Public beta patch 1.14 rc21 (July 8, 2009)

[enf91]

That's the way the original event was structured way back in v1.00 (2007)and I've not seen a reason to change it. Quite a few non-specific events are designed like this within the game event files and if you think about it, the game has these new volunteer reinforcements show up immediately with no delay as soon as the event fires which is rather non-historic anyhow.

I see your point. The game is supposed to be a simulation of possibilities, not a reenactment of history. But the units are locked for 3 turns, or 6 weeks, which negates or weakens your point about the immediate appearance of the brigades.

[enf91]

Did you also fix the thing where WV volunteers show up in Philadelphia?

[Gray_Lensman]

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[Gray_Lensman]

Reposted new Public Beta Update Patch v1.13e (RC5b).

Additional rework:

1.) Random "Tornado" river transport damage event renamed to "Flood" event. The Tooltips also state "Flood" damage. No change to the actual random damage effects.

The following additional changes were made to restore some of the balance to the game.

2. McClellan in 1861:
a.) McClellan moves to Washington D.C when appointed to commander of the Army of the Potomac. (He also automatically becomes commander of the Army of the Potomac at no cost.)
b.) Irvin McDowell is automatically removed from command of the Northeastern Virginia Army when McClellan is appointed to command. (The Northeastern Virginia Army HQ is automatically removed at no cost.)
c.) These events will be made optional once Pocus provides the on/off support capability.

3.) McClellan and new "Threaten Richmond" events in 1862:
a.) Two new "1862 Threaten Richmond" events created to add political pressure on the USA player to threaten Richmond in 1862. One event expires 1862/06/30. The other expires 1862/10/30.
b.) If you satisfy the "Threaten Richmond" requirements prior to the first expiration, there is no NM penalty at all for 1862.
c.) If you don't satisfy the "Threaten Richmond" requirements before the 1st expiration there is a 10 NM penalty.
d.) If you don't satisfy the "Threaten Richmond" requirements before the 2nd expiration there is another 10 NM penalty.
e.) McClellan will remain activated "every" turn throughout the "Threaten Richmond period up until the 2nd expiration or the successful completion of the requirements whichever comes first.
f.) The 1862 "Threaten Richmond" events will also be made optional once Pocus provides the on/off support capability.

See first post (Post #1) in this thread for link. You can just install this over the previous v1.13e RC5a Public Beta Patch with no hassles..

Regards and Enjoy

[Jarkko]

e.) McClellan will remain activated "every" turn throughout the "Threaten Richmond period up until the 2nd expiration or the successful completion of the requirements whichever comes first.

Is he thus activate only in 1862 or also in 1861?

[Gray_Lensman]

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[cptcav]

Reposted new Public Beta Update Patch v1.13e (RC5b).

e.) McClellan will remain activated "every" turn throughout the "Threaten Richmond period up until the 2nd expiration or the successful completion of the requirements whichever comes first.

Does this mean that as soon as McClellan gets into the threaten zone that he will most likely go inactive because he will revert to his standard activation chances?

Regards,
CptCav

[Spharv2]

Does this mean that as soon as McClellan gets into the threaten zone that he will most likely go inactive because he will revert to his standard activation chances?

Regards,
CptCav

Well, that would be pretty much true to life, wouldn't it?

[cptcav]

Well, that would be pretty much true to life, wouldn't it?

True, but at the same time, once McClellan was attacked he became very active in his fighting withdraw.

Maybe there should be a special rule for him that, if he is the target of an attack, he is automatically active the next turn.

Regards,
CptCav

[Gray_Lensman]

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[Gray_Lensman]

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[cptcav]

As far as I know there is no conditional scripting rule that allows me to base the active/inactive status in regards to being the target of an attack, and in the case of McClellan I wouldn't use it for him anyhow. The defensive mode for any general (active or inactive) suffices in this case. If he randomly gets the "active" status, that his behavior model. The only reason for me to override the normal strategic initiative setting was to allow the player/gamer some sort of "offensively" spirited move to satisfy the "Threaten Richmond" events. Outside of those specific event requirements you are stuck with the normal random unpredictable characteristics of the game leaders. This is what makes the game challenging and imminently replayable.

Makes sense to me. I had a brain freeze for a moment forgeting that inactive does not mean that he can't move. How long can I use the excuse that I am still new to the game?

