Union Leader Modifications

[gbs]

It's on the first page of the thread:

When I download the mod file for 1.06 I can not find a file named "April 61 Campaign". Is it there under another name I am not recognising?

Also, I looks like Winfield has added a lot of work with the Confederate generals. Will an update of the mod with those changes be up soon? When do we think that Phil and Pocus will make this "official"?

[Gray_Lensman]

deleted

[Winfield S. Hancock]

Thanks for catching that error Bodders. I have already corrected it in my files.

[Winfield S. Hancock]

I am pleased to release today the completed, working version of the Leader Optimization Project Mod for AACW 1.06. This version loads correctly and works with AACW 1.06. It has all the changes that I plan on making, other than any changes in Confederate leader ratings that might be suggested by Stonewall. Please let me know if you find any problems, or have further comments about the changes after gameplay. New to this version is a comprehensive list of changes in a word document, and a readme for installation.

I hope you enjoy playing this mod as much as I have enjoyed working on it.

Here are the latest changes from earlier versions:

1.06 final changes

John Palmer entry point changed to Louisville

Hiram Berry and Amiel Whipple reduced to 1 star rank and are not promotable

Added Poor Spy Network trait to the following Union leaders to represent their general ineptitude on the battlefield and lack of awareness of Confederate movements, which often led to their doom in battle: Butler, Banks, McDowell, Burnside, Buell, Rosecrans, Halleck, Pope, Patterson, Sigel, Hunter, Milroy, Schenk, Blenker, Runyon, Tyler, and Miles.

Edward Canby now appears in early 1862 in the Southwest

CSA Generals

John B. Floyd now arrives in Ft. Donelson in early 1861

Felix Zollicoffer and Dan Ruggles arrive in Nashville in early 1861.

Charles Winder now arrives in Richmond in early 1863.

Ben McCulloch arrives in Little Rock in early 1861.

WHC Whiting now arrives in Richmond in early 1862

GW Smith now arrives in Richmond in early 1862

Bushrod Johnson now arrives in Ft. Donelson or Nashville in early 1862

Robert Hoke now arrives in Richmond in early 1864

John McCown, Jones Withers, and Josiah Tatnall now arrive in Memphis or Nashville in early 1862. McCown gains the Quick Angered trait.

E.P. Alexander and Edward ‘Allegheny’ Johnson arrival moved back from early 62 to early 63 in Richmond.

John Forney reduced in rank to 1 star. Forney now enters early 62 in Jackson or Baton Rouge.

WHF Lee now arrives in early 1863 in Richmond rather than early 1862

George Doles now arrives early 1864 in Richmond rather than early 1862.

CSA General O. Wilcox deleted – was duplicate of USA leader Orlando Willcox

CSA General John Clark deleted – only commanded at the minor brigade level in the Trans Mississippi theater

Thomas Churchill, Prince de Poligny, Hamilton Bee, James Major, Jean Mouton, and Mosby Parsons now appear in early 63 in Little Rock or Baton Rouge

Carter Stevenson, William Bowen, WH Walker, William Martin and James Cantey now appear in early 63 in either Jackson or Montgomery.

William Bate, Samuel French, John Kelly and William Y. Humes now appear in early 64 in Atlanta or Montgomery

New CSA Leader Dabney Maury. Rated 3-2-3. Is promotable to 2 star rank. Enters in Jackson/Montgomery in early 63

New CSA leader John Patton Anderson. Rated 3-3-2. Enters early 63 in Jackson/Montgomery.

New CSA leader St. John Richardson Liddell. Rated 3-4-3. Has qualities of Patriot and Storng Morale. Enters late 63 in Chattanooga/Montgomery.

New CSA leader States Rights Gist. Rated 3-2-2. Possesses Charismatic trait. Enters early 64 in Atlanta.

New CSA leader Mansfield Lovell. Rated at 2-0-0. Has Dispirited leader and Poor Spy Network traits. Enters at 2 star rank in early 1861 in New Orleans. Lovell was the chief incompetent responsible for losing New Orleans to the Union.

New CSA leader Albert Pike. Appears in Little Rock with Ben McCulloch in early 61. Pike is rated at 3-1-0 with the HotHead and Indian Fighter traits. Pike is also notable for his work as the founding father of Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

New CSA leader Gideon Pillow. Pillow is rated 2-0-0 and has the traits dispirited leader and poor spy network. Pillow appears in early 1861 at Fort Donelson.
Automatic promotion in March/April for William Hardee, one of the South’s most experienced generals, to reflect his promotion to Corps command in the Army of Mississippi prior to Shiloh.

A.P. Stewart entry delayed one year – Stewart never commanded more than a brigade prior to 1863.

John C. Pemberton arrival pushed back to September 1862. Arrival location changed to Jackson Mississippi

W. W. Loring made promotable to 2-star rank to reflect the fact he held several corps commands during the war. Loring now enters in early 1862 in Southwest Virginia.

Ben Cheatham now enters in either Nashville or Memphis

Lafayette McLaws, AP Hill, John Bell Hood and Dick Anderson now guaranteed to arrive no later than September 62 to the Army of Northern Virginia

Dick Taylor now guaranteed to show up no later than late summer 62 in the West.

John Wharton now delayed in arriving to January 63

John Marmaduke now arrives in late 63/early 64

William Quantrill entry delayed from current early 62 to mid 63. It was only by this time did Quantrill have more than a handful of raiders, and his largest force never approached the size of a division. Still, he is an important character and partisan leader for the West.

