A few beginner questions

[Uncle Billy]

Its been said War is Hell, but this wargame may be as close to heaven as I'll ever get...

Apologies in advance if these questions have been discussed, I've been is a leraning curve frenzy of reading the forums and manual and playing the game, and I may have missed some things.

1) Does it make sense to give a divisional command upgrade to a two star or above general commanding a corp or army. In other words, should a corp/army leader have his own division for CP purposes or combat effectivenss, or does it make no difference?

2)Am I correct in assuming that the most effective armies are the ones built of brigades (at the lowest unit level) since brigades often give a CP 'bonus' in that they cost less than 1 CP per sub unit (usually) versus the cost of the indivdual components?

3) Does leadership below the stack commander's values play a role in combat? I'm guessing and hoping it does, but I wanted to know how much impact a good versus a mediocore divisional or brigade commader within a larger stack has on combat.

4)Is there a reference for the different unit types in the game? Even compairing stats to already built units I'm often hard pressed to understand why an artillery battery with a higher power rating than another might actually be cheaper than it, or why I would want to buy light artillery beyond cost purposes (ie. does it play a different role in battle, or terrain? maybe that's in the terrain chart now that I think about it...)

5) When I blockade a city harbor or even just a strip of water is there some way to tell I've done it? I have what I think are sufficient vessles in certain areas but I see no feedback (or the little 'cart' symbol) telling me if I was succesful. Also, I assume brigs don't count toward blockading harbors and water segments?

6) What is the limit on promotions? Ie. in one of my games two of my one stars were eligible for promotion, I promoted the senior of the two and the other was no longer available for promotion both in that turn and in the next. Is it based on promotional 'slots' available, or time based, or something else?

Glitches (?)

1) As Union when I order a total blockade policy it says I will get 50k, 1 NM, and 15 VP, yet the projected totals for the next turn in the other minister tabs shows this as -1 NM, and -15 VP

2) As Union I trigger 'Kentucky Secedes' and get the message, but the message states a bunch of positive factors, ie. that I get more volunteers and conscripts and can now recruit more in Kentunky (some supply and war materials to I think), in other words its telling me what the CSA is getting. Incedentally, if Ageod is listing things for a fix, there is a typo of 'Kentucky' in the tooltip for this event (Knetucky).

Anyway, a vast and awesome game, hands down the best of its kind.

[Caesar]

Great questions Billy that I would love to see the answers also.

I'll add a very beginner beginner question that may sound stupid. I'm playing one of the campaigns that starts in 1864 I believe, and I'm playing the Confederates. There are several 1 Star Generals in or around Richmond with no units attached to them. What do I do with them? Are they simply for reserve or replacing another General?

[Uncle Billy]

Caesar, if those generals aren't locked you can make divisional commanders out of them with a button in the 'tent' special menu. Then you can assign a larger number of troops to them than normal (and keep them effective), and combine them with a button in the same menu. All those one star led divisions become the building blocks of corps and armies, and you can use them for anything really. So, they represent leadership assests that you can 'fill' with troops.

I'm not sure if that is what you wanted to know, or if I missed something.

[Caesar]

Billy I thought about that and tried, but it says the south has a limit of I think 24 Divisions I was at that limit when it started.

I could be misunderstanding the whole thing though.

[Uncle Billy]

In that case you can either use them as stack commanders without assigning them as a divisional chief (they'll get a bit of a command penalty, but in many cases having them is better than nothing, and useful for garrisons or sittign in cities to use special abilities like recruiter). Also, some may make good 'aides de camp' if they have a special ability that benefits a whole stack, like artillerist, you can just stick them in another corps so it benefits from their ability. Also, since you are at your divisional max, you can unassign current one star leaders and use the free space (ie. 1 free space of 24) to raise a divsion with a better leader. The command to take a divisional command away from the general is the same button as is used to create it in the tent menu.

[jimwinsor]

Its been said War is Hell, but this wargame may be as close to heaven as I'll ever get...

...

Glitches (?)

1) As Union when I order a total blockade policy it says I will get 50k, 1 NM, and 15 VP, yet the projected totals for the next turn in the other minister tabs shows this as -1 NM, and -15 VP

...

Actually, what this means is, it costs you a negative number, ie, your subtracting a negative, so, in reality you are adding that sum to your total. So, it's all good!

[Grotius]

I've wondered about several of these questions myself, but I think I know the answer to a couple.

1. I don't think you can command both a division and a corps at the same time, if that's your question. I'm pretty sure about this because I recall that initially I gave Grant a division, and shortly thereafter I had to disband it to give him a corps. I could be wrong about that; it was many game turns ago. Anyway, in general I save my two-star and above for corps and armies if at all possible. It's true that sometimes the only general on hand is a two-star, so if I need a division commander, he's elected. But more often I've wished I'd kept a two-star on hand to make a corps.

