when players move into the "grander strategy" of a larger campaign like the French and Indian Wars.

Hope to start a French and Indian War campaign against the AI shortly.

[lodilefty]

Gents:

I played the 1776 Carolinas Scenario: 'Frustration in the South' 4 times as the British - each time scoring more points, but no victory. The scenario is appropriately titled!

However, on the 4th "redo," the British were victorious!

Here's my winning British strategy:

* Brown + Georgia Tories garrison Ninety-Six.
* Augusta Garrison garrisons Augusta.
* S. Carolina Loyalists march from Salisbury and capture Charlotte (Strategic Town).
* N. Carolina Loyalists march from Salem and join S. Carolina Loyalists in Charlotte.

When the British Southern Expedition force arrived off the coast of Wilmington, I divided them into two forces...

I sent Cornwallis + 3x infantry + 1x artillery + 1x supply and the Bristol (bombardment support) to Charleston... and

I sent James + Vaughan + 2x infantry + Royal Marines and the Experiment (bombardment support) to Wilmington.

Worked great!

------------------------

Then I switched sides and tried it from the American Colonists side. This is where it got a little weird.

The American needs to control Ninety-Six, Wilmington, Charleston + 2x Strategic Towns to win.

* I garrisoned Charleston and moved more militia into the city to strengthen the defenses.
* I garrisoned Camden.
* I was able to capture Ninety-Six when the AI moved Brown + Georgia Tories away from the Objective Town and left it undefended!
* Then Cornwallis captured Wilmington.

Now; according to the victory conditions, I believe that the game should have resulted in a "stalemate" since the Americans lost Wilmington, but instead the Americans won a victory! Americans did score more points then the British. Is that correct?

Anyhow, I enjoyed the scenarios, but I believe that BoA2 will really "shine" when players move into the "grander strategy" of a larger campaign like the French and Indian Wars.

Hope to start a French and Indian War campaign against the AI shortly.

The victory conditions matrix is a bit confused, and has been reworked in 1.05

[arsan]

Anyhow, I enjoyed the scenarios, but I believe that BoA2 will really "shine" when players move into the "grander strategy" of a larger campaign like the French and Indian Wars.

Indeed!
But before attempting a serious grand campaign, i recommend you to install the new beta patch as it has lots of improvement on the big scenarios.
As a fun intermediate scenario i recommend Montcalm's one (Master of Carillon its called). Great introduction to French and Indian War.

Don't pay more much attention to the Victory/defeat/stalemate screen
in this little scenarios with just few turns, sometimes strage results happen as in addition to victory conductions the points score can modify (for the good or for the bad) the final result.
In a long campaign with 100 turns results are usually more clear and definitive. You know if you won or were kicked out of the continent

Cheers

[LordLefty]

Indeed!
But before attempting a serious grand campaign, i recommend you to install the new beta patch as it has lots of improvement on the big scenarios.

I have downloaded and installed the ver. 1.05 beta patch.

As a fun intermediate scenario i recommend Montcalm's one (Master of Carillon its called). Great introduction to French and Indian War.

Very good! I'll give this scenario a "go" next!

In a long campaign with 100 turns results are usually more clear and definitive. You know if you won or were kicked out of the continent

Cheers

I am sure that is true!

[LordLefty]

Indeed!
As a fun intermediate scenario I recommend Montcalm's one (Master of Carillon its called). Great introduction to French and Indian War.

Actually, I bypassed the AI and went directly to a human opponent in the 1756 Montcalm scenario! I was able to find a PBeM opponent in just a few days of my "Opponent Wanted" ad being posted!

We have completed approximately 20% of the scenario, but even in that short time period, my British forces have been able to score some early battle victories. Still not sure of all the "whats" to do... but trying different tactics to see what might work for me.