Promotion and seniority system

[Hegyytoportyan]

Good morning,

I play as the Union side and by the end of 1863 I've run out of compatible corps and army commanders. Some leaders promoted by event and only 4 or 5 generals could be promoted "manually", eg. Sheridan, Grant, Canby and Kearny.

I've fought many battles and leaders gained or lost some seniority ("blamed for heavy losses"). Some guys did their job well (eg.Pope, Wood), but they couldn't be promotable. Why? How the system work? What is the connection between the senirority and the promotion? (Is it easy to mod? - but how?)

IRL Grant won some battles and became an army commander, McClellan won some minor battles and he became army leader too. Burnside and Meade are good examples too.

My opinion is a good solution would be high boost of seniority for winning battles and reach the promotable status in 3 or 5 victories....

Please help to understand the system and sorry for if I asked silly thinks.
Best regards,
H.

[Captain_Orso]

Basically leaders gain XP's (eXperience Points) for hits their troops cause in battle. If they cause enough in one battle they will rise in seniority. If their seniority rises 2 levels above their original in one battle they might be suggested for promotion. If their seniority raises 4 above their original in any way they will become promotable. Hits incurred by units under their command reduce the amount of XP's they might gain including the loss of XP's.

So if you want to promote a leader you will have to protégé him; give him the best troops and lots of them and let him fight battles he's very likely to win with great losses to the enemy.

[Hegyytoportyan]

Thank you.

[elxaime]

For the Union, send the good leaders you want quickly promoted off to command troops you use to take Confederate coastal forts. In storming these forts, for some reason you almost always get a promotion.

The promotion system needs some work. You can win a huge field battle in a key campaign and the leader still cannot be promoted. Send that same leader to storm a fort with 500 men in it and he will be good to go.

[grimjaw]

Hegyytoportyan, some of the commanders have max ranks and only so many model files to represent them, so they won't be able to be promoted no matter how well they do. This is true of many of the lower seniority Union generals. It's easy to change the max rank value in the model files, but their tech upgrade (the value that defines what model file to use at the next rank) has to point to another valid model. That means you'd have to create new model files for generals that don't have ranks beyond their 1- or 2-star models. Then there are a couple more files you have to change ...

I believe the database files are the easiest way to see what ranks are available to the generals. By checking that, you can see if trying to promote a specific general is a waste of your efforts. However, even if they can't be promoted, they can still gain XP and increase their OFF/DEF ratings.

http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?35005-CW2-Excel-Database

[Hegyytoportyan]

I've never tried to occupy the coastal forts. (I see the Conf. AI spend years to try at Ft. Pickens.) I believed in the huge bloody battles.
I'll try your tip, thanks a lot but I'm not too happy to waste my troops to conquer forts when they're almost useless in My Grand Strategy.

Summarize: It's a cheat-like thing. Does Pocus know it?

[Hegyytoportyan]

Hegyytoportyan, some of the commanders have max ranks and only so many model files to represent them, so they won't be able to be promoted no matter how well they do. This is true of many of the lower seniority Union generals. It's easy to change the max rank value in the model files, but their tech upgrade (the value that defines what model file to use at the next rank) has to point to another valid model. That means you'd have to create new model files for generals that don't have ranks beyond their 1- or 2-star models. Then there are a couple more files you have to change ...

I believe the database files are the easiest way to see what ranks are available to the generals. By checking that, you can see if trying to promote a specific general is a waste of your efforts. However, even if they can't be promoted, they can still gain XP and increase their OFF/DEF ratings.

http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?35005-CW2-Excel-Database

Uhhhh... Another new thing for me.... Poor gen. Wood you can't be an army commander..... I don't want have favourite leaders but I thoght that if someone good at the battlefield he can be a higher rank officer.

[grimjaw]

I don't want have favourite leaders but I thoght that if someone good at the battlefield he can be a higher rank officer.

I think I understand you. I always thought Ben McCulloch could have risen to higher command if he had lived past Pea Ridge, but the game has him stuck at a 1-star.

[Hegyytoportyan]

Is there a simply way to modify it? Because in 1862 no one knew that Grant become the best union general. In a computer GAME eg. Hooker can be the best..... or anyone else.

Sorry for my "limited" (honestly very poor) English but I think you can understand my words easier than I understand the excel database....

[tripax]

Hegyytoportyan, some of the commanders have max ranks and only so many model files to represent them, so they won't be able to be promoted no matter how well they do. This is true of many of the lower seniority Union generals.[...]

What?!? Is this true? I thought that some commanders had extra model files so that when promoted they might be able to have different stats or abilities. Otherwise, I thought all were promoteable. Maybe I am wrong.

In any case, it is easy enough to mod, yes.

Also, destroying units is, I think, the key to increasing seniority. It also gives lots of experience, and so along with dealing damage can help increase your commander's skills. You are most likely to destroy units in a seige, which is why the coastal forts thing works.

[Merlin]

You can determine whether or not a general is promotable from his current rank by checking the last tab in the unit info screen (the one you get by clicking the rank star(s) on his card). The "Upgrades to:" line will have a model if he can be promoted.

[grimjaw]

Is there a simply way to modify it?

Hegyytoportyan, it is really not difficult to do for one or two commanders, so long as you address the number of files involved in the change. For each model file you add, you'll have to modify at least three files in three different location to ensure it will work in the game. For modifications of existing models it can be more difficult. The event files in the game refer to existing models, and if you remove or alter one it can cause errors in events expecting certain aliases. For what you are talking about, I expect you would be adding new models. You can create the new models using the database files and the splitter (there are instructions elsewhere on the forums for this). I don't use that method, but I recommend it because it is much easier as a way to keep up with the changes you've made.

What?!? Is this true? I thought that some commanders had extra model files so that when promoted they might be able to have different stats or abilities. Otherwise, I thought all were promoteable. Maybe I am wrong.

tripax, I could be wrong, but I know there aren't three models for every 1-star general in the game. I have also gone through several of the models and seen max ranks set and no tech upgrade values specified. It has been my experience that numerous generals will not get the option for promotion in-game no matter how many seniority points they gain.

Merlin, thanks for that tip. I knew about that for other units, but I didn't think about it for generals.

[tripax]

Thinking about it, I guess I agree. As Union, I slow play the fall of Richmond sometimes so I can have a longer game, and in spite of doing a lot of damage with a couple Armies and corps in the Deep South, I don't get any more promotions after a while.

@Hegyytoportyan: If you are thinking about modding more than, say, 4 leaders, I think it is worth it to learn how to use the DB files and the splitter. Once you do, you are likely to have fun tinkering.