PBEM Time Question

[Straight Arrow]

I am new to Civil War 2, and I have a question about PBEM, but let me introduce myself first.

I’m an old time board gamer with a fair amount of miniatures experience, 15mm ancients mainly, and some minor skill in computer gaming:, i.e. Computer war in Europe, a little PON, Civ 4, etc... I also have a couple of degrees in history and anthropology, but other than using a LAN to play a few games with my sons, PBEM remains a mystery to me.

My question is:
How much of your life will a Civil War 2 PBEM game swallow? Are there a “normal” number of contacts per week? And how many hours will one spend completing a campaign game?

Any reports on your personal experiences and preferences will be extremely valuable to me and will help preserve my marriage.

Many thanks.

[havi]

it is easier to get divorced before u start pbem! no if u r like me i play maybe 1-2h after work in evening when kids sleeps and wife watch tv
. but we all are diffrent so it is up to you how u spend your time.

[loki100]

I am new to Civil War 2, and I have a question about PBEM, but let me introduce myself first.

I’m an old time board gamer with a fair amount of miniatures experience, 15mm ancients mainly, and some minor skill in computer gaming:, i.e. Computer war in Europe, a little PON, Civ 4, etc... I also have a couple of degrees in history and anthropology, but other than using a LAN to play a few games with my sons, PBEM remains a mystery to me.

My question is:
How much of your life will a Civil War 2 PBEM game swallow? Are there a “normal” number of contacts per week? And how many hours will one spend completing a campaign game?

Any reports on your personal experiences and preferences will be extremely valuable to me and will help preserve my marriage.

Many thanks.

welcome to the forum

I'm in my first ACW PBEM at the moment (as the Union). I reckon over the period to about Aug 61 each turn took me an hour - some was getting used to the game but that stage is quite a load in raising and organising your armies. Once you get things organised its quicker as you often only need to move 5-6 main stacks, shift some reinforcements and check over the information screens.

The beauty of PBEM is you can play as you can, I'd aim for 3-4 turns a week as a fair level of involvement. But in some other AGE games there are natural pauses in the active war when you can do a number of turns quickly (not sure if this is true for ACW).

More generally, I'd say get into PBEM asap. Athena (the AI) is good but the whole AGEOD catalogue shines as a tussle between players. A lot of the veterans will offer you a 'be nice' version of a first game, perhaps allow the redo of some turns or offer advice, but if they play normally you'll still learn far more than vs the AI.

[Durk]

My first turn of a pbem of CW2 often takes up to two hours, if I am playing the 1862 or 1863 start. As the 1861 scenarios start with a low number of units, the turns are pretty quick. As with loki100, about an hour a turn. But remember, one turn of AC2 is actually two movement turns for you. You receive the file from your opponent, make your move, execute the turn, then make your new move and send the files on ward. Some players like to do a turn a day, but many are good with three turns a week or even once a week.

[Merlin]

I find PBEM turns usually take about 20mins, unless it's Early October, 1861. Then, because of the necessary shuffling of brigades to create divisions, I usually spend about 45min on that single turn. I probably take less time that other players because I find I do better on a gut play rather than meticulous planning.

[tripax]

I'm quick, similar to Merlin. I find the hotkeys are a lot faster than the mouse.

[deguerra]

I'm slow

I love agonizing over various things for an hour and turning the computer off, sleeping on it and then changing my mind about half of them

Fretting, basically. I also love organizing my units.

So I usually take about a week for a turn all told (I have fairly strenuous work commitments though, otherwise I could probably managed 2 or 3), so I don't tend to play except with a close friend, as most people's preference is for a faster game.

-deguerra

[Captain_Orso]

Hi and welcome to the forum, and good-bye to the rest of your life jk

As you have read, it basically depends on your style of play. If you know what you are doing and can just grab some units to throw a force together maneuver them toward your goal without second-guessing yourself over and over you could manage a turn in probably about half an hour, but who really does that.

Once the game really has gotten underway--mid to late '61 onwards--you should plan with about an hour to an hour and a half. Don't forget, bantering with your opponent and discussing thing--how rules work, how they should really work, why Pocus doesn't just do everything I want ... jk, but really --it could add a few tens of minutes.

I've never gotten a PBEM that far , but I have allowed Athena to get into '64 and beyond, just because I didn't want to start another game. Playing the Union you start getting burdened down with a lot of menial tasks. By then running the blockade boxes--keeping your fleets supplied and in repair--is like play a boring game of solitaire.

I find myself spending lots of time managing garrisons too. Once the war has moved away from the northern states, line infantry garrisons are no longer necessary. I start replacing them with militia and shifting those garrison units south into territory where they are needed--you take a lot of small cities in the South and if you don't garrison them they will become havens for raiders and partisans--. Still you need to keep building more and training them up with Halleck and Siegel--and McClellan until he leaves--and that takes time too.

Sometimes--only playing Athena--late in the war I've just grown weary of the time it takes to scout out the enemy--sending single cavs into enemy territory to scout, paying attention to their supply levels, making sure you have then next wave of scouts ready to go when these come back--I just stack them in with the corps and wing it. If I've missed detecting a force readying to sneak past my corps-line, hey! excitement .

So, it really depends on your own style of play and how much time you're willing to put into managing your forces aka micro-management. Just don't forget to have fun.

[Straight Arrow]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

Your responses were exactly what I was looking and most helpful.

I appreciate your time and effort.

[BBBD316]

Straight I will give a newbies perspective.

As I am so new to the game I find that I agonise or each decision and review as much as I can, but being pretty bad at the game I am sure I miss the most important things.

I have 3 CW2 games on the go and a ROP game, I would suggest I went a bit hard a bit early. I would suggest finding a player of similar newness to the game and having a very leisurely play-thru first and then swap sides and go again.

It is fun and the excitement when you win a battle against a human opponent as opposed to Athena is very different.