CW2 is a historical game and many players just want it to perform as such. They might enjoy replaying battles or campaigns, even repeating the mistakes that were made to get the feel for what was happening. AGEOD has developed a great game for that. This is fine and the documentation reflects this level of scrutiny. Some of us actually were soldiers and it's great the game allows us to apply real world tactics because the game system is so robust. We push the envelope and find out things that some of the players really could do without knowing. I like the terrain feature available by pressing the 7 key. I enjoy using artillery Divisions or really good recon units. However, you don't need to know any of this to play the game. Most info can be gained by just clicking things and familiarizing yourself with what the game can do. So...
If you click on a unit on the map, then you get a graphic of that unit at the bottom of the screen. Click an individual unit and you get a graphic at the right of the elements (regiments/batteries) in that unit. Some brigades are pure infantry, some have other elements. Click on a regiment and you get a four page menu detailing everything about it.
Here is the AGEOD Wiki:
http://www.ageod.net/agewiki/Main_Page
and the part detailing combat:
http://www.ageod.net/agewiki/Combat_Explained
Not only can you combine two militia. If you have a brigade that is missing an element, you can click that brigade icon and another icon for a unit that is exactly that missing element and combine the two. This is how we found out about the two militia into one trick.
I seldom use the entire scroll list. I know that I trained units and that I got resources from overseas, because I was the one who set that up. I might skim these for anything that needs action, but mostly I want to see the battles and figure out what happened.
I don't plan offensive operations using Generals that are going to be an activation problem. I use the sword and shield strategy and the stuck in the mud guys get to be the shield. Like the Doctor told his patient, "If it hurts when you raise your arm over your head, then stop doing that."
RGD's are window dressing. Have a strategy to pound the other side into dog food. Then if you want to raise extra conscripts or pay Native Americans to fight for you, go for it. P.S. Level of civilization (Rich) is not the same as loyalty. Rich regions affect attrition but 100% loyalty in a region may improve production. However, I got my major production centers to 100% loyalty and each only got 1 more $/Conscript company/WS.
If you click the "enter" icon then that unit will enter the structure in the region if they must retreat in combat, or they will enter a structure in the region you are sending them to. "Sortie" will cause a unit in a structure to leave the structure and fight when a relief force is sent into the region where they are located. If you just want to put a unit in a region into a structure in the same region, then cursor the unit over the structure and drop it. The unit icon should disappear and the structure will have a box with a number on it for the number of units inside.
Two basic strategies exist for any conflict. You can do everything possible to win, or do everything possible not to lose. As long as one side does not allow their NM to tank, they can keep trying to "not lose". If they get to 1866, the side with the most Victory Points gets a cookie. Obviously, the way to win is to make the other side's NM bottom out. Taking the opponent's capital is the most direct choice to do this, since they lose 50 NM in one fell swoop. The CSA can do this in 1861 to 1863, or later if the Union forgets the "not lose" strategy. The Union can do this from probably 1862 onwards. To achieve this, assemble the best force you can with your best leaders and make it happen. It takes some micro-managing, but the enemy will thank you for not giving 100%. Good luck!
I'm the 51st shade of gray. Eat, pray, Charge!