Great game, having a blast but, just a couple things I can't figure out. (I only play full campaign, April start)
1. Generals command ratings. So a 1-4-1 would be a good attacker and a 1-1-4 would be a good defender but what would a 4-1-1 be good at? Specifically, what is the strategic rating all about. What does it influence?
2. I've only really tried Union and I find that I don't have anywhere near enough money. I've read here and there that one should build transports and armorys/ironworks and I've tried that but I get to mid 62 and I'm too broke just building enough troops to stop the grey hordes that I can't afford much else. I find I have lots of conscripts and materials but no money. Is this normal? I don't have to institute a draft or pay bountys for new guys because I can't afford to use them all anyway. Also, every turn I get a message that private contracts are cancelled because I have too much left over steel.
3. How do I change the name of my forces. The Army of the Potomac occupying New Orleans is dumb and Western Force is just plain boring. Tried messing with the savegames but it's not working.
Thanks in advance, I've looked pretty hard for the answers to these but I'm not finding much.
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Whichwitch
- Conscript
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:32 am
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ArmChairGeneral
- AGEod Grognard
- Posts: 997
- Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 9:00 am
- Location: Austin, TX, USA
1. The lower the strategic rating (the first of the three numbers) the more likely the leader will be inactive. You can see inactivity by a brown envelope on the map screen, or by hovering over a leader in the unit panel on the bottom: f active, the tooltip will say "can actively lead units this turn" and if inactive will say "cannot." Inactive leaders suffer from significant combat and moderate move penalties, cannot be given offensive orders on purpose (they will switch to Offensive posture automatically if the MC in the region is very small but suffer a -35% penalty when inactive) and cannot form divisions. Depending on the settings, inactive leaders may not be able to move at all, becoming fixed for the turn and displaying a red stripe on their unit icons in the bottom panel.
Others may differ, but I consider a high Strat rating to be more important than a high offense or defense rating (but I play with the fixed activity setting, the second from the right option. A high Strat rating is less valuable for easier activiation settings). 3 is an average Strat rating, whereas 1 is average for Offense/Defense ratings, so a middling general is a 3-1-1. 4+ is a good strat rating, 2 or 1 is below average. A 2+ Offense/Defense rating is good, while 0 is poor.
2. This is normal. You actually have way more troops than the CSA, but the South has some serious offsetting early game advantages and benefits from early aggression, especially if the Union takes a lot of unnecessary casualties from lost or too-even battles in the first year and a half. Turtling the first year or two while building up stacks of doom is a very viable strategy for the Union. You can build a serious advantage in men and material. Some find that CS are their limiting factor rather than $$, but WS for the Union is hardly ever a bottleneck.
Others may differ, but I consider a high Strat rating to be more important than a high offense or defense rating (but I play with the fixed activity setting, the second from the right option. A high Strat rating is less valuable for easier activiation settings). 3 is an average Strat rating, whereas 1 is average for Offense/Defense ratings, so a middling general is a 3-1-1. 4+ is a good strat rating, 2 or 1 is below average. A 2+ Offense/Defense rating is good, while 0 is poor.
2. This is normal. You actually have way more troops than the CSA, but the South has some serious offsetting early game advantages and benefits from early aggression, especially if the Union takes a lot of unnecessary casualties from lost or too-even battles in the first year and a half. Turtling the first year or two while building up stacks of doom is a very viable strategy for the Union. You can build a serious advantage in men and material. Some find that CS are their limiting factor rather than $$, but WS for the Union is hardly ever a bottleneck.
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Captain_Orso
- Posts: 5766
- Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:02 pm
- Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Welcome to the forum Whichwitch 
Unmodified strategic rating can be between 1 and 6.
At the end of each turn--so that you have it during you planning--for each leader a d6 is rolled. If the roll is > the strategic rating, the leader is inactivated during the coming turn.
If the leader is activated, add 1 to the dr; if the leader is un-activated, subtract 1 from the dr; so leaders with 3 strat-rating--the most--tend to stay in the status they currently have.
You have 3 economic option each of which will bring you $800, Raise Taxes, Issue Bonds, Print Money. These renew I believe every 3 months, so every 6 turns. Use them liberally.
Generally with <Alt><Right-Click> on the unit on the map. This will open a window for changing the stack name. Army stacks cannot have their names hanged, but I've heard that if you temporarily decommission the army command, rename the stack and then reinstate the army command--be aware that when you decommission an army, all its corps cease to be corps--that the stack will retain it's modified stack name, and thus the army should have that name.
I always suggest using google site search to search for phrases and mandatory multiple words.