Entry of Stand Watie and his Cherokee troops delayed to early 62

Milledge Bonham now arrives at 1 star rank

Theophilus Holmes now arrives at 1 star rank

Stonewall Jackson now arrives at 1 star rank

Confederates can now form up to 48 divisions

[anarchyintheuk]

My $0.02. I would disagree w/ applying the poor spy network to Halleck, Burnside and Rosecrans.

Halleck's failings (he moved slowly and disliked Grant) had nothing to do w/ his lack of situational awareness. His drive to Corinth was slow but unstoppable. The fact that Beauregard conducted a masterful retreat from Corinth is rewarded w/ his "master deceiver" trait or whatever it's called. Halleck was never defeated.

Burnside's lack of tactical ability is reflected in his ratings. At Antietam no cavalry was provided by McClellan to forwarn him of McLaw's approach. In any event his attacked was unfortunately/poorly time by McClellan so as to allow for McLaw's appearance. Burnside knew enough of Lee's dispositions to outmaneuver him at Fredericksburg. By the time he attacked he was aware that he faced the whole ANV. The fact that he still did is reflected in his tactical ratings. It wasn't Burnside's fault that Meade/Grant removed Ferraro's division from the Crater assault either.

Again Rosecran's penalty is adequately represented by his mediocre tactical ratings. He performed creditably on the battlefield during the Iuka-Corinth campaign and at Stones River. Lets face it, he lost at Chickamauga because he didn't know where his own troops were not because he didn't know where the AoT was. He was never strategically surprised in any of his battles and was familiar enough w/ Bragg's dispositions to maneuver him out of most of Tennesse w/ barely a shot being fired. One of the finest campaigns of the CW.

Finally, most of those commanders listed are being penalized, at least in part, for the poor performance/organization of Union cavalry or its complete absence in the early part of the war just as Lee gets the spy network benefit because of his cavalry's abilities, not his own. Lee, with better cavalry, lost track of the AoP at least 5 times during his command but doesn't get tagged w/ the "clueless" trait (maneuvers prior to Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and Grant's attack against Petersburg). I don't think it's particulary fair to penalize those commanders for something not entirely under their control. It should only be applied to delusional types such as McClellan and Pope (although Pope was also let down by the performance of his cavalry vs. the performance of the ANV's cavalry). Maybe give the trait to Miles as well.

Sorry, I took up so much space. Other than the above, I like what you've done w/ the leader mod.

[McNaughton]

My $0.02. I would disagree w/ applying the poor spy network to Halleck, Burnside and Rosecrans.

Burnside's lack of tactical ability is reflected in his ratings. At Antietam no cavalry was provided by McClellan to forwarn him of McLaw's approach. In any event his attacked was unfortunately/poorly time by McClellan so as to allow for McLaw's appearance. Burnside knew enough of Lee's dispositions to outmaneuver him at Fredericksburg. By the time he attacked he was aware that he faced the whole ANV. The fact that he still did is reflected in his tactical ratings. It wasn't Burnside's fault that Meade/Grant removed Ferraro's division from the Crater assault either.

I think that it can be warranted to apply Poor_Spy_Network to Burnside, possibly moreso than for Halleck. Take Antietam for example, he did not even attempt to search out for a more suitable way to cross than 'Burnside Bridge', even thoug there were very useful fords. He really didn't respond adequately enough to situations when they required a change of plan or imagination. He did well out west against Longstreet, but I think it is the exception over the rule (this is where battle chance comes into play).

Finally, most of those commanders listed are being penalized, at least in part, for the poor performance/organization of Union cavalry or its complete absence in the early part of the war just as Lee gets the spy network benefit because of his cavalry's abilities, not his own. Lee, with better cavalry, lost track of the AoP at least 5 times during his command but doesn't get tagged w/ the "clueless" trait (maneuvers prior to Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and Grant's attack against Petersburg). I don't think it's particulary fair to penalize those commanders for something not entirely under their control. It should only be applied to delusional types such as McClellan and Pope (although Pope was also let down by the performance of his cavalry vs. the performance of the ANV's cavalry). Maybe give the trait to Miles as well.

I would definitely rate McClellan, Pope, Butler, Patterson, Miles, Milroy, Burnside, and Banks as definitely recieving Poor_Spy_Network. This both represents their own ability to position their troops properly (i.e., scout out routes of advance, defensive positions, know where your own troops are, etc.,), as well as knowledge of the enemy. I think Poor_Spy_Network's effects represent a relative blindness to information (fitting well with their own, as well as enemy disposition). I really cannot say for Buell, Rosecrans, Halleck, Sigel, Hunter, Schenk, Blenker, Runyon, or Tyler. But, these names themselves don't stand out as major positive players anyway.

Regarding McDowell, I don't think he belongs in the list. At 1st Bull Run, he actually had very good knowledge of the makeup of his own forces at hand, where they should go, and where they were, as well as precise information on his enemy. He didn't lose because of lack of information on his part (Patterson was outwitted by Johnston), but more to reaching the limitations on an untrained army in an assault. However, he may be 'vindicated' into getting this trait because of his performance at 2nd Bull Run.

*Just because Rosecrans and Butler were tricked by Beareguard, and he has the Master_Deciever trait, does not mean that maybe Rosecrans and Butler helped in being fooled. Beareguard didn't fool everyone he was up against, maybe just those who were gullible?

[bstarr]

Any chance of adding automatic promotions for some Confederate commanders? As the game stands you need victories to promote leaders, but several leaders recieved rapid promotions despite poor showings in the field - Van Dorn comes to mind.

ps. This mod of yours looks outstanding. I'm really excited about trying it.