Your pet peeves

[reminder]

After a few perma frozen battles of UGG, I just need to went out... and I prefer to do that in a constructive way. So, I'll list my pet peeves and I'd be interested in reading some of yours.

 

1) Units routing THROUGH my units. That gives a whole new meaning to the definition of retreat.

 

2) Invincible general running all over the place as soon as any enemy gets closer than a mile from it (not even in enemy's shooting distance). Grow some balls son, would be of great use when commanding an army. Or during the afterparty.

 

3) Artillery running all over the place as soon as any enemy gets closer than a mile from it. I do understand people lacked education during those times, but surely they could think why the hell they're carrying those canisters all over the battlefield.

 

4) Artillery obstructed by a thin line of trees. Stand around doing nothing please instead of taking two steps forward.

 

5) 2000 man unit attacking 100 videttes and killing 5-10 in a straight volley. Those horses must be Pegasi or something.

[Edgy]

1. Yes totally agree, it's still happening. I just started a new battle and had Paul's Brigade take the Cashtown Pike after routing through my men, Baxter routed through Pettigrew and then rallied right behind him...routing poor old Pettigrew again.

 

2. Yes agree again. Commanders run even if they're behind your lines, thus putting your Brigades out of command radius, who then of course rout.

 

3. Agreed, my artillery flee at the merest hint of an infantry attack.....even before the infantry come into canister range, not that this actually matters much as most of my batteries are worn out from firing three shots and are ready to route anyway.

 

4. Agreed, Artillery line of sight is appalling, most of the time it's either a house or your own men blocking.

 

5. Those Vedettes are all wearing medieval armor.

 

On the plus side though my game never freezes or crashes, ever. At least it's stable.

[Zelekendel]

Agreed on the previous issues. 

 

My pet peeve simply finding out that a brigade has not been firing, but being under constant enemy fire themselves. Even if the enemy is in range - for some reason my brigades simply will not fire until I give them a command to "advance a bit" - once I give them any command, they unfreeze and shoot. Seriously, it needs to stop.  I can understand it if the enemy is on higher ground and the brigade is out of range - even still it shouln't just sit a and be volleyed without either advancing a bit to reciprocate or retreating out of range (a toggle for this behaviour perhaps?)

[blood-phoenix]

Charging Skirmishers.
Skirmishers taking Victory Point locations.

Super-Cavalry Commandos (Videttes in name only)
Watching my artillery crews try to roll their pieces away by hand when being charged by cavalry...

SIGH 

[22ndNorthCarolina]

1. Morale going from 100% to 10% after one volley of fire

2. CSA units being overly OP when charging

3. Units retreating TOWARDS my units

4. Arty line of sight. nuff' said

[WesleyBarras]

1. CSA units are realistically better than Union

Infinite shells (didn't CSA artillery run out before Pickett's Charge)

Can't dig in on flat or high ground. Lessons natural advantage on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill

Calvary...as blood_phenix said, they are "Super-Commandos" lol

The distance from Seminary Hill to Union center is too short. 

[blueakomoon]

To agree with Zelekendel,

1.  I can't stand it when I have one or two brigades refuse to fire during the whole battle, unless given a specific target.  So I have to micro manage those two brigades (as in manually ordering each and every volley) for the whole battle or pull them off the line.  Annoying bug.  No, its not caused by clumping my brigades or terrain, it happens on almost every day 2/3 battle on either side, more often the confederates.

2.  When a brigade of over a 1000 fires a volley at an artillery battery and they hit nothing.  NOTHING!  C'mon!

[Zelekendel]

To agree with Zelekendel,

1.  I can't stand it when I have one or two brigades refuse to fire during the whole battle, unless given a specific target.  So I have to micro manage those two brigades (as in manually ordering each and every volley) for the whole battle or pull them off the line.  Annoying bug.  No, its not caused by clumping my brigades or terrain, it happens on almost every day 2/3 battle on either side, more often the confederates.

2.  When a brigade of over a 1000 fires a volley at an artillery battery and they hit nothing.  NOTHING!  C'mon!

 

2. It's now my #1 multiplayer pet peeve. Some players are learning that they can assault with their guns into canister range without caring about the infantry volleys or even the threat of charges (as it will most likely devastate the infantry's condition). For some reason, artillery crews seem almost immune to volleys.

