Game options and Gameplay questions

[mlp071]

First of all sorry if all this was already asked. But i tried to use forum search, and couldn't find anything satisfactory on this.

I would really like to understand some Options in the game :

1) Use all behaviors

2) Give AI more time

What exactly does this entails, other then what it said in tool tip?


And 3 more gameplay questions:

3) ZoC

I was holding position in Alexandria with Jackson's Corp that has 3 full Divisions(1200+ power), they all got 4 arty units . My MC was 100% there, and Corps was entrenched outside of city in lvl 8 with Defensive posture(blue) and standard Defending(orange).All generals in stack were active.

USA(AI) moved in roughly same size stack there and my units never tried to attacked them, that turn and next one either. Then AI moved in another stack ,walked thru the zone to another one(Manassas), nothing happened again.My other Corps there didn't attack them either.

I am not sure why they never did that , considering ZoC and Entrenchment lvl 8.

4) Promotions problem

I had generals that earned their promotion and had seniority for it , but since they were inactive that turn , i couldn't promote him(i understand that is rule). Next turn, they were not eligible anymore, despite no other genral gaining any seniority that turn thru fight.I found that very annoying.

Can player somehow predict(or see) when Generals will get Inactive?

5) AI calculating players Inactive Generals?

It relates to 4 and maybe 1, because i noticed that AI has habit to attack very often in turns when your General(s) are "inactive" or "locked".That happens even when i have great generals which don't get either very often.

Is that related to question #1 or AI is setup to calculate that into equation?Or has nothing to do with them being inactive?

Sorry for lengthy post, but I really do like this game, and want to understand it as best as i can, so i can enjoy this fully.

Thank you

[Le Ricain]

First of all sorry if all this was already asked. But i tried to use forum search, and couldn't find anything satisfactory on this.

And 3 more gameplay questions:

3) ZoC

I was holding position in Alexandria with Jackson's Corp that has 3 full Divisions(1200+ power), they all got 4 arty units . My MC was 100% there, and Corps was entrenched outside of city in lvl 8 with Defensive posture(blue) and standard Defending(orange).All generals in stack were active.

USA(AI) moved in roughly same size stack there and my units never tried to attacked them, that turn and next one either. Then AI moved in another stack ,walked thru the zone to another one(Manassas), nothing happened again.My other Corps there didn't attack them either.

I am not sure why they never did that , considering ZoC and Entrenchment lvl 8.

You will never attack when your stacks are in a defensive blue posture. However, as you have 100% MC of the region, the US stack would have been automatically shifted to an orange attack posture. The US should have attacked you in Alexandria. There is a slight possibility that the two stacks will not engage, ie they could not find each other. However, there is no way the US wold have moved passed your stack to move into Manassas, unless you were actually in a passive green posture.

Promotions problem

I had generals that earned their promotion and had seniority for it , but since they were inactive that turn , i couldn't promote him(i understand that is rule). Next turn, they were not eligible anymore, despite no other genral gaining any seniority that turn thru fight.I found that very annoying.

Can player somehow predict(or see) when Generals will get Inactive?

5) AI calculating players Inactive Generals?

It relates to 4 and maybe 1, because i noticed that AI has habit to attack very often in turns when your General(s) are "inactive" or "locked".That happens even when i have great generals which don't get either very often.

Is that related to question #1 or AI is setup to calculate that into equation?Or has nothing to do with them being inactive?

Sorry for lengthy post, but I really do like this game, and want to understand it as best as i can, so i can enjoy this fully.

Thank you

If you get the notification that one of your generals is eligible for promotion, then you can promote him. If the promote button is lit, he can be promoted. I have never seen the message without the corresponding button lit up.

[mlp071]

You will never attack when your stacks are in a defensive blue posture. However, as you have 100% MC of the region, the US stack would have been automatically shifted to an orange attack posture. The US should have attacked you in Alexandria. There is a slight possibility that the two stacks will not engage, ie they could not find each other. However, there is no way the US wold have moved passed your stack to move into Manassas, unless you were actually in a passive green posture.

