I'd like a weather map

[soundoff]

Given the recent thread on attrition I'd like to suggest that one future improvement would be to include a weathermap. I dont know about other players but I'd find one very useful. I do find it time consuming, prior to issuing movement orders to a particular element to have to continually tool tip each region to see whether or not 'mud' is prevelant given the harsh but realistic penalties for moving in mud.

Just a thought

[Coregonas]

Well I agree it would be a very useful map!

however... I like somewhat the forced "fog of war" we have in the game... We dont control every little value easily as in real war was!

[PhilThib]

We are thinking of adding an extra map filter (with appropriate button) to show the weather conditions...

BTW, do you think that also another option showing the weather zones has interest for players or not ?

[Clovis]

We are thinking of adding an extra map filter (with appropriate button) to show the weather conditions...

BTW, do you think that also another option showing the weather zones has interest for players or not ?

Yes.

[lodilefty]

We are thinking of adding an extra map filter (with appropriate button) to show the weather conditions...

BTW, do you think that also another option showing the weather zones has interest for players or not ?

Very much yes!

With all the 'mud talk' going on, I looked at the Weather definitions. Maybe the mud and winter frequencies need more tweaking rather than the effects of mud and winter.....

[Coregonas]

this display is no needed for me at all in the game. Dont know what use can have as far as the game is designed.

In BoA, as lots of units / leaders had restrictions in some areas, it has some use.

A weather map should be of course more useful than this

Perhaps this map is useful in some mods. (Lee should be only moved in the Mid Atlantic area?)...

[Big Muddy]

We are thinking of adding an extra map filter (with appropriate button) to show the weather conditions...

BTW, do you think that also another option showing the weather zones has interest for players or not ?

This would be excellent, would symbols be used, or numbers to reflex the weather.

[lodilefty]

Very much yes!

With all the 'mud talk' going on, I looked at the Weather definitions. Maybe the mud and winter frequencies need more tweaking rather than the effects of mud and winter.....

Question: Does the weather get applied to an entire zone? By this I mean when weather is randomly determined, is it 'mud' for an entire Weather Zone, or is it applied region by region within a zone?

If it is applied to the entire zone, then a filter for 'weather zone' would be redundant with 'weather in zone'....

or am I confused again?

[Jabberwock]

Question: Does the weather get applied to an entire zone? By this I mean when weather is randomly determined, is it 'mud' for an entire Weather Zone, or is it applied region by region within a zone?

If it is applied to the entire zone, then a filter for 'weather zone' would be redundant with 'weather in zone'....

or am I confused again?

Maybe they should be called Weather Probability Zones. Each zone has probabilities of different types of weather each month. Actual weather is determined individually for each region in the zone. This is why you will occasionally see references to the Weather Matrix. So it wouldn't be redundant.

I think having a weather map in the game is a great idea. I think a weather zone map would be a great tool for modding, but I wouldn't want to see it in the game.

[Jabberwock]

Question: Does the weather get applied to an entire zone? By this I mean when weather is randomly determined, is it 'mud' for an entire Weather Zone, or is it applied region by region within a zone?

If it is applied to the entire zone, then a filter for 'weather zone' would be redundant with 'weather in zone'....

or am I confused again?

Maybe they should be called Weather Probability Zones. Each zone has probabilities of different types of weather each month. Actual weather is determined individually for each region in the zone. This is why you will occasionally see references to the Weather Matrix. So it wouldn't be redundant.

I think having a weather map in the game is a great idea. Yes, please.

I think a weather zone map would be a great tool for modding, but I wouldn't want to see it in the game. I don't think it would add to the realism or style of AACW.

[Gray_Lensman]

deleted

[Jabberwock]

It wouldn't be real forecasting, more a reflection of local observations and reports from scouts, the telegraph, and newspapers. It wouldn't tell Grant he was about to get hit by frozen conditions at Donelson, but it would let him easily see that he was standing in a frozen area.

Dear Maj. Gen. H -
We can not take part in your grand offensive plan at this time, because we are hip deep in snow and mud.

Rgds,
Brig. Gen. G

Hasn't there been some talk of differentiating further between frozen and snow in regards to movement? If so, then this would be of great help to modders as well.

Edit: I probably shouldn't have used the word realism in my previous post, as probability information was available through almanacs and other reports. On further consideration, it wouldn't be a bad idea to include both.

[Clovis]

I'm just thinking of a map showing Weather zones and not forecasting, like the States filter.

[Jabberwock]

How about a zone map and a weather map with 'fog of weather'?

[PhilThib]

Weather "die rolls" are made weather zone by weather zone. But within the same zone, the only variation may come from terrain (usually mountain terrain has more snow than lower ones)

[GlobalExplorer]

Defininedly needed! I just very recently found out that there is more weather than just summer/snow and that mud is the reason my units get slowed down!

[Tazilon2008]

As a retired meteorologist, I think a modicum of forecasting ability is entirely acceptable for a game which attempts to so accurately portray the Civil War. Prior to the CW, army posts and the Corps of Engineers routinely gathered weather data. When the war began, commanders requested the Army develop the ability to issue short range forecasts for many of the same reasons people are requesting them in the game on this forum.

Because such products were heavily dependent on telegraph for data collection and dissemination, the function was assigned to the Signal Corps. Several years after the war ended, the Army began formally funding the Signal Corps weather service. This eventually ended up leading to the formation of the National Weather Bureau which; in turn, evolved into today's National Weather Service.

Thus, adding an element of forecasting ability to the game would not only add a little extra spice to the game but would be historically accurate, as well. It should be noted, however, that forecasts from this period were exceedingly poor and their addition to the game should reflect the glaring lack of skill Civil War-era weather forecasts demonstrated.


~ On a historical note, major improvements in weather forecasting did not occur until Aviation began growing commercially and militarily in the first quarter of the 20th century, creating a pressing need for site specific, accurate forecasts. Even today, the vast majority of weather stations are co-located with airports and military bases around the world.

[soundoff]

I'm just thinking of a map showing Weather zones and not forecasting, like the States filter.

My original idea entirely Clovis. In proposing this I had no object in mind about second guessing what the weather in a region might or might not turn out to be...more as an aide to deciding whether to move a stack on a particular turn (and which direction to move the stack) without having to click around a stack region by region to find out what the weather was like...most tedious.