[MikeK]

A fascinating topic is the psychology of crew-served weapons teams, which results in a very high combat participation rate and sustained effectiveness under pressure, unlike individual combatants of whom a minority participate effectively in a firefight. This has been studied heavily in the 20th C and is a problem with infantry operating in loose and skirmish formations. The shoulder-to-shoulder formation provides some of the benefits of a team, but actual combat effect remains primarily an individual matter with a minority of infantrymen operating effectively in a substantial firefight. They are going to be at their worst when taking losses from canister in the open. Recall the examples in the musket era of even company size units being able to approach and deliver a steady clean volley against artillerists and put them to flight or in chaos, vs. the frequently recounted cases where the gunners time their fire well and disrupt the infantry before it can deliver effective fire, the unsettled infantry once some fire the momentum is lost and under canister they are put in fight or flight mode individually - even if a solider remains cool-headed, adrenaline impairs fine motor skills such as loading and firing and shortly only a minority of the troops who are still going through the motions of loading and firing will be doing so effectively. Or sometimes none of them - there were devastating volleys and volleys that left the enemy untouched or nearly so, a failure that easily unsettles the troops whose fire is without effect, or breaks them when the enemy reply with effect. 

 

The more one reads accounts of combat, the thicker the ends of the bell curve of likely events become. 

[Karle]

I think it is good that units can assault multiple times as this recreates what actually happens in the battle.  Units normally will attack and if unsuccessful, regroup and assault again.  However in the game when a unit assaults and the other unit is routed sometimes the assaulting unit also is routed.  

 

I believe that when a unit has a successful assault and the other teams retreats, the successful unit should get a morale boost.  The same is true when a unit successfully repels a assault.  Without this one could never recreate an assault like Barksdales in the battle where he went through a number of different  brigades..

[Husserl]

I believe that when a unit has a successful assault and the other teams retreats, the successful unit should get a morale boost.  The same is true when a unit successfully repels a assault.  Without this one could never recreate an assault like Barksdales in the battle where he went through a number of different  brigades..

 

This is included already. However, if the melee-beater receives incoming, especially from artillery or/and form the flanks then the morale penalty might overlap the morale boost and force that unit to retreat as well.

[Nick Thomadis]

I think it is good that units can assault multiple times as this recreates what actually happens in the battle.  Units normally will attack and if unsuccessful, regroup and assault again.  However in the game when a unit assaults and the other unit is routed sometimes the assaulting unit also is routed.  

 

I believe that when a unit has a successful assault and the other teams retreats, the successful unit should get a morale boost.  The same is true when a unit successfully repels a assault.  Without this one could never recreate an assault like Barksdales in the battle where he went through a number of different  brigades..

There is a bonus when units win or inflict casualties. Morale is re-balanced in next patch to enhance this effect.

 

A fascinating topic is the psychology of crew-served weapons teams, which results in a very high combat participation rate and sustained effectiveness under pressure, unlike individual combatants of whom a minority participate effectively in a firefight. This has been studied heavily in the 20th C and is a problem with infantry operating in loose and skirmish formations. The shoulder-to-shoulder formation provides some of the benefits of a team, but actual combat effect remains primarily an individual matter with a minority of infantrymen operating effectively in a substantial firefight. They are going to be at their worst when taking losses from canister in the open. Recall the examples in the musket era of even company size units being able to approach and deliver a steady clean volley against artillerists and put them to flight or in chaos, vs. the frequently recounted cases where the gunners time their fire well and disrupt the infantry before it can deliver effective fire, the unsettled infantry once some fire the momentum is lost and under canister they are put in fight or flight mode individually - even if a solider remains cool-headed, adrenaline impairs fine motor skills such as loading and firing and shortly only a minority of the troops who are still going through the motions of loading and firing will be doing so effectively. Or sometimes none of them - there were devastating volleys and volleys that left the enemy untouched or nearly so, a failure that easily unsettles the troops whose fire is without effect, or breaks them when the enemy reply with effect. 

 

The more one reads accounts of combat, the thicker the ends of the bell curve of likely events become. 

In the game we try to simulate this psychology, the benefits and disadvantages of thick musket formations. Hopefully in the next patch this will be even better reflected. Units will be able to fire for long periods of time if well supported and in cover but when they are in open fields you will feel how much vulnerable they are. They will soon head for cover despite you wanted them to be massacred. This is where the elite units will distinguish among the average.

 

2. It's now my #1 multiplayer pet peeve. Some players are learning that they can assault with their guns into canister range without caring about the infantry volleys or even the threat of charges (as it will most likely devastate the infantry's condition). For some reason, artillery crews seem almost immune to volleys.

Charging and melee has been updated for the next patch to simulate the effect better. Melee will last longer but in general will result in devastating casualties

 

To agree with Zelekendel,

1.  I can't stand it when I have one or two brigades refuse to fire during the whole battle, unless given a specific target.  So I have to micro manage those two brigades (as in manually ordering each and every volley) for the whole battle or pull them off the line.  Annoying bug.  No, its not caused by clumping my brigades or terrain, it happens on almost every day 2/3 battle on either side, more often the confederates.