Thats what i meant , sorry for wrong impression.However, it's keep happening in scenarios and Campaign that i am (was ) playing.Since i play with "no moves while inactive " rule , AI couldn't have inactive general to prevent him to attack me.

I guess it was just an option of two armies not finding each other.Maybe because i am playing with medium delayed commitment.

I never have armies on frontline in passive , and before end of turn i always check postures, since they tend to change automatically sometimes.That's why i wasn't sure why they managed to move in and out of region without fight.

If you get the notification that one of your generals is eligible for promotion, then you can promote him. If the promote button is lit, he can be promoted. I have never seen the message without the corresponding button lit up.

In this specific case, i got notification (plus red letters in roster) that E.K. Smith and J.B. Magruder were eligible for promotion, but even after i removed them out of Corps stack (to make them most senior officer in unit) i still didn't have option of promoting lit.

They were both inactive.

[Jabberwock]

Thats what i meant , sorry for wrong impression.However, it's keep happening in scenarios and Campaign that i am (was ) playing.Since i play with "no moves while inactive " rule , AI couldn't have inactive general to prevent him to attack me.

I guess it was just an option of two armies not finding each other.Maybe because i am playing with medium delayed commitment.

I never have armies on frontline in passive , and before end of turn i always check postures, since they tend to change automatically sometimes.That's why i wasn't sure why they managed to move in and out of region without fight.

Is it possible that you successfully retreated before combat in both regions on both turns?

In this specific case, i got notification (plus red letters in roster) that E.K. Smith and J.B. Magruder were eligible for promotion, but even after i removed them out of Corps stack (to make them most senior officer in unit) i still didn't have option of promoting lit.

They were both inactive.

Were either or both of them still in a stack with a static unit (flashing lock on the envelope, but not necessarilly a lock in the unit pane)?

[mlp071]

Is it possible that you successfully retreated before combat in both regions on both turns?

Nope, i always read every single message in that log and double click them on top of it.
I even tried to attack with Jackson in second turn (setting him to orange ) but nothing happened.
Although attack thing could be due to one of generals going inactive in turn after i switched posture

Were either or both of them still in a stack with a static unit (flashing lock on the envelope, but not necessarilly a lock in the unit pane)?

Yes, they were still attached to their respective full divisions as Division commanders , and they had locks blinking.I couldn't get them separated from division,due to that .

But they were highest ranked officers in their stack, since they were not in Corps stack anymore.I checked and they were not part of Army or Corps anymore.


Before i forgot , i was playing with official 1.09d patch applied before i started campaign.

[Jabberwock]

Yes, they were still attached to their respective full divisions as Division commanders , and they had locks blinking.I couldn't get them separated from division,due to that .

But they were highest ranked officers in their stack, since they were not in Corps stack anymore.I checked and they were not part of Army or Corps anymore.

Before i forgot , i was playing with official 1.09d patch applied before i started campaign.

There is one answer, at least. One static unit makes the entire stack static. Static stacks don't have all the options available. That includes the option to promote the commander, and the option to separate out a division to individual units. Pull any static units out of the stack, and those options will be available.

[mlp071]

There is one answer, at least. One static unit makes the entire stack static. Static stacks don't have all the options available. That includes the option to promote the commander, and the option to separate out a division to individual units. Pull any static units out of the stack, and those options will be available.

Yeah , happened to me several times.Static not inactive, still mixing terms.

It is annoying because it happened to me 4 out of 6 times when i have chance to promote someone that is due for it based on Seniority, and every time next turn they are not eligible anymore. My bad luck i guess.

Still would like to know about those AI options that i mentioned in first post.

[arsan]

Hi!
Probably its a silly question but... about your armies not engaging the enemy... could it be that your stack on Alexandria was inside the city by mistake?

