First experience of HITS and Couriers

Gentlemen,

After I experienced my first multiplayer HITS and Couriers game on Saturday, I felt compelled to write a description of the affair, simply because I had found it so damned enjoyable.

Before I begin I should like to start by mentioning that I have played around 18 games with the GCM mod community over at www.sowmp.com. Garnier has done a great job at providing players with a federal and confederate division each. These divisions are carried over from one battle to the next, so that players get to know and nurture their regiments and brigade commanders. In addition, there is a thriving community over there, battles are played every evening, with a minimum of 6 players, but much more commonly with around 14 players. Considering each player commands a division each of which may contain over 4000 men, vast wars are waged every evening, and the blood runs freely.

Although this all sounds like a recipe for a grand old time, consider the following:

1) Each player has (and therefore needs excellent) complete control over every single regiment and gun in his division. In order to achieve this, the camera is given around 200 yards of freedom around the division commander.
2) When viewing ones division from with such a God-like position, those pesky woods and trees would normally completely obscure ones own troops from view. That is where the “T” button comes in handy – all of a sudden the landscape is cleared of trees so that one can see ones troops more easily.
3) Having a God-like view over the field, and having cleared the trees from the landscape, we may now proceed to micro-manage our men – we spot instantly when any regiment is in a less-than-optimal position, and immediately Take Command and guide them towards a superior one.
4) In this way, the armies line up in front of eachother, and batter away for hours. Each regiment is excellently managed – so that tired ones may fall back and rest, and fresh troops are committed wherever possible. Optimise your position! Maximise damage to your opponents!

It was around my 16th battle when I realised I was basically playing Total War. Or Command and Conquer. Or any other good traditional strategy game for that matter. God-like control over your smallest tactical unit, minimal fog-of-war. It's great fun for sure, and a spectacle, but it's not what I bought Scourge of War for in the first place.

What I wanted was to find myself, alone, in the middle of some forest, with a handful of regiments under my command, hearing guns firing in the distance, with orders to march a mile and a half to the North, to meet up with the rest of the Corps, and finding most of my men are exhausted from their ordeal so far, having not yet even encountered the enemy. I wanted to eventually find the edge of the woods, so that I can, for the first time, view the landscape ahead of me (somewhat). Finally, halting my worn out brigade by a farm and ordering them to lie down and rest while we await further orders, I wanted to take the time to use my binoculars to scan the distance, and see a lone friendly commander perhaps a mile and a half away, on the top of a distant ridge line. Watching a courier gallop towards me along the road, and finally deliver me a message with fresh instructions to proceed Northwards, I wanted to continue the march. After a while longer, while riding with steep hills to our left, I spot for the first time a dozen or so enemy dead, alone, with no other indications of what may have happened here. Finally arriving at the new objective, the sounds of musketry and guns becomes quote deafening, and all around us, but being unable to see more than a few hundred yards for the thick woods in which I stand, I see nothing but my own men. While my men rest again, I finally receive orders to move up. I start my brigade marching down a path, and gallop ahead to see where we are going, and for the first time I see an enemy regiment. I panic! I dash back to meet my brigade marching down the road towards the enemy they have not yet seen, and as I stand and watch them march past, I notice my General salute each regiment as it passes (a very nice touch). Finally my regiments begin to enter the fray, finding the enemy flank (I believe) and inflicting casualties amongst them. But I now frantically gallop up and down my line, struggling to find each of my regiments, and ensuring they are engaged, or if necessary, falling back or resting. And then suddenly, we are informed of victory – I missed most of the battle, but I'm still grinning from the whole experience.

Which, as you may have worked out, is exactly what happened during my first HITS and Couriers game on Saturday. Absolutely terrific. And I eagerly look forward to my next engagement! The concept of being part of a campaign is adding even further to the realism, and eliminates the need for “Victory Point Locations”, which are otherwise a necessary evil.

See you on the field.

Flashman

Yes it's a wonderful experience isn't it.

There's another benefit too. It also makes SP much more fun and challenging.

Martin

Compliments sir!
It appears to me that you have found your place in the army!
Not an easy task at all with so many options and arms available to a young man ready to serve.
I must confirm that your presence in that firefight you mentioned above was most effective and timely in its execution.The enemy was driving into our right flank and pushing the 1st brigade off the ridge until your timely arrival prevented the collapse of the right of the line.Well done sir and i hope you enjoy many more such engagements with the army.
Hope to be calling for your assistance on the field of battle soon!

I'm glad you enjoyed it Flashman. I wish I could have missed most of that battle, I was wrung out at the end. I think it was the worst ground I ever fought on, heavily forested and fighting the whole time uphill against an enemy that was just plain mad at us. I blame Hays for the whole affair. He was leading the column. I had sent him a message that if we were going to blunder into the enemy it would be here. So not more than two minutes later, what does he do? He blunders into the enemy. Thank you very much Hays.

