AGEod's American Civil War, ver. 1.06
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
July 19, 2007
Credits: Philippe Sacre (Sunray, AGEod team), Arne Vedo-Hansen(Rafiki), Tc237, Johnnycai
You can contribute to the FAQ by sending me a PM with the question and your sugested answer, you'll be credited.
Game
Q: During the resolution phase, I had set my view to a particular place on the map, but the view moved and now I can't see what I wanted to see. Is there any way to replay the resolution phase so that I can see the enemy moves?
A: In the current code, there isn't.
Tips
1: Use the Tooltips. A lot of information is to be had by hovering your mouse over objects, icons, regions, cities, units, etc..
2: Shortcut Keys/Hotkeys. Page 50-51 of the manual has a list of shortcut keys that are very useful.
- use E or R to cycle through land units. T or Y for naval units
- use Ctrl + E or R to skip units that are not moving. T or Y for naval units.
3: Right click a tab to lock a stack, this prevents accidental merging with other stacks, Right click again to unlock.
- Ctrl + L will lock/unlock all stacks on the map in the same way.
4: Message Box. Use the filter buttons, just to the left of the Message box, to help sort through a long list of messages.
- Click once on Black messages to jump to the map location.
- Click twice on Red messages to open a more detailed explaination.
- Some messages have tooltips also.
5: Unit Detail box. Clicking on a units NATO icon from the Unit Panel (along the bottom of the screen) will open the Unit Detail Box.
- Continue clicking this icon to cycle through all Elements in that unit.
- If the unit is a Division, you will cycle through all Elements in every Brigade of that Division.
6: Promote Generals. When a General is eligible for promotion you will get a Message Box message and a Yes in the "Is Promotable" line of his Detail Box.
- Select the General, Click on the middle Special Orders tab (tent symbol), the Promote button should be available (bottom left button).
- You need to move this General from any unit stack (this makes him an Independent command for the moment). The Promote button should now be available. Promote the General, then move him back into the unit stack.
BLOCKADE AND NAVAL UNITS
Q : What are the most effective naval units for shipping, blockade and supply?
A : Basically Frigates, and Steam Frigates go after raiders, but can also be used in the blockade box. Obviously, the best units for blockading are blockade fleets since they contain frigates and blockade ships. Shipping and supply are the same, use transports.
Q : What are the important strategies for maxxing out the blockade window or manually having blockades along the coast at key enemy ports?
A : You are better to add some ships in the blockade box first (to get something like 25% but it can climb higher, the return on investment lowering for each % though), then to blockade the biggest confederate ports, this will add up.
Q: Why can't I 'brown-water' blockade Richmond by placing a fleet at Hampton Roads?"
A: To blockade a particular port, you need to place a fleet of sufficient strength in each of the river/sea areas that harbour connects to. Blockades "further out" don't count, even if you close off an area that ships to/from the port in question "must" pass through on their way to sea.
Q: My Illinois river ships get built in ports bordering the great lakes, but they'll never see any use up there?
A: Shallow water ships built in the Great Lakes can move into the Mississippi river system through the Erie Canal.
Q: What do naval engineers do; they aren't marked with any special abilities?
A: They speed up building and repairs of ships in the ports where they are located.
Q : How exactly the Monitor, once it appears through an event, reaches full strength while no replacements exist?
A : Naval units repair is free if in harbor. Replacements are for land units only.
GROUND UNITS
Q : How do you stop cavalry raids?
A : Put one militia in every border city and in the cities behind the first line. If you have a chance, add a cavalry unit in the city. If raiders bypass the city, drag and drop cavalry on the raiders to pursue them, and cavalrymen have a better ability to spot sneaking units. Preferably use decent cavalry leaders, with a high strategic value, to lead these groups. The key is to not let those raiders capture any cities, if they do, then they can resupply, and that leads to even deeper raids. Also, place gunboats on rivers to prevent passage of land units.
Q : What is the difference between reinforcements and replacements?
A : Replacements are what you need to flesh out depleted regiments, generally the ideal is to have 10% of your total force available in replacements (you can see the numbers on the replacements screen, it tells you how many replacement "points" you have, and the max number you can have, so you generally want to try and keep 10% of the big number in stock). Reinforcements are the new units you'll need to increase the power and size of your armies and garrison your rear areas.
Q : I bought a new HQ unit last turn but I can't see it on the map, is it a bug?
A : Units take time to build (most infantry units are raised in one turn but naval and HQ units take quite a long time to build). Unlike militia, regular units will then take two or more turns to be fully trained. Untrained units can defend themselves when attacked, but their power will be significantly reduced.
Q : I have several line replacements, just sitting there, but my depleted units are not filling up. Why?
A : You need either a depot, harbor, or a level 2 city (not besieged) in order to draw replacements. Note also that partisans and irregulars can regain hits for free if a region is very loyal.
