Regular MP Scourge of War games on Fri 11th and Sat 12th April

Games as usual this coming Friday and Saturday.  

Please complete the doodle if you are interested in playing

http://doodle.com/cd5ibdbdgbus63vb

Martin (J)

I think I couldn't play this WE; my PC is starting to have problem with the graphic (classical horizontal lines and freeze) probably a hardware problem but perhaps a software problem at OS level; I would try to do a format and reinstall of SO but next week should come the new PC and I don't want make two reinstallation in on weeks without being sure the problem is software (strange fate I ordered the new machine and the day after the old one start to die, like we told in Italy, fortune is blind but rotten luck see you very well...). Anyway I prefer to avoid to use it much till the new one is arrived, for avoid complete death and at least have Internet.

Can't make it tonight, unfortunately. Family illness. On holiday next weekend. During the week is a possibility.
Have a good one.
Mike

What is the preference for today, ACW or Nappy?

If you want another test on the artillery mod, thats ok for me.

I can play until about 2230 UK time...

I bought myself a pair of powerline adaptors yesterday to stabilise my connection and then dropped an hour into the game. Grrr.

Apologies for leaving last nights battle with a bad connection but to be honest I wasn't enjoying it at all. It was one of those frustrating games where you are in close contact with the enemy right from the beginning and your own troops rush off to fight him and chaos ensues. I had 2 of my 4 dragoon squadrons routed before I knew what was happening and the enemy was so close we had another artillery canister duel which was a really messy event. I was also down in the hollow in the tall wheat near Bliss Farm with the Austrians up on Spanglers Ridge so I couldn't see them over the false crest of the slope.

It was the kind of game situation I really totally LOATHE.

Can we start the two sides further apart in games please? I do like to spend a while establishing contact and devising a plan of action. I have no problem with the two armies being in sight of each other, they just need to be further apart.

I also think the new artillery rules may have made artillery a bit too tough and maybe canister range needs reducing a bit, maybe to around 300m. I don't think canister was really very effective much beyond this and the AI seems to like to put his guns into quite close ranges too.

Sorry about the closeness of the starting positions. When I had to switch maps, I forgot that I was using a small one and would put the armies much closer together than I wanted.

Canister was quite effective out to 600 yds. British tests showed that for a 6pdr. 41% hits at 400yd. and 23% at 600yd. The British Madras artillery did extensive firings and found on average 55 hits at 200yd., 36 hits at 400 yd. and 6 hits at 600 yd. with their 6pdrs. Apparently the gun crews relied on ricochet for canister just as they did for round shot. The game canister has been modeled to reflect these results. The British used canister only out to 350yd. The French typically used it out to 600yd. French 12pdrs reportedly used it out to 800yd. I limited the maximum range to 500 yd. for the French.
Usually the AI keeps his guns well back and out of canister range. The unfortunate starting position may have inadvertently put the batteries too close to each other on your part of the field.

I agree it was a real mess to start. After the chaotic start the game improved however with interesting attacks and counterattacks. But it was really difficult to get an overview. The Austrians seemed to pop up out of nowhere more than 1 time. This was especially nasty when they emerged from the woods right behind my non-rotating grand battery   

I also prefer to start further away from the enemy.
The problems are caused by setting the scenario to sandbox=1 or =2 (Attack or Defend). Then the divisions start in LINE formation, occupying a large area of the map and overlapping with other sectors (especially on 2.5 mile maps).
In this mode, I think it makes sense that in the first couple of minutes of a battle, each player searches his troops and moves them closer, before the CinC gives out any orders.