Whichwitch wrote:Great game, having a blast but, just a couple things I can't figure out. (I only play full campaign, April start)
1. Generals command ratings. So a 1-4-1 would be a good attacker and a 1-1-4 would be a good defender but what would a 4-1-1 be good at? Specifically, what is the strategic rating all about. What does it influence?
Unmodified strategic rating can be between 1 and 6.
At the end of each turn--so that you have it during you planning--for each leader a d6 is rolled. If the roll is > the strategic rating, the leader is inactivated during the coming turn.
If the leader is activated, add 1 to the dr; if the leader is un-activated, subtract 1 from the dr; so leaders with 3 strat-rating--the most--tend to stay in the status they currently have.
Whichwitch wrote: 2. I've only really tried Union and I find that I don't have anywhere near enough money. I've read here and there that one should build transports and armorys/ironworks and I've tried that but I get to mid 62 and I'm too broke just building enough troops to stop the grey hordes that I can't afford much else. I find I have lots of conscripts and materials but no money. Is this normal? I don't have to institute a draft or pay bountys for new guys because I can't afford to use them all anyway. Also, every turn I get a message that private contracts are cancelled because I have too much left over steel.
You have 3 economic option each of which will bring you $800, Raise Taxes, Issue Bonds, Print Money. These renew I believe every 3 months, so every 6 turns. Use them liberally.
Whichwitch wrote: 3. How do I change the name of my forces. The Army of the Potomac occupying New Orleans is dumb and Western Force is just plain boring. Tried messing with the savegames but it's not working.
Generally with <Alt><Right-Click> on the unit on the map. This will open a window for changing the stack name. Army stacks cannot have their names hanged, but I've heard that if you temporarily decommission the army command, rename the stack and then reinstate the army command--be aware that when you decommission an army, all its corps cease to be corps--that the stack will retain it's modified stack name, and thus the army should have that name.
Whichwitch wrote:Thanks in advance, I've looked pretty hard for the answers to these but I'm not finding much.
I always suggest using google site search to search for phrases and mandatory multiple words.
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Whichwitch
- Conscript
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:32 am
Captain_Orso wrote:Welcome to the forum Whichwitch
Unmodified strategic rating can be between 1 and 6.
At the end of each turn--so that you have it during you planning--for each leader a d6 is rolled. If the roll is > the strategic rating, the leader is inactivated during the coming turn.
If the leader is activated, add 1 to the dr; if the leader is un-activated, subtract 1 from the dr; so leaders with 3 strat-rating--the most--tend to stay in the status they currently have.
You have 3 economic option each of which will bring you $800, Raise Taxes, Issue Bonds, Print Money. These renew I believe every 3 months, so every 6 turns. Use them liberally.
Thanks, this is just what I needed to understand this
Generally with <Alt><Right-Click> on the unit on the map. This will open a window for changing the stack name. Army stacks cannot have their names hanged, but I've heard that if you temporarily decommission the army command, rename the stack and then reinstate the army command--be aware that when you decommission an army, all its corps cease to be corps--that the stack will retain it's modified stack name, and thus the army should have that name.
This doesn't really work. A window opens with Alt/left click but you can't do much with it. Maybe (probably) I'm doing something wrong and it really is just a small aesthetic detail so I'm not going to worry about it.
I always suggest using google site search to search for phrases and mandatory multiple words.
Thanks to all who took the time to reply. Hopefully will have more questions soon.
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Captain_Orso
- Posts: 5766
- Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:02 pm
- Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Yup they does, but they will still cost 3 CP's to command, the rowdies 
"I find I have lots of conscripts and materials but no money. Is this normal?"
Whichwitch, this happened to me more often before I heard someone give the tip of watching loyalty. Check the loyalty rating (varies from 0-100%) of the regions you control that produce lots of resources. I mean places like Boston, New York, Baltimore, out west in California, etc. CA has a couple of cities that can produce lots of money, but they start off with middling loyalty numbers, It's basically free to raise that loyalty number using the card for building defensive works, especially in CA which is isolated and where most of the free troops are locked. That's one inexpensive route.
Another is working up enough war supply production to start having the game buy back war supplies, but this has diminishing returns. You'll only ever get $50/turn no matter how outrageous your war supply total becomes. I never use up all the internal investment options for war supplies, preferring to stick to the inexpensive ones.
You can also build more merchant ships. I read on the forum that regular transports will work for this purpose as well, but I've never tried it.