Q : I read in the manual that total Command Points provided by leaders in a Stack is limited to a maximum of 16, but what is a stack?
A : A stack is units grouped together. Separate units in the same region are each individual stacks. For instance, if you have an army and two corps in a region, that would be three stacks. Basically, stacks are the tabs you see when you select a unit in a region.
Q : Do medics provide their bonus if kept at Army HQs or do they have to be in the same region attached to a corps?
A : A leader with the special medical capacity gives +15% to the cohesion recovery rate to all other elements of the stack he's in. A medic in the same stack as an Army HQ only affects units in that HQ stack, not the entire Army.
Q: I've seen that an Army HQ stack (HQ + combat units) never initiates combat, does that mean I cannot use it to attack even when set to offensive posture?
A: Yes, the Army stack never initiates combat by itself. In a combat, either it is attacked, or other friendly force calls it for support. This is done so that a lone HQ is not caught in a bad situation, like being attacked by a superior force.
Q: How exactly does artillery add up in a siege roll?
A: 30 points of artillery give you +1 (or -1 if defending).
Q: What are the penalties for the stacks attacked when they are caught travelling on trains?
A: For now there are no penalties, because the game is functioning at the operational level, where you can move up to 50000 men in trains, which means you would not just ambush a train but dozens spread over a day in this case. But the main reason is that the rule indicates that you can only use train if you have at least 25% military control in the region. So it means the enemy is not yet completely in control of it and you still have room to
unload and deploy before being engaged.
Q: The partisan units I purchased have disappeared as soon as I moved them. Is this a bug?
A: No, you retain them longer than 'free' partisan units but you still have a chance at the end of each year to see them melting away. Partisans are citizens that have banded together to liberate their hometown. Once their mission is accomplished they often disband as there is nothing keeping them in the field anymore.
Q: Do I need an Engineer to repair railroads? And how long does it take?
A: No you don't need an Engineer, but it's faster. Place any unit on area that has destroyed rail icon and then go to special orders and order 'repair'. It takes 10 days to repair RR (+ 3 war supplies). Engineers will speed up the repair process to 5 days however.
Q: I have 3 separate Line Infantry regiments in a Division. Can I create a Brigade with these Regiments?
A: You can only combine Militia regiments in pairs, creating a sort of mini-brigade with lousy power, but it's an exception (unless you replace the elements a brigade had lost in battle). Otherwise, you can’t add regiments to existing brigades. Only leaders.
LEADERS
Q : I have a lot of 1 star generals with blank heads, what does this mean?
A : The blank generals are simply those who's artwork is not done yet. This should be remedied through a patch soon.
Q : Can you explain why a general will not activate?
A : The chance of activation is related to the general's strategic rating. Anything under 3 means you're going to spend a lot of time waiting for him to activate so you can use him offensively (he can still move while inactive, but 35% slower, is unable to go to an offensive posture voluntarily and fights with a penalty). This is to simulate the inability of the early Union generals to actually finish off the battles they started or got suckered into.
Q: I got an event saying McClellan has been appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac, but he isn't. What gives?
A: This is an event that describes what happened historically and can best be viewed as a "flavour" event. You the player have full control of who gets to command what and in which way, with the rules about seniority and suchlike still counting.
Q: Can leaders die?
A: Yes, but it happens quite rarely. 3 stars leaders are immune.
Q: Are Training Officers able to change Militia into Conscripts?
A: No, Training officers train Conscripts to Regulars, but the change from Militia to Conscript is only done by the event engine. You don't have a hand on Militia change, it's random, the event engine picks all militia units on the board and applies a small chance of conversion to them (5-10%).
Q: Can generals improve their stats by winning battles? Can I take a 3-1-1 and turn him into a 3-2-2 with a series of victories?
A: Yes, they gain experience in battle (which also leads to better seniority), even if they don't fire a shot.
Q: A General with a recruiting officer trait can recruit new conscripts on a regular basis inside a level 5+ city. Does he recruit twice as much in a level 10 city than he does in a level 5 city?
A: No, the recruiting rate is not affected by the city size above 5.
Q: Does a General with a recruiting officer trait in an appropriate city will result in new brigades appearing without the loss of conscript points?
A: No but he will give you a bonus to your national manpower of 3-6 conscript companies per turn.
CHAIN OF COMMAND
Q : I'm grouping brigades into bigger units but I still suffer under very large penalties in battle. It this working as designed?
A : The command chain is probably the most important part of this game to learn. If you don't read anything else in the manual, or play any of the other tutorials, make sure you look over the command parts, because if you don't understand it, the game will probably seem pretty frustrating.
Q: I read in the manual that an Army’s reserve units (directly attached to the Army) provide additional advantages and punch in the region the Army is located in. What sort of advantages? What exactly is the punch?