Now you know why I so rarely take command!

And yes... when we were retreating south and I had in mind the nice, high, open hill with fences on just south of the Sharpsburg Road (where we have successfully conducted a solid defence at least twice before), and I asked you where you planned to make a stand, your response of "Here", when 'here' was a dismal ravine deep in the woods with the enemy on three sides higher up than us in a kind of 'Amphitheatre of Death' formation, was a tad unsettling to my nerves.

I think that battle on Saturday was a good example of obeying the maxim: 'you don't need to fight the enemy where you meet him,'

===========

My first experience with HITS was on the East Cavalry Field map which is very open and easy to see what is going on... And even then I was in a total panic from beginning to end.

Fox's Gap is indeed the proverbial Deep End of HITS. I'm amazed you didn't either drop dead of a coronary seizure or run home blubbing to mater! You, sir, are a man of stalwart parts.

Great description of the joys of HITS, Olly.

You could post a version on the NSD forum (perhaps without the references to GCM?).

I'm looking forward to the next battle.

Jeff

We need more AARs on the NSD forum - ones that highlight the sense of 'being there' and the chaos and confusion that only HITS & couriers can give.

I think that battle on Saturday was a good example of obeying the maxim: 'you don't need to fight the enemy where you meet him,'

Reynolds and Heth would have benefited from your maxim too. However, I also had to take into account where the other divisions were located and how fast they could provide help. I too considered moving back to the clearing where our artillery would be of value, but discarded that given that we would be moving away from our support. When I saw how Hood's men first came boiling over that ridge, I knew he was not going to probe any new position we might take up. He was open for business and came to do some. It was unlikely we would have survived his assault unaided and in the open. As it was, Newton and Howe arrived just barely in time. In corps sized battles, the division commander has to spend a fair amount of time trying to coordinate the fight with his counterparts, otherwise we all risk being defeated in detail. Heavy weighs the crown...

Mr. Digby wrote:We need more AARs on the NSD forum - ones that highlight the sense of 'being there' and the chaos and confusion that only HITS & couriers can give.

I'm having difficulty registering for the forums on NorbSoftDev. Am I right in thinking I must have already done this to register the game though?

Nope. The two processes are completely separate. What problem are you having?

Uncle Billy wrote:I'm glad you enjoyed it Flashman. I wish I could have missed most of that battle, I was wrung out at the end. I think it was the worst ground I ever fought on, heavily forested and fighting the whole time uphill against an enemy that was just plain mad at us. I blame Hays for the whole affair. He was leading the column. I had sent him a message that if we were going to blunder into the enemy it would be here. So not more than two minutes later, what does he do? He blunders into the enemy. Thank you very much Hays.

Blundered Sir! Blundered! I will have you know that at the time the Rebs came yelling over the ridge, I was studying the map with my staff in order to comply with your standing order 23.5.3.2 “All dwellings with a net worth annual income in excess of $5 must be identified along the route of march” and sub section 23.5.3.2.1 “And all dwellings that use Silver Ware must be identified to the General Immediately”.

Your Humble Servant

Hays

I can testify to this statement from General Hays.
On arriving on the ridge crest and whilst formulating the tactical details to relieve the pressure on General Wrights right,i observed a company of Hays command stood fast in a sunken lane holding off a swarm of rebel infantry as another couple of companies of the same regiment were seen to be dragging off large onion sacks of what appeared to be objects that "glinted" sparkles of light as they caught glimpses of the morning sun.
One can only assume it was these poor devils securing the aforementioned items and trying to drag them off to the HQ wagons where i do believe i could make out a vague figure sat rubbing his hands watching enlisted men loading said wagons.
I carried on with my orders and thought nothing more of the matter except noting the bravery of the company "buying" the time.

Gentlemen please, we have a double responsibility. First we must rid the land of this insidious rebellion and second we must keep safe the civilian property. Yes it is sometimes difficult to perform these duties, but we must give our all, (as must the civilians), to the task and not let the enemy catch us unaware. It was only by the greatest effort that I was able to to get our wagons away in time. Think of the consequences if all our hard labors were abducted by the larcenous rebels.

Our hard labours? Those candlesticks had "Mackinnons Silversmiths London" stamped on the base.

None the less the General makes a fair point.
There is no telling what might happen if said loot, ahem ,protected civilian property,was to fall into the hands of the Father General.
The amount of Biblical reading's that could secure him would mean that the roads of Va were forever more jammed with even more wagon trains bringing said reading's to the front!