2.  When a brigade of over a 1000 fires a volley at an artillery battery and they hit nothing.  NOTHING!  C'mon!

1. It is a known issue. Partially addressed in the coming patch. We will try to fix for the release as good as possible. 

2. Not sure, in next patch it should work all right. We have to have in mind that it is an abstract game and it does not mean that 1.000 men fire simultaneously in one direction at the same time. If that was the case, all units visible in the game would be evaporated in some minutes.

 

 

1. CSA units are realistically better than Union
2. Infinite shells (didn't CSA artillery run out before Pickett's Charge)
3. Can't dig in on flat or high ground. Lessons natural advantage on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill
4. Calvary...as blood_phenix said, they are "Super-Commandos" lol
5. The distance from Seminary Hill to Union center is too short. 

 

1. This will be preserved in the next patch, but Union has its own big advantages and overall balance will be better.

2. We simulate this fact with condition. If condition drops dramatically for artillery, reload is very slow, aiming lasts longer and efficiency is less. Historically the CS artillery did not stop to fire completely. The fire rate was reduced a lot.

3. We simulate with natural cover what can be a dig in for this game.

4. Should be balanced better in next patch.

5. According to scale of map it is not, but yes in in-game metrics it feels short.

 

 

1. Morale going from 100% to 10% after one volley of fire

2. CSA units being overly OP when charging

3. Units retreating TOWARDS my units

4. Arty line of sight. nuff' said

1. Fixed cases that could result into this for next patch.

2. Fixed in next patch. Union will be able to valiantly withstand the magnificent CS charges.

3. This issue will be a lot less frequent but not fully fixed. We will try to repair fully before release of game out of Early Access.

 

Agreed on the previous issues. 

 

My pet peeve simply finding out that a brigade has not been firing, but being under constant enemy fire themselves. Even if the enemy is in range - for some reason my brigades simply will not fire until I give them a command to "advance a bit" - once I give them any command, they unfreeze and shoot. Seriously, it needs to stop.  I can understand it if the enemy is on higher ground and the brigade is out of range - even still it shouln't just sit a and be volleyed without either advancing a bit to reciprocate or retreating out of range (a toggle for this behaviour perhaps?)

As wrote above, yes, it is known issue, and we shall look to it.

 

1. Yes totally agree, it's still happening. I just started a new battle and had Paul's Brigade take the Cashtown Pike after routing through my men, Baxter routed through Pettigrew and then rallied right behind him...routing poor old Pettigrew again.

 

2. Yes agree again. Commanders run even if they're behind your lines, thus putting your Brigades out of command radius, who then of course rout.

 

3. Agreed, my artillery flee at the merest hint of an infantry attack.....even before the infantry come into canister range, not that this actually matters much as most of my batteries are worn out from firing three shots and are ready to route anyway.

 

4. Agreed, Artillery line of sight is appalling, most of the time it's either a house or your own men blocking.

 

5. Those Vedettes are all wearing medieval armor.

 

On the plus side though my game never freezes or crashes, ever. At least it's stable.

Replied to most above. Especially for 4) in next update artillery LoS and targeting should be fully fixed. Much better working.

 

After a few perma frozen battles of UGG, I just need to went out... and I prefer to do that in a constructive way. So, I'll list my pet peeves and I'd be interested in reading some of yours.

 

1) Units routing THROUGH my units. That gives a whole new meaning to the definition of retreat.

 

2) Invincible general running all over the place as soon as any enemy gets closer than a mile from it (not even in enemy's shooting distance). Grow some balls son, would be of great use when commanding an army. Or during the afterparty.

 

3) Artillery running all over the place as soon as any enemy gets closer than a mile from it. I do understand people lacked education during those times, but surely they could think why the hell they're carrying those canisters all over the battlefield.

 

4) Artillery obstructed by a thin line of trees. Stand around doing nothing please instead of taking two steps forward.

 

5) 2000 man unit attacking 100 videttes and killing 5-10 in a straight volley. Those horses must be Pegasi or something.

1) New patch addresses that to a great extend. Still though units will try to abandon battlefield from the safety direction if no escape rout is found.

2) We want to make Generals to get injured and killed but this will come in an after release patch.

3) This should be fixed in next patch. Artillery will keep safety more effectively.

4) This will be looked in the release patch again.

5) Rebalance of this in next patch.

[RichardMcCor]

Phew, Nick, Many thanks for that summary.

Looking forward to the next patch with anticipation.

[R.E.B.Blunt]

my pet peeve is damn charging units that are routing running in circles like this picture. The Iron Brigade in particular was routing before they charged me first they fell back then they circled around and ran through my men, then the other two Brigades were routing as well and still charging me...GRRRRR

[reminder]

2) We want to make Generals to get injured and killed but this will come in an after release patch.

 

That would be nice to have eventually, but for now, how about decreasing both the range of forced runs and the distance? Even slight changes would be a great help.

 

Also, thanks for replying.