Regards,
CptCav

[Gray_Lensman]

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[Gray_Lensman]

Reposted new Public Beta Update Patch v1.13e (RC5c).

Additional modification to McDowell/McClellan 1861 rework (This one is courtesy of Jarkko's previous feedback): (see bold (c) below)

52. McClellan in 1861:
a.) McClellan moves to Washington D.C when appointed to commander of the Army of the Potomac. (He also automatically becomes commander of the Army of the Potomac at no cost.)
b.) Irvin McDowell is automatically removed from command of the Northeastern Virginia Army when McClellan is appointed to command. (The Northeastern Virginia Army HQ is automatically removed at no cost.)
c.) McDowell (or McClellan if he assumes command early) will remain activated "every" turn throughout the "1861 Threaten Richmond" period up until the 2nd expiration or the successful completion of the requirements whichever comes first.
d.) These events will be made optional once Pocus provides the on/off support capability.

53.) McClellan and new "Threaten Richmond" events in 1862:
a.) Two new "1862 Threaten Richmond" events created to add political pressure on the USA player to threaten Richmond in 1862. One event expires 1862/06/30. The other expires 1862/10/30.
b.) If you satisfy the "Threaten Richmond" requirements prior to the first expiration, there is no NM penalty at all for 1862.
c.) If you don't satisfy the "Threaten Richmond" requirements before the 1st expiration there is a 10 NM penalty.
d.) If you don't satisfy the "Threaten Richmond" requirements before the 2nd expiration there is another 10 NM penalty.
e.) McClellan will remain activated "every" turn throughout the "1862 Threaten Richmond" period up until the 2nd expiration or the successful completion of the requirements whichever comes first.
f.) The 1862 "Threaten Richmond" events will be also be made optional once Pocus provides the on/off support capability.

See first post (Post #1) in this thread for link. You can just install this over the previous v1.13e RC5b Public Beta Patch with no hassles..

Regards and Enjoy.

[enf91]

Could you rework the "McClellan takes command" event to put him wherever the NE VA Army is? I had an instance where the actual soldiers were at Fredericksburg, but the HQ got sucked back to Washington.
I remembered something else. In the 1861 April campaign, the NJ volunteer brigade that shows up in Jersey City has the same name and essentially the same sub-units as the one in Runyon's division.

[Gray_Lensman]

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[ShovelHead]

April 61 Kentucky scenario might have an error with the OH Gunboat Sq. The 1.13e-RC5c patch (and earlier RC's) the health and cohesion is set to 70?

SelectFaction = $USA
SelectRegion = $Westmoreland, PA
CreateGroup
Posture = $Defensive
SetKind = $Nav
Entranch = 0
FixType = 3
SetName = Ohio Squadron
Apply
CreateUnit
SetType = $uni_USA_GbtOH
FlavorName = Capt. R. O'Neal
SUFlavorName = USS Valley Forge|USS Ramseur
SetName = OH Gunboat Sq.
Apply
SetHealth = 70
SetCohesion = 70

[Gray_Lensman]

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[ShovelHead]

Thank you wise teacher for the scripting lesson

I have found a couple of missed BlockStates for the April 61 w-Kentucky scenario,

Hamburg, AR
and
Walhalla, NC

[Gray_Lensman]

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[Gray_Lensman]

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[Spharv2]

Reposted new Public Beta Update Patch v1.13e (RC5d).

This is sweet (Spharv2 will love this )...

You're darn tootin...Woot!

Course, now, as I mentioned in a discussion about another feature they were looking at for VGN...I want MORE MORE MORE.

Ideally, there would be a way to slightly randomize the stats when they were promoted above their historical level, but I will take this and be quite happy...for now.

Thanks to Pocus for including it, and thanks to Gray for everything you're doing with the game. Now work is going to be even longer today since I just want to go home and play with our new toy.

[Paul Roberts]

I have a quick question: Has the "AI unit placement bug" (mentioned in post #2 of this thread) been fixed yet, or should we ignore sightings of that phenomenon?

Thanks!

[Clovis]

About events forcing Union to go over Richmond in 1862, sorry to differ from the general enthusiasm, but I feel this new thing to be dangerous for game interest and unhistorical.