[Coregonas]

4) Promotions problem

I had generals that earned their promotion and had seniority for it , but since they were inactive that turn , i couldn't promote him(i understand that is rule). Next turn, they were not eligible anymore, despite no other genral gaining any seniority that turn thru fight.I found that very annoying.

Well I ve had this problem also. I believe it is due to be LOCKED, not with inactivity...

I ve reported it playing with low random... One of my initial ANV 1 * generals randomly earned some extra seniority.

BUT as is LOCKED for several turns, I could not promote him, then losed 1 seniority for a few turns.

Once it was "UNLOCKED" I could promote him. I created a small stack with him, then marked the PROMOTE button (it was lit).

BUT again, I did some mistake. During the turn, seems I did merge the (ready to promote) general with a Locked militia... Seems the button was automatically unlit,,, and once turn was done no promotion for me... leure:

I believe this event can also be reported when playing with the hard activation rule...

Playing vanilla it should never occur.

[Pocus]

1) Use all behaviors

2) Give AI more time

(1) this is the default, if disabled, the AI will function with simpler evaluations (faster but dumber)

(2) the evaluations will be the same, but more in depth, for example it can search the best opportunity of doing a missing within 5 regions if off, or 8 if on... take more time as you can guess, and is generally not much more efficient.

[Le Ricain]

Could both problems, enemy stack bypassing an inactive stack and inability to promote an inactive leader, be due to the inactive lock option?

[mlp071]

Could both problems, enemy stack bypassing an inactive stack and inability to promote an inactive leader, be due to the inactive lock option?

I thought, that if general is inactive, even with lock would still engage(or try to) incoming enemy if region ZoC is favorable(100%)? With penalty present but still.

But it was happening even when i had inactivation rules lower in previous scenarios.

Reason for hardcore inactivation is that i wanted to prevent AI from making "kamikaze" attacks with inactive generals, which it does frequently, resulting in complete disaster for the AI.

I don't think that is realistic that AI moves big stack across Harper Ferry and Winchester and go to Clarke, VA without any resistance from either of the stacks(both outside of city and lvl 8 entrenchments) in those 2 regions.

(1) this is the default, if disabled, the AI will function with simpler evaluations (faster but dumber)

(2) the evaluations will be the same, but more in depth, for example it can search the best opportunity of doing a missing within 5 regions if off, or 8 if on... take more time as you can guess, and is generally not much more efficient.

Thank you for info,i just wanted to know what i am playing with since i choosed those 2 options.And sorry for all these questions, i am completely enjoying this game and want to learn as much is possible.

On the other hand, i just finished my first full April campaign ever, as CSA,winning in Early July '62.I was playing with Normal lvl and aggression, and hardcore attrition and activation with AI more time, etc.

Reason why i am bringing this up is that, AI pretty much committed suicide in Early Dec 61' by moving 100k+ troops (with 35% CP penalty) in Stafford, VA and trying to break to Fredericksburg.There was also major offensive in all other areas(TN and MO)

That would be reasonable , but doing it in in middle of winter, they were completely depleted by attrition in region with no RR and full of mud/frost, while trying to attack Fredericksburg across the river.All ended up like Germans in Stalingrad, since they lost every single hand.

I just walked into Alexandria, then DC afterwards.

Does AI takes weather and ground conditions into account when planning offensive movements?

[Pocus]

yes it should, and I checked the code again and it really should

I guess your saved game (with some turns of history) could be of use to me!

[mlp071]

yes it should, and I checked the code again and it really should

I guess your saved game (with some turns of history) could be of use to me!

Where to send it, i have only one file, which is Early June 62'?

+++EDIT: I sent the file in PM, can you also check one of the Corps there please , for some reason , AI placed 1-star Longstreet over 2 star Bonham as Corps leader. I did have Bonham as Corps commander and Logstrret has division attached to him.

Thanks

[mlp071]

I sent the file in PM.

Thanks

[Pocus]

got it, thanks to you too!