2. I think you're right that 3-element brigades are often slightly more efficient than 3 x 1-element units. But it doesn't always seem to be the case. If it's real important to me, I do gestimate the power-to-command-cost ratio of a given brigade, but usually I don't bother.

3. If you mean the strategic/offense/defense numbers, I had thought they did not play a role in the stack's stats unless that general is the leader. But I'd love to know if I'm wrong. If they did benefit, then we would all pile fifty generals into each crucial stack, wouldn't we?

As you probably know, some of a subordinate's abilities *do* benefit the entire stack, even if that general isn't in command; e.g., the artilleryist and siege expert and siege defense abilities. But other subordinate's abilities don't help the stack unless the subordinate's in command.

4. Good question. When buying units, I sometimes wish the mouseover on the reinforcements screen gave a tad more info about the unit I'm about to buy. Not a big deal to me, though.

5. There definitely is a pleasing little blue/gray oval to indicate you've successfully blockaded a harbor. It's important to check how many "exits" the harbor has; it usually has more than you think! You must blockade each and every exit in order to blockade. E.g, Norfolk has 3 exits. A body of water by default requires four units to blockade, but the presence or absence of friendly/hostile forts can adjust this up or down by 2 units. (One question I have is what counts as a "unit" for these purposes.)

And yes, a brig definitely does count. I use them all the time. In fact, they seem ideal for blockading places like the James River. (Again, perhaps I'm wrong?)

6. No clue. That hasn't happened to me.

Not sure about glitch 1, but I was also somewhat confused about the invasion-of-Kentucky event. I couldn't figure out who had done the invading, and who was benefiting as a result.

[Uncle Billy]

@jimwinsor, ah that clears it up nicely, It didn't seem like I was being penalized when the next turn rolled around either, so it had me confused.

@grotius, thanks for clearing up blockades, I think I may not have been blocking all possible outlets in many cases. Though does a brig unit count as one or two 'ships?' Same with gunboats, I'd assume its on a per ship basis, I haven't really gotten the hang of it in any of my campaign starts and I was never sure if it was because I miscounted units or didn't have all the spaces, or just didn't see an indicator, etc.

My question about subcommaders is more along the lines of if, during combat, a units ability is also influenced by their divisional and brigade commander's strat, offensive and defensive values (and possibley non 'stack' traits) in addition to the corps/army stack leaders. I had assumed that 'attached' generals not leading things only shared their traits (like artillerist), rather than played any role in fighting -- but I could be wrong there too and that's another question for the experts.

Thanks for your help fellas.

[Jabberwock]

My question about subcommaders is more along the lines of if, during combat, a units ability is also influenced by their divisional and brigade commander's strat, offensive and defensive values (and possibley non 'stack' traits) in addition to the corps/army stack leaders. I had assumed that 'attached' generals not leading things only shared their traits (like artillerist), rather than played any role in fighting -- but I could be wrong there too and that's another question for the experts.

Brigade / Division leaders provide a 5% bonus to combat power of the unit for each point of their offense or defense rating (whichever is applicable). Corps / Army commanders provide a similar 3% bonus to all units in the stack.

[Caesar]

In that case you can either use them as stack commanders without assigning them as a divisional chief (they'll get a bit of a command penalty, but in many cases having them is better than nothing, and useful for garrisons or sittign in cities to use special abilities like recruiter). Also, some may make good 'aides de camp' if they have a special ability that benefits a whole stack, like artillerist, you can just stick them in another corps so it benefits from their ability. Also, since you are at your divisional max, you can unassign current one star leaders and use the free space (ie. 1 free space of 24) to raise a divsion with a better leader. The command to take a divisional command away from the general is the same button as is used to create it in the tent menu.

Thanks...That gives me a lot of ideas. This is going to be one of those games that's easy to play but very difficult to master.

[pasternakski]

Ain't this a great place to get help, Uncle Billy? I have relied on these guys a lot of times. Of course, I have often depended on the kindness of strangers.

As far as the two possible "glitches" you mentioned, I seem to remember Pocus saying on a thread long ago in a galaxy far, far away that the effect of the total blockade is correct, even if the game message is a little unclear. I think it has been okay in my games (you get the dough, morale, and VPs, but run the risk of increasing European sympathy for the CSA cause).

