I've been playing AACW for a few weeks now. On my current campaign I'm using normal AI aggression, and I've given the AI a Fog of War advantage. To make things interesting, I'm playing with the following stipulations:
1) No divisons larger than 7000 men. No corps larger than 24000 men.
In previous games, I've always created two armies, then created Corps of 35K strength and sent them off in random directions to fight. In those games, the army commander never budged an inch from where I created it. I imposed this rule to force myself to create historically realistic corps structures, and keep army commands stacked with subordinate corps for combat purposes.
2) Slight general randomization.
From experience in the game, this doesn't change things radically. The good generals tend to stay good, and the bad generals tend to stay bad. It also randomizes the seniority ratings for generals when they appear. So some generals show up automatically to be promoted. This introduces a more random aspect to which commanders rise out of the herd to corps command.
3) No conscription until absolutely necessary.
4) Keep one army corps near D.C. at all times.
This was a rubbing point for Lincoln during the war, so I decided to hamstring myself by leaving a large command in Alexandria. (It turned out to be one of the smartest things I wound up doing).
In my most recent campaign, I'm seeing things I've never seen before.
EASTERN THEATER 1861
I was able to mobilize my army and capture Manassas early on. The AI captured Harper's Ferry. I sent reinforcements to capture it, but the turn they arrived a LARGE Reb command showed up and held the town. So I contented myself with holding my ground and recruiting a new army. McClellan came east to create the 2 Corps army with McDowell and Keyes (who showed up with better than average stats and was promotable).
WESTERN THEATER 1861
The Rebs invaded Kentucky, which gave me the excuse I needed to send troops in. I concentrated most of my troops at Louisville, then send one division to Lexington to capture it, and a division to Bowling Greene to make sure it didn't fall to the Rebs. However, Lew Wallace never activated and I couldn't capture Lexington. So I left him in place to keep the city bottled up. Later in the year, US Grant showed up. I immediately sent him to Louisville, created a division under his command, and pushed him to Lexington to assault and capture the city. His success was enough to promote him to 3* status. For reasons I will explain below, I decided to send him East, to assume command in Virginia. I won't say it was a bad decision, but it was definitely a choice I questioned later.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI THEATER 1861
In the Western US, I focused on recruiting militia units to garrision the strategic cities, and cavalry units to chase down the eventual radiers, partisans, and indians that crop up. A random event awarded me control of Dallas, TX. The St. Louis Massacre gave me Nathaniel Lyon.
My usual goals for Missouri are to capture Rolla and Jefferson City, then fight for Springfield before winter comes. If Lyon appears in the game, he is a great general to this end. And his high seniority makes it very easy to promote him to 2* and even 3* status. My intention was to get him promoted and take Springfield in the process, then pack him east to take a higher command, depending on where he would be most useful. In 1862 I would use another general to march south into Arkansas. It was a good plan on paper...
What happened is that I withdrew my cavalry unit from Ft. Gibson, IT. Until I can get a stronger force there, it isn't practical to leave them in place. I gave them orders to march to Springfield, MO. My intention was to get an idea of what kind of troops the Confederates would have in place when Lyon arrived there. But instead of fighting for Springfield, the Rebs didn't contest the city. There was a small fight with a militia unit, but it wasn't a commendable victory. With winter close at hand, I sent Lyon further south to Fayetteville, AR. There were signs of a Rebel force there, and I was spoiling for a fight. But again they put up only a minor fight, and didn't contest the city.
So at the end of 1861, one of the better commanders that I was counting on getting into higher command was stuck in NW Arkansas.
No picture or maps to offer in this AAR. I apoligize for that. I've already played through the end of 1862, and it only dawned on me to share my experiences afterwards.