"How does training (the ability) work? I know that I can upgrade conscript/volunteer infantry, do mounted volunteer/conscript cavalry upgrade as well?"
swang, like Captain_Orso writes, conscript trainers will upgrade volunteer/conscription cavalry. IMO, the best improvement for militia/volunteers/conscripts when they upgrade is movement rate. Before they're regulars, especially militia/volunteers, they're really only fit for garrison work. However, as you move the front forward you find that you need garrison troops to guard your supply lines. Since you have a limited number of trainers (McClellan, Halleck and Sigel), and since they only work on two regiments/turn, you're still going to have a large number of slow volunteers. Plan your advance with the idea that you're going to need them. Use them to maintain entrenchment levels in your rear areas. A volunteer/light infantry brigade (which as the union you have lots of) in a 4-level trench can ruin the day of a cavalry raid, even with the command penalty. If they take hits, keep in mind that volunteer/militia replacements are cheaper than regulars.
Whichwitch, this happened to me more often before I heard someone give the tip of watching loyalty. Check the loyalty rating (varies from 0-100%) of the regions you control that produce lots of resources. I mean places like Boston, New York, Baltimore, out west in California, etc. CA has a couple of cities that can produce lots of money, but they start off with middling loyalty numbers, It's basically free to raise that loyalty number using the card for building defensive works, especially in CA which is isolated and where most of the free troops are locked. That's one inexpensive route.
Another is working up enough war supply production to start having the game buy back war supplies, but this has diminishing returns. You'll only ever get $50/turn no matter how outrageous your war supply total becomes. I never use up all the internal investment options for war supplies, preferring to stick to the inexpensive ones.
You can also build more merchant ships. I read on the forum that regular transports will work for this purpose as well, but I've never tried it.
"How does training (the ability) work? I know that I can upgrade conscript/volunteer infantry, do mounted volunteer/conscript cavalry upgrade as well?"
swang, like Captain_Orso writes, conscript trainers will upgrade volunteer/conscription cavalry. IMO, the best improvement for militia/volunteers/conscripts when they upgrade is movement rate. Before they're regulars, especially militia/volunteers, they're really only fit for garrison work. However, as you move the front forward you find that you need garrison troops to guard your supply lines. Since you have a limited number of trainers (McClellan, Halleck and Sigel), and since they only work on two regiments/turn, you're still going to have a large number of slow volunteers. Plan your advance with the idea that you're going to need them. Use them to maintain entrenchment levels in your rear areas. A volunteer/light infantry brigade (which as the union you have lots of) in a 4-level trench can ruin the day of a cavalry raid, even with the command penalty. If they take hits, keep in mind that volunteer/militia replacements are cheaper than regulars.
... didn't see the question about the army names.
I *think* the army names are tied to the region where the army is created. If you create the army in western Missouri, it gets Army of the West or whatever. If instead you relocated that general to DC for the next turn and created the army there, it's something else depending on how many armies are already in that area. I *think* there's a list that goes in order, and when that list is exhausted it hits the top of other region lists for names that aren't used. For example, let's say you have ten three-star generals sitting in Alexandria and no armies yet. Create an army with the first, get Army of the Potomac. Next one gets Army of Virginia or Union Army or the like. Eventually you run out of names for that region and it goes to the next region and you end up with Army of the Mississippi or something, even though you're in Virginia. I haven't tried this experiment but my gameplay seems to indicate I'm not far off. The game has limits, and seems to want to stick to what was historical. There will always be an Army of the Potomac. There will never be an Army of New England to block the invading Canadians, nor an Army of the Plains to quell the Native American uprisings. Perhaps the code behind the army names could be modded, but I wouldn't have the first clue how.
I *think* the army names are tied to the region where the army is created. If you create the army in western Missouri, it gets Army of the West or whatever. If instead you relocated that general to DC for the next turn and created the army there, it's something else depending on how many armies are already in that area. I *think* there's a list that goes in order, and when that list is exhausted it hits the top of other region lists for names that aren't used. For example, let's say you have ten three-star generals sitting in Alexandria and no armies yet. Create an army with the first, get Army of the Potomac. Next one gets Army of Virginia or Union Army or the like. Eventually you run out of names for that region and it goes to the next region and you end up with Army of the Mississippi or something, even though you're in Virginia. I haven't tried this experiment but my gameplay seems to indicate I'm not far off. The game has limits, and seems to want to stick to what was historical. There will always be an Army of the Potomac. There will never be an Army of New England to block the invading Canadians, nor an Army of the Plains to quell the Native American uprisings. Perhaps the code behind the army names could be modded, but I wouldn't have the first clue how.
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