General overall impression from first campaign as Union

[rsa359581]

I've played AGEOD games quite a bit, and have all of them, but this is my first grand campaign for CW2, so I thought I would share my impressions.

Overall, I think the game does a great job of simulating the Civil War. In an earlier post I complained about the AI attacking in weird places and/or weird behavior, but I've worked around that as best I can. There are frustrating parts, but these are, I think, what the real commanders (like Lincoln) faced. First, the inability of Union generals to activate so you can do anything with them. In the early war, you're stuck with such luminaries as McClellan, McDowell, Fremont, Banks, Buell, etc. All poor, and all who spend more time sitting around than attacking. Then there's the battle results, which can be bewildering, but so were the real ones as well. God isn't always with the bigger battalions.

The hardest thing is organizing your forces and, of course, logistics. But taking a very small peace time army and making it into a very large, effective one is quite a challenge, and I think the game models this well. Many first time players have complained about this, but this isn't a beer and pretzels game. It takes real work to recruit, train and organize your forces into divisions, corps and armies, and I find that's it's actually part of the appeal of the game. Logistics are always a headache, but again, realistic, so I think the game models this well.

The scope of the game is mind-boggling, both in terrain covered and in what a player actually has control over. And that again is what makes this a great game. And yes, I do have Grigsby's game and FoF as well. They don't match up.

So far, I am very impressed. Some things could be better, and I am sure will be improved over time, but those who walk away in frustration after a few turns are missing out on a truly great game that will reward with hours and hours of enjoyment once the concepts are nailed down.

Thanks, AGEOD!

[Merlin]

The hardest thing is organizing your forces and, of course, logistics. But taking a very small peace time army and making it into a very large, effective one is quite a challenge, and I think the game models this well. Many first time players have complained about this, but this isn't a beer and pretzels game. It takes real work to recruit, train and organize your forces into divisions, corps and armies, and I find that's it's actually part of the appeal of the game. Logistics are always a headache, but again, realistic, so I think the game models this well.

I'm going to take the personal liberty of condensing your comment to this, the salient point of one side for this game. I agree that AGEOD has made an excellent, and in my opinion, the best ACW game to date. They both hobbled and represented the Union, and integrated all potential aspects of a resilient Confederacy. Mark this, ACW aficionados: The Union had over 700,000 men under arms by the end of 1861, This is, above all, a playable game, and it's the only one we have.

Personally, I love it.

[Whichwitch]

I too am very impressed by the depth of this game. The nuanced and intuitive rules systems make a very complex simulation come to life in an understandable and (generally) reasonable way. However, I also have a few frustrations.

I am currently enjoying a game as the Army of Northern Aggression and it is Early March '63. Grant has made some headway along the Mississippi and McClellan has captured Fredricksburg and the Valley in the East. The situation in Missouri and the west is not as good but you can't win em all. Fremont was killed in his first foray out of Jefferson city and Butler took over because he had the highest seniority. Butler sucks.

My biggest frustration is how to get rid of the deadwood at the top of the seniority list without losing the war. I want to fire Butler, Buell, McClellan, Banks and a few others but if I do the hit to NM will be catastrophic.

I'm also having difficulty understanding how to promote the good guys. I know I saw a message that Sherman was eligible but when I try to promote him to 2 stars the option is grayed out. Same problem for Hooker and Meade. I'm sure I saw a message that they were eligible but it just won't work. I was able to promote Grant quite early on and after a few successful battles his seniority was at number 1. Not working with anyone else though.

Anyway, like mr rsa359581 said, great game AGEOD. I'm slowly getting it and fully expect to understand it all about the time Civil War III comes out.

[Captain_Orso]

The game coerces you to give those ... eh ... *ahem* "high-seniority" generals a command. The game does not force you to have any troops within their "Command Radius™", especially not corps belonging to his army. Nor must he have any corps under him at all; for all other troops not within his region, it make no difference.

For example, take Fremont... excuse me a moment .. ... Fremont I put inside Saint Louis either in command of nothing or the garrison, to make use of his "Occupier" ability.

Once Lyon has been promoted to Maj.-Gen. and I can form a corps with him I put him within Fremont's command radius--or the other way around--, give Lyon a corps and then move Fremont back to where Lyon will not--under any circumstances--stumble into Fremont's command radius again; either back into Saint Louis or Springfield, IL or even Tolono, IL. He's then still close enough so that, if the circumstances require it, I can use him to create another corps, but far enough out of the way to not f*ck with any of his corps' strategic, offensive and defensive values.

Do the same with all the other generals you have to or want to. Once you get Grant or any other general up to Lt.-Gen. and want to give him an army command, whether you pass-over another general or take an army command from that general and give it to Grant makes not difference what so ever.

[Mickey3D]

I'm also having difficulty understanding how to promote the good guys. I know I saw a message that Sherman was eligible but when I try to promote him to 2 stars the option is grayed out. Same problem for Hooker and Meade. I'm sure I saw a message that they were eligible but it just won't work. I was able to promote Grant quite early on and after a few successful battles his seniority was at number 1. Not working with anyone else though.

The ability to promote a leader must be quickly used after you saw the message. I'm no more sure at the moment but I think if you don't use it in the next 2 turns (including the turn you see the message), you lose it.

The other problem is that, unfortunately, the promote order apply to the leader of the stack. So if Sherman, Hooker or Meade are division leader into a corps, you must first move them out of the stack (and give their division to another officer), then promote them and next turn give them back their division.
Another option is to move their division out of the corps and the promote order should be available (as they are now the leader of the stack). This option has drawback because your division could be engaged separately from the corps and you can't take advantage of all the corps advantage (March to the Sound of Gun rule, coordinated movement, advantage given by the army commander).