Demonstration Cards prevent building

[ArmChairGeneral]

I found this in the manual:

Possible causes preventing the construction of Units:

The loyalty of the region is too low or the region is in riot (i.e. a demonstration card has been played there)

I am sure that this is widely known among PBeMers who play Demo cards on each other all the time, but since Athena rarely uses them on the human player, I never noticed this effect before. Presumably it means you can't order new troops while a Demo card is in effect, but that troops that are already building continue to finish normally.

Papering a state's best build points with Demonstrations slows the ability of the enemy to build forces in the area, possibly allowing you to get the jump on them. St. Louis (before the Massacre) and Lexington MO would be useful places to play the card as the CSA, as would Cairo/Indianapolis/Evansville/Cincinnati to impair early Union plans in TN and KY. If you are attempting a Gold Rush, the Demos temporarily prevent the Union from building in CO increasing your Ranger's chances of successfully capturing Denver/Golden City early. Rather than use them on cities all over the map, keeping some in reserve to use back-to-back would prolong the effect on important build-points (although eventually the Union cities will calm down and unused Demos will be lost).

[minipol]

Interesting, I use them a lot but I didn't release they could hamper the construction of units.

[pgr]

Have you play tested this? Or are we going of the manual text? I'm currently in a PbEM game with a CSA player with a heavy demonstration trigger finger in key cities and I didn't notice any difference in my ability to raise troops. (Of course, I could just not be paying attention)

[ArmChairGeneral]

No, it is based on the manual, and therefore needs confirmation.

Your observations in PBeM would be very informative. Single players cannot play-test this because Athena does not often use demonstration cards so the situation rarely occurs. I suppose one of us could open an AI save mid-game to confirm the effect itself, but if it is occuring observations from an actual game would be more useful in learning how to apply and use the effect.

The manual says that new units cannot be ORDERED, but says nothing about whether previously ordered units will continue to build. It is entirely possible that the rioting rule was removed altogether between when the manual was written and final release.

[The Red Baron]

Currently playing a 1.03 as USA against AI. Athena is currently playing 2 demonstration cards in PA, but I can still build in both regions.

[ArmChairGeneral]

Then it is confirmed, the manual is wrong.

So much for the virtuous feelings I got from finally reading the manual

Thanks Red Baron!

[Pocus]

There is threshold under which you can't build a unit in a region: 25%

[ArmChairGeneral]

25% loyalty to build?

So a demonstration in play does not in-and-of itself inhibit building, but could prevent ordering units once loyalty is lowered enough.

[Pocus]

yes