Serious Question

[Linstock]

Is there any possible reason why an army on assault posture would fail to attack an enemy position that's in the same region for two turns in a row? If not, I have a bug to report. Bear in mind, I'm computer stupid, so please be specific about how to capture images for posting, etc.

I'm the union player in Fredericksburg, with an active leader for two turns in a row on all-out assault against a Confederate force that doesn't even seem to be in the structure. For those two turns, nothing happened.

Nothing.

I've never seen anything like this before. Like I said, please be specific about instructions if I need to post a bug report.

[Jim-NC]

A screen shot would help. To make a screen shot, I use the "print screen" button located on the computer keyboard. Then I paste into MS Paint. Save the picture as a .jpg file. Then upload to the forum using the "insert image" button (found just above where you type your reply).

Now back to your query. You should be seeing a message in the log stating that "we failed to engage x force" with x being the name of the enemy force in Fredericksburg. This means that your troops tried to fight the enemy, but the couldn't find them. If not, did you get a message that "force x retreated before combat"? If so, that means your troops found the enemy, but they retreated before you could attack them.

[lodilefty]

If your force is an Army Stack [Leader+HQ as an organized Army], it cannot initiate combat if there are any other friendly stacks in the same region.

[charlesonmission]

Another option would be if cohesion is too low (the attack would be called off), if I'm not mistaken.

Charles

[Linstock]

If your force is an Army Stack [Leader+HQ as an organized Army], it cannot initiate combat if there are any other friendly stacks in the same region.

Whoa, hold on there. That's why I love the forums--I learn something new almost every day. That's got to be it--the army is the only active stack (both corps failed strategic checks), and I was hoping to goad them into an attack.

Now I know better.

Thanks Lodilefty!

[Captain_Orso]

The details are missing to assess exactly what the situation is. This is what I understand happened.

The CSA is in Spotylvania (Fredericksburg region) with one or more stacks.

An Union army stack (activated; offensive posture) and 2 corp (inactivated; defensive posture) enter the region, but no combat occurs.

[INDENT]One thing you mustn't forget, is that when a stack of regular units (non-raiders, non-cavalry) in defensive posture enters a region in which they have <95% MC they automatically go to offensive posture. This does not lessen the up to 35% penalty for being inactivated.[/INDENT]

There are a number of reasons why the Union corp did not initiate combat.

• They might have lost too much cohesion; there should be a message stating that because of low cohesion they refused to attack.
• The might have arrived too late in the turn for combat to occur.
• Because only the corp can attack and they are -35% in calculated strength because of being inactivated, they might have tried to avoid combat, but not have had time to leave the region (the also have 35% lower movement).

The next turn the Union stacks have not change their activated/inactivated states. The Union army stack remains in offensive posture.

[INDENT]Here, as Lodilefty has stated, the Union army stack cannot initiate combat, because there are other Union stacks in the region.[/INDENT]

You must also consider that the CS force(s) are on avoid combat and might have superior cavalry, which will help avoid combat. Also weather can play a big role in whether the forces find each other or opt to go into battle.

It's an odd situation with which I have little experience, because the Union force is not one that I would send into combat at all. Even a small highly motivated defender might manage to smash-up such a large unprepared force.

The situation is now that you have the wolf by his ears. If you let go he might lunge at you. If you try to hold on he might break free, or worse, have some friends come to his assistance.

Being attacked in a region where you have low MC, little entrenchment, low supply (you can't get much if he controls the region), little movement (because most of your forces are inactivated (this means very poor battle performance because of frontage)) and probably poor leadership (otherwise your corp would be activated) spells for bad news.

[Linstock]

The details are missing to assess exactly what the situation is. This is what I understand happened.

The CSA is in Spotylvania (Fredericksburg region) with one or more stacks.

An Union army stack (activated; offensive posture) and 2 corp (inactivated; defensive posture) enter the region, but no combat occurs.

[INDENT]One thing you mustn't forget, is that when a stack of regular units (non-raiders, non-cavalry) in defensive posture enters a region in which they have <95% MC they automatically go to offensive posture. This does not lessen the up to 35% penalty for being inactivated.[/INDENT]

There are a number of reasons why the Union corp did not initiate combat.

• They might have lost too much cohesion; there should be a message stating that because of low cohesion they refused to attack.
• The might have arrived too late in the turn for combat to occur.
• Because only the corp can attack and they are -35% in calculated strength because of being inactivated, they might have tried to avoid combat, but not have had time to leave the region (the also have 35% lower movement).

The next turn the Union stacks have not change their activated/inactivated states. The Union army stack remains in offensive posture.

[INDENT]Here, as Lodilefty has stated, the Union army stack cannot initiate combat, because there are other Union stacks in the region.[/INDENT]

You must also consider that the CS force(s) are on avoid combat and might have superior cavalry, which will help avoid combat. Also weather can play a big role in whether the forces find each other or opt to go into battle.