A: The sentence is a bit misleading. The Army stack is more reactive and will join faster a Corps in the same or in an adjacent region by marching at the sound of guns. But there is no special bonus.
Q: What sort of combat bonuses do Corps fighting together receive in combat?
A: They are able to support each other. If two Corps are in a region, they can march to the sound of guns much more easily than 2 independent forces.
MILITARY CONTROL AND LOYALTY
Q : I'm curious as to the mechanics of region control. A single cavalry brigade promptly took control of a province. What gives?
A : Military control (unlike loyalty) switches rather easily. Also, if a battle is fought in the region, the winner will see a large shift in control %. If you move say 3-4 cavalry units into a region and rout the militia, chances are control will move a lot, possibly completely. If you move into a region with no battle, then the more units you have, the faster it will shift (each element is using its Police parameter).
Q: Does the presence of military units in a region affect political control at all, or is it just driven by victory points, national morale, and battlefield success elsewhere?
A: If you have troops stationed in a region, sum up the police value of all elements; if you roll a percentage dice below this value, loyalty shift 1% in your favor. On the domestic policies screen, you can apply a policy which will bind the loyalty of all regions in the state between 2 values.
Q: What is the % combat modifier when inactive leaders happen to be in an aggressive stance in enemy controlled territory?
A: Whatever your stance, you get a combat penalty equals to the lack of military control in the region, maxxed at 35%. Said differently, if you are inactive and fight in a region with 65% or less military control, you are at -35% (this is the same penalty for 'lack of CP', so this does not double if you are already at -35% if badly commanded).
SUPPLY
Q : Why are the regions under enemy control shown as green (= in supply) on the map with the supply filter?
A : Supply can pass in a region, except if a military unit is there, as long as the enemy military control does not reach 75%.
Q : Do supply wagons take damage when units draw supply from them?
A : No. When a supply wagon is completely or partially depleted, you can send it back to the rear for replenishment (it's faster by rail).
Q : Where do supplies come from to replenish the Atlantic blockade and shipping boxes? I'm getting messages that I'm out of supply yet I have maximum shipping transportation points.
A : Supply transport is only applicable to ground units. Ships don't resupply automatically in the boxes (but they have a good staying power, something like 12-16 turns of autonomy). You have to cycle your ships in and out of ports by bringing them back to a friendly port from time to time. Think of it as supply, plus repairs needed to keep the ships in shape.
Q: How do you get a depot to level up? one that I built in April 1861 is still only a level one, and its now February of 1862.
A: This is a feature which is on hold for now (and for some time). Depots are always level 1.
Q: What do the two numbers signify when looking at supply for cities (example: 128/278)?
A: General Supply/Ammo
ECONOMY
Q : I've been investing heavily in railroads this winter. However, I can't seem to notice any changes in the railroad capacity. Is there something else that needs to be done to put the railroads bought into use?
A : You will often loose railway capacity due to train accidents (random events) in the winter months, something your investments should cover as well as the 3% / turn wear and tear.
Generally, you should see your new railroad points on the turn following the one you build them. Remember that as long as you have a unit in transit using rail, the game deducts that rail cost from your total available rail pool. Same for river transport.
Q : Is there an upper limit to how much railroad capacity one can have?
A : No, you can improve and increase your capacity as high as you want.
Q : Are gains from economic funding in production permanent or temporary ? It seems I lose the pop-up screen after stopping my investments a few turns later, indeed.
A : Investment improvements are displayed in the text message area for each turn. Each new factory gets its own line in the text field. As long as you have a factory in a state and the next turns projected income is still in the black, then there is a chance improvements can occur in that states’ cities. The number of factories simply increases the odds each city in that state gets a positive die roll. The factory graphic in the ledger itself is not permanent, it's simply an indicator of that turns expenditures, but improvements themselves are permanent.
Q: According to the manual, the game allows for the building of new railroad. Is this feature working? Are they any limits as to where you can build these new railroads?
A: This is a feature which is on hold for now, sorry. There is the possibility of adding that into a patch (you won't be able to build where you want, there will be restrictions).
Q: According to the manual, the game allows for the building of new railroad. Is this feature working? Are they any limits as to where you can build these new railroads?
A: This is a feature which is on hold for now, sorry. There is the possibility of adding that into a patch (you won't be able to build where you want, there will be restrictions).
EVENTS
Q: Through emancipation (playing as the Union) I should get 150 VP, 5 NM, and I should lower chance of foreign intervention. Why should I decide not to emancipate?
A: You can't declare it before late 1862 and only if you have a morale high enough (>80). Side effects: you lose loyalty in the border states, as historical.
Q: Does anyone actually know how the Kentucky secedes?
A: A few 'bugs' in the Kentucky events from the original version have been fixed. Here are the general guidelines now:
- Kentucky may secede and join the CSA by itself in Sept 61, through a scripted event with a low probability (10%) and if the CSA moral is higher than the USA's.