The Kentucky events business may still not be completely straightened out. Pocus has spent some time working on the "invasion" consequences for both sides, but I don't know that the "secession" mechanics have been double-checked. It could be that the text is intended for the other side, as you say, but secession by Kentucky would not have been completely popular, so that the Union side could accrue benefits from it. I guess an official pronouncement on whether this is WAD would be in order here.

Oddly enough, I have never behaved (or misbehaved) in such a way as to precipitate a Kentucky secession. Style of play, I guess...

[Pocus]

KY events are still under scrutiny (typo fixed by the way), they seems to have another bug each time we fix one

Corps/stacks commanders give +5% (per point) to all units in the stack, whereas divisions/brigades commanders give +3% to all elements in their unit, not the reverse, but thinking about the actual values, this can be debated and contestable somehow. Well, we will see with the betas what they think of that.

Promotions appears if the leader performs well in battle.

[pasternakski]

KY events are still under scrutiny (typo fixed by the way), they seems to have another bug each time we fix one

I am not so sure that the problem is bugs. I think we would like an explanation of how Kentucky is supposed to work, so that we can help squash any bugs. As it is now, I don't know what the intended reality is.

Can we also get back to West Virginia, Kansas, and Missouri someday? There is a lot of unexplored potential in the various historical circumstances surrounding these states that I would like to see built into the game (this was brought up a long time ago, but seems to have been lost in the shuffle).

Promotions appears if the leader performs well in battle.

This is a cautionary tale for all of us idiot players. If you give the leaders you want promoted superior units, you can manipulate, to some extent, who gets promoted. For example, in the April '61 campaign, you can give Joe Hooker a couple of tough, elite infantry units early on, form a division, go kick some Rebs around (Winchester is a good place), and, soon, ole Fightin' Joe winds up eligible to become a two-star, corps-commanding, lean, mean, fighting machine (with apologies to George Foreman and his hamburger burning system).

[Pocus]

Yes, true, but you know that a game is anyway a crude simplification of reality ... Well I don't know if it would be needed to add more constraints on that... Unless we manage to implement a full 'hidden leaders' option which would ask a major rework of all events, not to say the code, you will now that Sherman is good and can force history by giving him elite units...

Some generals can't be promoted if they are not authorized by the database though, so you can't do totally weird things otoh.

[SiTheSly]

1. I don't think you can command both a division and a corps at the same time, if that's your question. I'm pretty sure about this because I recall that initially I gave Grant a division, and shortly thereafter I had to disband it to give him a corps. I could be wrong about that; it was many game turns ago. Anyway, in general I save my two-star and above for corps and armies if at all possible. It's true that sometimes the only general on hand is a two-star, so if I need a division commander, he's elected. But more often I've wished I'd kept a two-star on hand to make a corps.


This is what I thought as well except this happened to me. Basically Bonham was the Corps commander and Huger was a division I sent in to aid a battle at Manassas. Huger did well and was offered promotion and I gave it to him. The next turn I joined the newly promoted Huger to Bonhams Corp and lo and behold he is now the Corp commander since his senoiroity is higher than Bonham. So it appears that you can have a divisional commander lead a Corps but its not straightforward.

here is the screenshot (hope this works)

What is even more interesting is that I can now even create a division with Bonham as he is active and the button is lit. If I remove Bonham from the stack he reverts to an independant command. So the Corps status is given to a stack not really the commander.

I've worked out how you do it now - you need two 2 (or higher) star commanders. The highest rating leader should be used to create the division while the lower leader creates the corps. Then join the two together the higher division leader is now the Corps commander and your free to use the lower one for other purposes.

[Jabberwock]

I've worked out how you do it now - you need two 2 (or higher) star commanders. The highest rating leader should be used to create the division while the lower leader creates the corps. Then join the two together the higher division leader is now the Corps commander and your free to use the lower one for other purposes.

I mentioned this on another thread. Someone (maybe Pocus) pointed out that the units in that division only get the 5% bonus for division leader. If they had a different division leader, they would get the 5% from that division leader, plus 3% from corps commander. It is sometimes useful to do this, but not often.

[SiTheSly]

It is sometimes useful to do this, but not often.

Yea, after the initial excitement I realized it wasn't going to be that great. I also wondered about the double bonus and thought it would mean a Jackson Corps/Division leader would get 48% bonus on attack (he has a 6 in my game) to his division.

Also I prefer having the Corp commander separate since if he fails to activate and you really need to move some troops then I peel away a division if that leader is activated. Its abit too restrictive for my taste. Thanks for clearing up the Corps/Division bonus issue.

[Ingtar]

I had an event that led to Sam Houston leading a revolt in Dallas last evening. It made for an interesting variation on things. Nicely done!

[Pocus]

@SiTheSly: The bonus would not even cumulate in this case!