It's an odd situation with which I have little experience, because the Union force is not one that I would send into combat at all. Even a small highly motivated defender might manage to smash-up such a large unprepared force.

The situation is now that you have the wolf by his ears. If you let go he might lunge at you. If you try to hold on he might break free, or worse, have some friends come to his assistance.

Being attacked in a region where you have low MC, little entrenchment, low supply (you can't get much if he controls the region), little movement (because most of your forces are inactivated (this means very poor battle performance because of frontage)) and probably poor leadership (otherwise your corp would be activated) spells for bad news.

Actually, Lodilefty's response must be the explanation. The situation is very simple: The Army of the Potomac under Mac and with two corps has been in Fredericksburg for three turns. So that's three stacks, all of which had decent cohesion and enough supply. Around five union divs total. The entire southern force for that entire time in Fredericksburg has been less than 100 strength. (His army is off in two different directions, taking on Fortress Monroe and Harper's Ferry.) All I was trying to do was go into assault posture and wipe out the force to clear Fredericksburg for occupation. But only Mac and the army stack passed activation checks for all three turns--neither his corps commanders did. Spot of back luck, really, but then they both have strategic ratings of 3, so not entirely weird either.

What I had forgotten until Lodilefty reminded me is that Mac can't initiate combat himself if he's got supporting corps in the region. Hence the awkward impasse, with a relatively small, beleaguered enemy force staying alive with around five healthy Union divisions breathing down its neck. The rebs stayed put, my corps commanders dozed, and Mac fumed. It's not the sort of development that most players are likely to see very often, I'll wager.

That's how I understand it, anyway. Again, I had been in the region for a while, with good MC, etc. Nothing else but the above situation could explain it.

[Captain_Orso]

Yes, I agree completely with what Lodi said (that should be a forum tag-phrasie, a "What Lodi said" ").

One thing you should look at though is the effective strategic rating of your corp commanders. If those corps belong to "Lil' Mac's" army he will be giving them -1 to -2 strategic rating with only a very small chance of -0 (about 5% IIRC).

What I wonder the most about is that while moving into Spotsylvania and while standing in that region, those inactivated corp will still go to offensive posture, because they have less <95% Military Control (MC) over that region. At the beginning of each turn in which those corps were starting in Spotsylvania you should find them in offensive posture. Is this the case?
[INDENT]The CS forces in Spotsylvania will lose some MC, but only very slowly and only to a limit as long as they are in good-order, with high cohesion and the Union forces are to the greatest extent inactivated.[/INDENT]

I've never read what affects low strategic rating and low MC have on initiating battle in a region. In fact I can't remember ever having read at all exactly how combat is initiated. But if the apparently much smaller enemy force is activated, well lead, in defensive posture and trying to avoid combat, in my mind those would work greatly against the forces going to battle.

[Linstock]

Yes, I agree completely with what Lodi said (that should be a forum tag-phrasie, a "What Lodi said" ").

One thing you should look at though is the effective strategic rating of your corp commanders. If those corps belong to "Lil' Mac's" army he will be giving them -1 to -2 strategic rating with only a very small chance of -0 (about 5% IIRC).

What I wonder the most about is that while moving into Spotsylvania and while standing in that region, those inactivated corp will still go to offensive posture, because they have less <95% Military Control (MC) over that region. At the beginning of each turn in which those corps were starting in Spotsylvania you should find them in offensive posture. Is this the case?
[INDENT]The CS forces in Spotsylvania will lose some MC, but only very slowly and only to a limit as long as they are in good-order, with high cohesion and the Union forces are to the greatest extent inactivated.[/INDENT]

I've never read what affects low strategic rating and low MC have on initiating battle in a region. In fact I can't remember ever having read at all exactly how combat is initiated. But if the apparently much smaller enemy force is activated, well lead, in defensive posture and trying to avoid combat, in my mind those would work greatly against the forces going to battle.

OK Cpt. Orso, sorry for the delay--a few days of real life and all that. Interestingly, even after several turns of Little Mac and his corps in the region (with excellent cohesion), the rebs still have 76 percent military control--and my corps are still starting the turn with defensive posture. Does that raise a red flag to you?

[Captain_Orso]

Does that raise a red flag to you?

Maybe.

OK Cpt. Orso, sorry for the delay--a few days of real life and all that. Interestingly, even after several turns of Little Mac and his corps in the region (with excellent cohesion), the rebs still have 76 percent military control--and my corps are still starting the turn with defensive posture.

Do I understand you correctly, that after a turn has executed, at the beginning of the Planning Phase, both corps are in Defensive Posture although the Union MC is around 25%?

What patch level are you at? You can look in 'c:\Program Files (x86)\AGEod's American Civil War\ACW\Settings\System.opt' -- or where ever you installed the game -- for the line starting "GameVersion =". This will tell you your patch level.