Remove the West and the Navy

[rasnell]

To speed up game processing, I would like to see everything removed West of Missouri. It's not very pertinent to the heart of the game.

The Navy is nothing more than an aggravation. Way too much micromanagement for so little result.

Why not turn blockade and supply shipping to an abstract form like you do the railroads. I'd much rather have to decide to commit dollars to keep blockades and transport at high levels than the annoying fleet creation, movement, back to port for repair, etc.

I must be doing something wrong. It doesn't matter how many ships I create, including blockade runners, frigates and transports, my blockade box has never moved off 0 percent.

I see little gain for such much work related to the Navy. Again, abstracting this could improve turn processing speeds, which are just terrible as you get late in the campaign. It's now taking more than 5 minutes per turn in March 1864. And I was complaining when it was 2 minutes per turn.

I'm now reading three pages of a Civil War book while I wait on my turns.

[caranorn]

While I agree that the blockade work (both sides) is currently pretty tedious with minimal results, I don't agree on removing the Western Territories (West of Missouri). At least in the first year campaigning there can be pretty fun (it's quite fluid, though the Union is unrealistically strong (most of those regular regiments had skeletal strength at the time). I can't imagine that area would take up many game resources. On the other hand, while the blockade war is currently not very attractive (and the ai US probably bungles things up a lot as I rarely see them actively conducting the distant blockade (and instead wasting ships on isolated forts)) I believe it could become interesting with future patches, the blockade itself I expect is drawing less on game resources then the suicide runs against the coastal forts.

Lastly, I see those turn delays have a positive factor for you too, I tend to read the newspapers at those times, reading a history book certainly can't hurt;-).

Marc aka Caran...

[Pocus]

half campaigns are coming. For AI optimizations, we need more time, the game is only out since 2 weeks.

[pasternakski]

To speed up game processing, I would like to see everything removed West of Missouri. It's not very pertinent to the heart of the game.

Absolutely disagree. Although the Far West (treated as an entire theater itself in VG's old Civil War title) is secondary, your successes and failures there can have profound consequences to your war effort. For example, there are adjacent states that are vital for manpower and supplies you cannot afford to lose to a small army staging an incursion from the west.

The Navy is nothing more than an aggravation. Way too much micromanagement for so little result.

Why not turn blockade and supply shipping to an abstract form like you do the railroads. I'd much rather have to decide to commit dollars to keep blockades and transport at high levels than the annoying fleet creation, movement, back to port for repair, etc.

Again, my view is different. I really enjoy the naval "sub-game." There's a lot to learn before you get it right, but then, the naval portion of your turn doesn't take much time at all. The ledger unit type filters help a lot in streamlining the process.

I must be doing something wrong. It doesn't matter how many ships I create, including blockade runners, frigates and transports, my blockade box has never moved off 0 percent.

I see little gain for such much work related to the Navy. Again, abstracting this could improve turn processing speeds, which are just terrible as you get late in the campaign. It's now taking more than 5 minutes per turn in March 1864. And I was complaining when it was 2 minutes per turn.

I'm now reading three pages of a Civil War book while I wait on my turns.

My friend, we are all going to be doing a lot of things wrong for a long time learning to become competent at this monster.

Hope you're enjoying the read. I suspect that Pocus and company will address the turn processing time to the extent possible in coming days, but I see it as a small price to pay for the satisfying result.

As my first high school girlfriend said to me one night, "What's your hurry? Just slow down and enjoy it, why don't ya?"

[Adlertag]

The problem with long turn processing is that during the waiting time you are somewhat disconnected to the game, you are "out" of the game and you lose (indeed temporarily) the dimension of pleasure game brings to you when you play it.

This fact could discourage players to buy or continue the game even with the promise of an excellent AI.
I'm not so sure the majority of players will appreciate more the " long turn processing but excellent AI" argument rather the reverse one...
Because turn processing is measurable ( just need a clock) but judging AI quality is more difficult ( at least it's subjective ).

IMO.

[jimwinsor]

OK I may be a minority here, but I actually like the turn processing delay. It breaks me out of my computer game trance , gives me a chance to catch up on housework, paperwork, return phone calls, etc.

Keeps me from becoming a complete hermit.

[pasternakski]

Keeps me from becoming a complete hermit.

Not that there's anything WRONG with that...

Let's give poor ole Pocus a chance to finish what he has started before we begin asking for wholesale truncations of the game system in the interest of expediency.

"Miss Charlotte, I'm a-gonna take you like Grant took Richmond."
"Why, I do declare, Captain Willingham, I hope you don't spend four years wearing down my defenses..."

[mike1962]

[color="Red"]To speed up game processing, I would like to see everything removed West of Missouri. It's not very pertinent to the heart of the game.

The Navy is nothing more than an aggravation. Way too much micromanagement for so little result.[/color]

Ouch! Thats a drastic measure. I bet I spend twenty minutes or so on my turn, I can wait a couple minutes on the AI. If I were playing email I would be waiting a lot longer. Currently I am playing full campaign, its early "62. In the east there are a couple giants staring down each other, jockying for position. I have had a lot of action in the west. I am playing the CSA and have adopted a strategy of guerilla warfare, while trying to keep Lyons and Fremont at bay. I have used Waties injuns to circumnavigate the yanks in the west torching all. My early war cavalry is wrecking havoc on their commands, it's quite a bloody show here in the west. Can't imagine the game without it.

[marecone]

If this is a voting issue then my vote goes to keeping both west and navy. I am sure Pocus will think something better to speed up AI thinking.
Just my two cents

[Rafiki]

Indeed. For this to be a grand strategy game about the Civil War, the west and the naval aspects have to be a part of it. Otherwise it'll easily become a "Lee vs Army of Potomac" kind of thing, and I don't want that to happen.

[rasnell]

Looks like I had a bad idea. But something needs to be done because we have a grand campaign that is: Wonderful, great strategy, lots of decisions to make followed by up to 5 minutes of waiting and doing absolutely nothing game-related.

It's the first game where I can read a companion history book at the same time that I'm playing.

I really like to see the battle screen and to follow the moves, but that has led to one turn delay of 14 minutes. Yikes.

I'm nearing the end of my first full campaign so the amount of data processing and crunching has to be considerable -- but 14 minutes and no chance to touch the game screen. This will prove to be a game-killer for me, as much as I love the depth, the artwork, the company, the support and all the folks like Pocus, PhilThib, Sandra and the beta team.

It's just one customer and one opinion, but I can hardly imagine undertaking another month of starting a new campaign.

HERE'S A NEW IDEA: Why not cut the 15-day moves down to 5-day moves? Would this reduce the number-crunching and turn processing by 33 percent? (This would even speed up the turns of this slow human. )

[Jaypea]

Why not cut the 15-day moves down to 5-day moves? Would this reduce the number-crunching and turn processing by 33 percent? (This would even speed up the turns of this slow human. )

I prefer 7 day turns as an option! I am use to playing WITP on 1 day turns so I am really not pleased with this 1/2 month turns (never liked them in any game). My vote is for 7 day turns

Jaypea