Impromptu Games

Sorry to hear that Andrew. I hope clearing out all that booze wasn't too onerous for you.

Phil - ah, that explains much. Here's the replays, pre- and post-crash games.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tej1i98yh2qqgb4/Lugny.rar?dl=0

It was a pretty weird game from the AI's standpoint. I think we need to play more vs the AI in case this weirdness is part of the new routines introduced by the patch. I did see while watching Iain's defence on our right at the Route Macon that the AI deployed its brigades and battalions with far more space between them than usual so that the battlefield looked far better and with more room between units the actions and moves of individual battalions looked better (no tangled weaving for example). I hope this is a deliberate change.

Still had a Kamikaze French battery approach ahead of its infantry and die gun by gun under canister fire from Mike's guns though. Very irritating to see this. Perhaps we could slow down the speed of battery commanders so they don't arrive ahead of their other troops after a long march? Can we make AI battery commanders stop further away from enemy?

Good point about the Battery leading the column Martin, totally senseless.

Andrew you are a true friend and sometimes these things need to be done. I hope you guys were able to find a place to put them, what a selfless act.


I can play today if there is one.

Andrew's humanity is heartwarming. He's an example for us all.

When I tested this scenario, the AI always moved in and attacked right away. After the game, I tried it several more times with the same result. I think the strange behavior in the game was due to the AI seeing Phil's cavalry and deploying to meet that threat. Once the immediate threat was taken care of, the AI had lost all memory of what it was suppose to do. Since the corps commander only gives the initial attack order once, and then issues new orders only rarely, the division commanders were left on their own. As they weren't threatened, they just milled about until they received new movement orders from the corps commander. So you see, it was Phil's fault.

The spacing of battalions may be due to a change I made in version 1.20 of the mod. The brigades now use the double line formation as their default fighting formation, where the second line is now deployed in assault columns. That's not to say that NSD didn't make a few improvements too.

The artillery leading the column should be less of a problem now. I slowed the guns by 0.01 mph. That seems to be enough so that a march of any length, the infantry will arrive on the field first. If horse artillery is in the mix, then it will get there first because they travel faster than the infantry, 4.19 vs. 4.0 mph. In yesterday's game, that artillery was moving to the east long before any of the infantry did. They could never catch up. Did the battery commander arrive before the guns did?

I can play at the usual time today, 20:00BST, 15:00 EST.

My apologies for that substandard scouting that screwed up the AI's impetus.

Thanks for the replay, Martin.

I've got a tabletop game today. But if it ends early enough I'll try to make the KS game, too.

Ah, so it was probably user error again.

Kevin, yes the battery commander arrived first just as he did in my SP game the other day. He proceeded to sit on his horse within canister range of Mike's battery, sending out waves of couriers presumably telling his guns to get to where he was only for each one to die in canister blasts one at a time.

Three thoughts here.

1) Arty commanders always seem to ride far ahead of their guns. Could they be slowed down to a speed that is closer to the guns?

2) Can the spacing between cannons in road column formation be closed up so they arrive tighter together in formation? If they do go close at least they could get some of the rearmost guns into action while the enemy arty is blasting the first that arrives.

3) Get arty to deploy further back.

Don't know if any of these are possible and in a game like yesterdays where the AI sends its batteries off on a flanking march far ahead of its infantry we are out of luck to fix anything probably.

...which brings up another thought:

Perhaps the default deployment of an infantry division with a battery on each flank is a contributory factor? If a division heads off on a march towards a flank a battery must always be the lead unit because its the first unit on either flank. If we were to make the division deployment formation with all artillery 200 to 300 yds in rear this would be less likely to happen - an infantry brigade would be far more likely to be at the head of any column, unless the division marched rearwards (and in that case it would almost never be a problem anyway).

1. If the guns arrive first they will move very close to the enemy as they only have an order to move to a certain location. The problem isn't that the battery commander gets there first, it's that he has a stance of No Orders. If he had anything else, he would quickly ride back to a safer distance and then begin issuing orders. I don't think commanders are given a stance until the division commander rides up and sees the enemy. He then issues a battle plan along with stances. I suppose we could try to make the division commanders much faster than they are now so they are more likely to arrive on the scene before anyone else.

