New CW2 recruit's observations

[GraniteStater]

I have had the game (1.01 since the beginning) for about 36 game hours. I played a lot of AACW, but was 0-4 in PbeMs. I have been a Union player, mostly, though had some fun with the South in AACW.

My observations in an Apr61 start, Sergeant, no Activate bonus - a level playing field, as far as one could. It is now May62.

* I went slow (Union). I didn't bother attacking Manassas. We did some dancing around Manassas/Falmouth/F-burg the last few turns since spring and I can use my force advantage to get units within two regions of Richmond by June, I'm fairly sure. J. Johnston just took Harper's Ferry. WVa has been a stalemate around Morganstown; Pittsburg has been held strongly.

* Fall/Winter 61, built the Navy up, river and ocean. Some ironclads & monitors and transports and a few other doodads.

* Kentucky sent a secession message - Loyalty there is kaput - it's still the main battlefield in the center. AI struck at Cairo, which survived the battle, was in good shape in the fortifications in town and then Grant riposted from Paducah. Louisville was lost for one turn a while ago, but taken back right away. Lexington has switched hands a few times. Again, slow, but looks like I can prevail in time.

* Holding the Missouri river line out West. Athena is raising all kindsa lil' beggars & partisans, but my forces are adequate, for now. Needs some beefing up. Far West, I'm doing what I can; built some horse soldiers and foot in NM and CO; some 8 militia in CA. Nevada is held in force.

* Pointless raiding is nonexistent, AFAICS. The raiding I see seems logical and are raids, not five brigades, artillery and horse to capture Cleveland.

* Getting more comfortable with raising troops, money, etc., but still a tad unclear & unsure about exactly what I wanna do. The numbers seem much more parsimonious and the Union doesn't seem to have the same muscle early on. I have done a fair amount of Armory/Mill building, 'cuz it looked like WS were anemic in 61. Still, everything I've done, including Printing $$, Partial Mobil'z, doesn't seem to have crippled me nor enhanced me overly much.

A fair number of Decisions, mostly Telegraph Lines and Trails and Roads and Defenses and a little CounterIntel.

The last two turns, I have led in NM, 96 - 93. CSA VPs are about half again mine, with a 25 point advantage per turn. FI is 44.

***

...and where the heck is my ribbon so graciously awarded by our Queen?

[Gen.DixonS.Miles]

I've experienced something akin to this at least twice now in my games as the Union. The queen you speak of seems inert and/or permenantly offline.

[GraniteStater]

Thanks for letting me know, on all counts.

[Pocus]

Havely had some significant changes of life and who knows, will perhaps return in a few months or years to this forum? Last time I checked, she was well though.

[Pat "Stonewall" Cleburne]

Good stuff GS. I've been busy and waiting for a couple of patches before I came back. I'll be joining with newbie advice here shortly.

[GraniteStater]

Havely had some significant changes of life and who knows, will perhaps return in a few months or years to this forum? Last time I checked, she was well though.

Thanx, Pocus, 'twas a lovely ribbon.

And good to see you, Pat.

[GraniteStater]

Further observations:

* Love the map and overlays. To my eyes, much more 'viewable'.

* Reading the Battle Results was clearer for info, if you wanted to mouseover & drill down for why your units took the pasting they did, in AACW, imho. Seems like there's some useful info missing - just a thought.

* Several misspells, of course, can't be helped, really - the locations or names of Minneapolis/St. Paul are inverted, west-east; the county in which I live, Rockingham, in NH, has an extra 'h' on the UI. Some other stuff for other threads.

* Building units seems a bit longer, in some cases markedly so, compared to AACW.

* RR & rivers maintenance is a bit more expensive & more often - but, as the North, one uses RR a lot.

* Redoubt - Fort - Stockade - I'm all confused here. Redoubts sound like they'd be a serious set of works. As good as a Fort? Dunno.

* The July 61 start seems not to include Mr. Dahlgren and the Monitor.

* I lost KY to the Rebs through notification, more or less; was told they had seceded (Apr61 start). In a July61 start, KY is for the Union, Loyalty and everything. HUGE difference.

I'm at the end of 1862 in both Union games & a few Turns in a CSA start. Man, things are slow and tough (Sergeant, with things set for a 'vanilla playing field', no advantages to human or AI).

I've just about stopped making Decisions; if you thought you needed a big Navy in AACW, you're gonna need a bigger boat in CW2, cuzza blockade conditions being more stringent (but fair to the off-shore blockader).

Stupid Raiding seems to have been scaled way back.

FI in the July62 start is at 66 in December 1862, even after a Full EP. Better in the Apr61 start (with a hostile KY slowing everything down - go figure).

That's it for right now.