- AI doesn't knon events. AI doesn't make a strategy based on the results of events commanding player to do this or that. A solution could be to reserve such an event to human player

- howewer, forcing Union to go here creates too much troubles for human play too. In any way, CSA knows where the Union has to go. Just for the historicity stake, we must remember the initial McClellan plan in 1862 was to debark Northern to peninsula in order to trap the CSA Army at Manassas or force it to fight back his way. It was after Johnston chosed to retreat from manassas MCCLellan proponed to debark around Ft Monroe.

The McClellan plan was contested, and accepted relunctantly by Lincoln to the condition to protect Washington. In any case, the perspective to seize Richmond wasn't sufficient to get the full acceptance of the move.

Let's imagine now the Virginia/Monitor battle finishing differently with a victory of the first. Was the plan maintened with the risk on the naval supply line? I doubt so.

So there were many contingent factors permitting an amphibious move close to Richmond. If one was lacking, McClellan would certainly have to resort to the same land road Burnside, Hooker, Meade and Grant took the next years. In such a case, Johnston could have retreated to Richmond ( and I feel he will have like for Atlanta.) But it could have been possible too to get large battles around the Rapidan and, considering McClellan way of war any battle here would have enticed him to stop his advance.

In such a case, never Union Army would have reached Richmond in 1862. We wouldn't even discussing of the necessity to focre Union player yto go after Richmond when the right strategy is to go after the main CSA Army and destroy it. And That point the Northern public opinion was aware since the Frist Bull Run.


McClellan was not even sacked for this. he was sacked for his failure to try to trap Lee after Antietiam. Not for having lost a chance to capture Richmond.

And in game term, If Union slashes the main CSA force in Virginia, he will capture Richmond and get the NM awarded by the capture. So no need to force a player to adopt a geographic strategy over the real one.


Sources: Ethan S. Rafuse McClellan's War
Stephen R Taaffe Commanding the Army of the Potomac
Sears Peninsula Campaign

[Gray_Lensman]

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[enf91]

Another thing... somehow, the river hexes have loyalty, and they're all 100% pro-Union. I play as the Union a lot and I thought it was weird that I could see units in northern Alabama and central Georgia, to name a few.
There was something else. Let's say the Union army is threatening to sack Richmond, so the CSA player moves his capital to Atlanta. Richmond is still worth 25 (or 50) morale points. Could you rework the script to attach a morale value to the capital status and not intrinsically to the city?

[GraniteStater]

I believe he (Pocus) was able to isolate and rework the code that was causing those errors. (according to him it was 4 different bugs). It was manifesting itself in some playtest games as an excessive number of USA leaders redeploying into Fort Sumter and then taking off overland (unaccompanied) thru Charleston, SC back towards friendly territory. I could not get a similar example of CSA leaders showing up in upstate New York moving south to test, so I'm hoping whatever fixed the USA leader redeployment logic also fixed the CSA leader redeployment logic.

Sorry to report it, but I downloaded (e) quite recently and the AI (Me - playing Union) placed two smallish Union infantry brigades in Ft. Sumter around June, months after the initial April surrender (April 1861 Campaign with KY).

Also, with (d) I was seeing various Rebel leaders (solo) appearing on Lake Erie and taking a tour of NY and PA - about late '62, '63 (April 61 Campaign no KY).

I haven't seen Union leaders, as such, placed in unlikely places.

Other than that, the AI really took it to me around Richmond - 'bridge too far' with McDowell in July 61. Took F-burg, dropped off three brigades and pushed to Richmond with Army of NEVA. Got walloped with 40K vs. 8,800. McDowell's HQ vaporized and McD beamed back to DC.

It's now November and the remnants are still trapped, can't retreat no matter how I set the conditions. I'm going to lose not only the Inf/Cav, but three Arty units, two Supply units, an Engineer and a Balloon.

Can't attempt a proper relief 'cuz the Rebs are too strong with T. Jackson in command. Just be getting more guys killed to no good purpose.

OOUUCCHH!!

[Jarkko]

All Generals are "generically" promotable up to a rank one level above their historic rank.

This is excellent news

[Gray_Lensman]

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[Clovis]

Clovis:

The "1862 Threaten Richmond" events can be argued both ways and had already been designed.

Smartness is among other things in the capacity to change his thinking about something. Sorry to come a little late ion this but whatever the time it's always the time to think and sometimes twice about something. And thinking in common is unfortunatly subject to late ideas. But that avoids side effects too.

And the balance thing is never solved by other potential side effects holes.