2.No, that is in a part of the game we can't mod. The problem here is that when a division begins to move, all the brigades move at once rather than spacing out their move orders. It would be a simple matter to order each brigade onto the road after a certain interval of time has elapsed. That way the guns could be ordered to move last and be at the rear of the column. Unfortunately we can't mod that.

3. They should if the battery commander has a stance other than No Orders. They should then deploy about 550 yd. away from the enemy.

We shouldn't read too much into yesterday's behavior. It was an odd occurrence of the of a division not starting in an organized formation and then moving to an entirely different location. As I said, this was all Phil's fault.

I know you speak in jest but this is a really good argument for a player not to go swanning off with 1 squadron and be tempted to take out half the enemies approaching artillery in road column. If we fight the AI we should really hold back and allow the AI to give us a good fight. In retrospect Phil's recon yesterday probably did wreck the game for everyone so my vote is that in future we don't provoke the AI but let it do its thing until the battle lines are formed then have our fun.

I'll take the cavalry tonight if no-one objects. I'm very good at doing nothing for 2 1/2 hours.

It is Kevin's fault that Phil was sent on Recon, the possibility of 10,000 FR CAV hitting us from the west was just to overbearing for me to handle and I felt I must act. His recon efforts must have saved the day.

Hopefully the AI will act AI ish today it was very odd to see them pick up and move from the west to east and the reform another attack on the OBJ.

Some pics from yesterdays sadly aborted game. Do love this map, great atmosphere with the freezing mist effect.

Death ride of the 5th Chasseurs. Cannons to the left of them, cannons to the right, etc.

Note also my general is hiding in the trees.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/screen0087.jpg

Morsey's division beautifully arrayed in a perfect chequerboard of squares at Sokolino. Great formation Mike, we couldn't miss!

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/screen0088.jpg

Phil's gun line on the hill south of Yakashino. Attack there? No sir. Nope.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/screen0089.jpg

My final attack just before the game crashed. A full division in battalion attack columns with skirmishers in front; 18 battalions with music playing. Its why I love this game.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/screen0090.jpg

And some pics from Lugny on Friday.

Phil's cavalry going into action. My jagers hide in a nice cosy walled lane.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Cavalry-Action.jpg

Lugny town held by my Moravian jager regiment.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Jagers-in-Lugny.jpg

The real reason those wuss Frenchies didn't attack. This is Schnitzel Hill, our version of Hamburger Hill.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Schnitzel-Hill.jpg

Iain leads his brave Hungarians in a determined counterattack against a field of politically suspect Republican sunflowers.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Republican-Sunflowers.jpg

Various pics of Iain's defence on our right flank at the end of the battle. This was a nice looking fight with plenty of space between units.

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Iain-01.jpg

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Iain-02.jpg

French brigade strength attack coming in

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Iain-03.jpg

Firing lines

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Iain-04.jpg

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Iain-05.jpg

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Iain-06.jpg

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Iain-07.jpg

Nice pictures Martin. I especially liked the one of the checkerboard. It's a thrilling sight from behind a battery.

I'm available for a game today at the usual time, 20:00 BST, 15:00 EST. Maybe the reggae band will be on the field.

YES!

Would love to join you but there is a certain football match tonight that might well decide the fate of the nation! In footballing terms, of course.

This battle will be much more important. The French have just captured, Radnitz, the cradle of reggae music. The Austrians must recapture it, lest their secret battlefield weapon falls into the filthy hands of the French.

You can't make this stuff up.

Yes, that was the Austrian prototype weapon. I believe it was first tested in 1808. I'm surprised the Archduke allowed you to release that information. The the Mk. 2, 1809 version will be on the field today.

We hope when the French aggressors/snail abusers, hear of this new weapon they will capitulate and join the Rastafarian's.


Jamaicans for music equality in Austria.

General De no Sense la Jamaica de Rasta-man.

"We do not march to the sound of the guns but to the roll of the bone!"

If we're talking about rastas, then they're not rolling bones. They're rolling topedoes.

More like stogies

I wont be able to come to the game sorry

Are we shooting and looting today? Should I create a scenario?


Joe you are expected to show up......

I can play today at the usual time, 20:00 BST, 15:00 EST. It would be great if you make the scenario today. Be sure to use the OOB that has cavalry regiments.

I wont be able to join sorry