Declining CSA NM after losing Richmond

[TheDoctorKing]

I captured Richmond with McDowell's army in the summer of 1862, about June or so. As expected, USA morale went way up, to about 150, and CSA morale fell to 60 or so. I was expecting that USA morale would slowly fall towards 100 while CSA morale slowly climbed, absent any further big victories. As it happened, I was doing OK on the other fronts, but not spectacularly. Grant took Nashville, McClellan managed to hold on to Kentucky, and Halleck was dueling with Confederate forces in western Kentucky and hadn't managed to take Island No. 10 yet. Down on the Gulf Coast, Buell had done somewhat better than historically, capturing Mobile, but New Orleans was still in rebel hands. Imagine my surprise to get the victory screen. When I looked at the CSA morale level, it was down to 22.

I backed up several turns, as many as I had backup saves for, and saw the CSA morale falling one or two points a turn. I had won a couple of victories, but they didn't seem to account for all the decline. I wonder, is there some special penalty for losing Richmond? Does the AI know to move the capital before it gets captured? Does the CSA not get the usual one point per turn NM boost if Richmond is not controlled?

A surprising outcome. I have played PBEM games of the old version where Richmond falls fairly early and the CSA fights on for months or years.

[GraniteStater]

The short answer is how Athena manages her NM against the opponent is not straightforward. We know what goes into the stew, but not how it's cooked.

First, what goes into the stew is:

* NM at scenario start (already an incontrovertible difference between USA & CSA).

* Basic flexing of the curve - we know there is a somewhat strong tendency for the curve to 'normalize', or return to the value 100, in this instance. But, per above, how much for each side? Are there differing weights?

* Importance of same event to each side, including the loss of a single element. The CSA budget and hence ability to bleed (and what is lost) differs from the USA markedly.

* Battle Results: these favor the CSA in the early going. AFAICS, however, the program is pretty good at 'awarding' results within the context of the game's calendar and historical considerations.

* War Weariness - a later game phenomenon.

Now, anecdotally, I have read about, and then experienced a game in AACW that very strongly resemble yours. The AAR I read and then experienced was Tearing Up the Rebs. In both occurrences, the CSA losses were circa 200,000. Also, from personal experience in AACW, it's not so much the raw integral value of NM, but more the neighborhood it stays in. IOW, at a certain point, on the ropes is on the ropes.

Then there's the lead in VP & its effect on NM - and FI. Plus, never, ever forget - the NM lead and its value affect combat prowess. This can be very, very important.

And don't forget, whatever you learn against Athena has definite limits against a human.

[Jim-NC]

There was a change made in the last patch or 2 about NM and capitals. If you lose your capital, you no longer can gain your NM back due to resilience. I am not sure if you can move capitals to not get that effect or not.

[Ebbingford]

I thought it had been fixed in an earlier version so that the AI would move it's capital if threatened....

[TheDoctorKing]

I was fully patched up.

I did not notice if the CSA had moved their capital to Atlanta or whatever.