Uncle Billy wrote:Nope. The two processes are completely separate. What problem are you having?

When I go to the forum, I need to register. When I click on Register, it takes me back to the home page (away from the forum pages). I assume this is intentional. I then need to click Register again. I then fill in all my details, and it fails giving me:

Login denied! Your account has either been blocked or you have not activated it yet. Did you not get an activation e-mail and follow the validation link?

But I don't think I received an activation email - and I don't remember being told I was going to get one, unless this is the same one as when I registered the game.

And if I go for the "I forgot my password" option, I get:

Your password reset request failed because a User with the specified username and e-mail address could not be found..

I'm confused.

Assuming I have blundered and missed some sort of activation email - how do I get them to resend it?

Eating pies instead of fighting your men will get you in hot water. What was the user name you were trying? If it's the same as the one you use here there is no record of it. It might be easiest to pick a new one.

Uncle Billy wrote:Eating pies instead of fighting your men will get you in hot water. What was the user name you were trying? If it's the same as the one you use here there is no record of it. It might be easiest to pick a new one.

I'm afraid I don't follow the business with the pies.

I tried other usernames, but it says the email address is already registered. When I ask it to remind me of my password, it says the email address and username (which isn't entered) is not registered!

That's interesting. In that case I'd suggest you contact tech support. Go to the home page then choose "Contact Us".

Flashman

It might sound an obvious one but have you checked your junk mail, in case the activation email was sent there. This has caught me out in the past, although I can't be sure with SOW.

Really like the battle report. Its exactly why I play HITS and Couriers SP. I can't wait to hook up with the boys on MP, which should be quite soon, I hope.

Grog

BTW- Love Flashman. Have read the first two books and will treat myself to the collection some day.

Don't remember the pies Flash sir?

Sept 8th Turners Gap Union Probing force under Howe(detached from Wright and Newton) approaches the Gap from the south east

Surely you remember your boys sat in that picturesque orchard with the cherry trees by the creek?
You'd mentioned they'd come across "all sorts" of delicious edibles and refreshments and were fell out enjoying such when you recieved my courier asking if per chance you could waddle on up the road to where i was sat on the ridge line with the rest of the division.
I was rather hoping you'd called in there actually as Mrs Loose is such a fine cook and those pies i believe are some of the finest in the region.
Its often a chore at times to keep General Georgia's mind off of those pies whenever we operate in or pass through the Gaps.Im sure this is where his mentioning the pies has originated from.Nothing to do with your pies sir....he just wants some more of his own no doubt.He does indeed enjoy Pie.

A bit hard to eat hot apple pie with your fingers - all the cutlery of the region being in Gen Georgia's personal baggage train.

Cleburne wrote:Don't remember the pies Flash sir?

Sept 8th Turners Gap Union Probing force under Howe(detached from Wright and Newton) approaches the Gap from the south east

Surely you remember your boys sat in that picturesque orchard with the cherry trees by the creek?
You'd mentioned they'd come across "all sorts" of delicious edibles and refreshments and were fell out enjoying such when you recieved my courier asking if per chance you could waddle on up the road to where i was sat on the ridge line with the rest of the division.
I was rather hoping you'd called in there actually as Mrs Loose is such a fine cook and those pies i believe are some of the finest in the region.
Its often a chore at times to keep General Georgia's mind off of those pies whenever we operate in or pass through the Gaps.Im sure this is where his mentioning the pies has originated from.Nothing to do with your pies sir....he just wants some more of his own no doubt.He does indeed enjoy Pie.

Sirs,

In my report to General Howe, I clearly stated there were eggs, bacon, milk, cheese, and some mutton. As my men rested, they eagerly wolfed these discovered provisions, while I was "receiving directions" from Mrs Loose. On account of speed with which Howe ordered my brigade to come up, my men were forced to swallow their provisions and march rapidly, which resulted in many stomach cramps, and some regurgitation. On arrival at the ridge, my men were Exhausted, and forced to rest again, no doubt on account of their severe indigestion.

I shall make it a priority to requisition some settling medicines prior to our next outing, if my brigade is to be subjected to such unpredictable and hurried movements.

I should also like to mention that the 2nd Vermont were the only regiment to make good use of their napsacks while at Loose's farm, and as a result, arrived at the ridge in a fit state to engage the enemy. However, I made the decision to hold them back while the rest of the brigade considered the effects of their overeating.

I seem to remember General Howe mention something about Vermont and eating disorders, but I do not recall the details.

Sir, I am, as always, your obedient servant,

Harry Flashman

That's all well and good my dear Flashman. But was Mrs. Loose's table service and other valuables removed for safe keeping? Of equal importance, why was no pie delivered to my table that night?