I don't want to knock this game. I really recommend it to friends as one of the best games out there - it's not as exciting as Total War Warhammer, but the UG:CW is rocksteady. The first few hours of games like Warhammer are better, bet they get old quick, and this one doesn't. And I'm just saying this because what I'm about to say sounds like a series of complaints, but I want to know if I'm missing something *or* note these for improvements. This game is great, but with a few changes it could be even better.
#1. Speed. I've noticed this mostly with cavalry. Infantry have a "run" button, and double-clicking works too. I've had cavalry get charged where I can see the charge coming from beyond their firing range (with some a long-gun, not pistols). But when I click on terrain to get them to get out of there, they move slower than the charging infantry. I've seen this happen time and again, and it is really frustrating.
I also recently noticed the problem with skirmishers. I had a unit of skirmishers with sharps rifles - crappy range, but very fast reload. They engaged other skirmishers. The enemy shot, my guys shot, the enemy backed off, the enemy shot, the enemy backed off, the enemy shot, the enemy backed off, the enemy shot.... They fell back and shot again and again, and my guys never got a shot off. This just doesn't make sense - my guys were going so damn slow, and the enemy was so much faster.
I've also had this issue with supplies. In the confederate campaign (I go back and forth), during the ambush battle, as soon as I approach the Union supply wagons move east like they're running - my infantry that got past the Union infantry were barely going any faster and couldn't keep up with the wagons. Then I capture them, and they move the same mud-slow speed that my artillery and ammo wagons go.
#2. I've had a few times where charging doesn't work. The most frustrating is when I double click (for a charge), and my guys will run a short bit towards them and then just exchange fire (even when their morale and condition are high), or they'll back off a long ways, and then do the same.
I've also had the issue with cavalry. I'd double click, they wouldn't charge, so then I clicked the charge button, and instead of attacking the unit I previously had them target (which was also still the closest unit), this cavalry unit of about 600 with low-end musketoons charged into an infantry unit of nearly 3000, with two cavalry units with about 700 each. Lame.
I've also had issues where I click once and units seem to charge - it's often not really a charge, but they'll just walk into melee. This was particularly annoying when I had one unit do it, Skirmishers with scoped rifles (Whitworths?).
#3. This one is kind of a recommendation, but I think that during camp any changes made after the most recent battle should be retractable - so if I refill one infantry unit, then realize I don't have enough to refill 2 units and so would prefer to change the firearm of one and refill the other, so that I can sell off the excess arms, rather than buying some and then selling some of the same gun (which is just $ disappearing). I save a lot in this game because of issues like that, but its frustrating to see when I forgot to save and then need to back up.
#4. This one is a mix. I've always loved the Henry Rifle, and when I was a kid dreaming about things weird nerds do, I dreamed about what it would have been like for a regiment in the Civil War to fight with those or something similar, repeating. I'd buy them at every chance in game in one campaign, but couldn't ever stock up enough to get an infantry unit armed with them. Does anyone know if in game production will increase later (I've gotten to Gettysburg in game)? Also, I kind of think the "shop" should be more open. Realistically, I imagine the people who ordered weapons for troops would be placing orders for guns to be made, not just seeing what's on market and ready to sell at the moment. And with the amount of time between battles, I figure that those "orders" should have enough time to fill, such that you should (in game) just buy what you need in camp, no maximum.