- Whenever a militia unit situated in KY is attacked by the other side, KY joins the aggressed side (no deadline, automatic).
- Whenever CSA captures Bowling Greene, or Union captures Lexington, the KY joins the other side.
When KY joins one side, it is definitive.
AGEod's American Civil War FAQ (English)
"Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." Mark Twain
-
Gray_Lensman
- Posts: 497
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:04 am
- Location: Who is John Galt?
some facts collected in various threads :
Leaders need to prove their worth in battle. Most leaders can be promoted to a new rank, if they:
a) gain at least 4 seniority point compared to their base value
or
b) have a seniority of 1 or 2
If they still can't be promoted, then the data base is set like that: they are bound to remain at this rank.
______________________
the Offensive value determine the probability to hit, the Damage value determine the damage a unit does if it hits (strength/cohesion).
_______________________
Does a units command posture change how much control is gained per turn? For example, will my brigade of infantry gain more control of an enemy province with assault orders verus defensive orders?
no, as long as you are not passive. If you are not alone, you can only gain controls by battling the enemy though.
________________________________
disloyal cities don't prevent you completely from weather damages, as the population don't cooperate
this is mainly an anti exploit rule where the player could hop from a city to another in winter, by assault.
_________________________________
be sure to forage in clear/plain or wood for greater chance of survival.
_________________________
Do I need a engineer to repair rail roads. Reading the manual but can't find it. Also how long does it take?
No, you don't need engineers. Just place any unit on area that has destroyed rail icon and then go to special orders and order repair. It takes one day to repair RR and it is always the first day. If you already have unit in damaged area you can click to repair RR and order it to move somewhere else all in one turn.
They will first repair and then move.
Having Engineers present is not mandatory, but they will speed up the repair process
Having Engineers present is not mandatory, but they will speed up the repair process
If it only takes one day, how do engineers speed it up? I'm confused.
10 days to rebuild a railnet without, 5 with them
_________________________
To be able to use rail for transport, you need to have at least 25% military control
_____________________
Marines have the "pontoneer" ability that gives the stack a speed bonus when crossing rivers. Their ratings seem to be either as good as or slightly better than regular infantry in most (all?) areas.
Marines and Sailors are less penalized when undertaking Amphibious assaults...worth considering for landings and raids
___________________________
Does the Union capturing Mississippi have any detrimental effects on Confederate Economy/industrialization?
this split the supply grid in two, which is a big thing for the CSA, and units recruited in one area won't be able to help the other, but this derive from the situation. There is no hard coded rule representing the split, if this is your question.
-------------------------
I'm playing ACW and i dont't understand the utility of the Cuba(Spain) and Holland boxes because it isnt allowed the entry to this boxes whith ships.
Can be useful if the foreign Entry occurs?
In fact they are here for 'planned' expansion and new rules for the game, but this is not for now (or even 2007 at all)...
_________________________
Emancipation:
You can't declare it before late 62 and only if you have a morale high enough.
Side effects: you lose loyalty in the border states, as historical.
Leaders need to prove their worth in battle. Most leaders can be promoted to a new rank, if they:
a) gain at least 4 seniority point compared to their base value
or
b) have a seniority of 1 or 2
If they still can't be promoted, then the data base is set like that: they are bound to remain at this rank.
______________________
the Offensive value determine the probability to hit, the Damage value determine the damage a unit does if it hits (strength/cohesion).
_______________________
Does a units command posture change how much control is gained per turn? For example, will my brigade of infantry gain more control of an enemy province with assault orders verus defensive orders?
no, as long as you are not passive. If you are not alone, you can only gain controls by battling the enemy though.
________________________________
disloyal cities don't prevent you completely from weather damages, as the population don't cooperate
this is mainly an anti exploit rule where the player could hop from a city to another in winter, by assault.
_________________________________
be sure to forage in clear/plain or wood for greater chance of survival.
_________________________
Do I need a engineer to repair rail roads. Reading the manual but can't find it. Also how long does it take?
No, you don't need engineers. Just place any unit on area that has destroyed rail icon and then go to special orders and order repair. It takes one day to repair RR and it is always the first day. If you already have unit in damaged area you can click to repair RR and order it to move somewhere else all in one turn.
They will first repair and then move.
Having Engineers present is not mandatory, but they will speed up the repair process
Having Engineers present is not mandatory, but they will speed up the repair process
If it only takes one day, how do engineers speed it up? I'm confused.
10 days to rebuild a railnet without, 5 with them
_________________________
To be able to use rail for transport, you need to have at least 25% military control
_____________________
Marines have the "pontoneer" ability that gives the stack a speed bonus when crossing rivers. Their ratings seem to be either as good as or slightly better than regular infantry in most (all?) areas.
Marines and Sailors are less penalized when undertaking Amphibious assaults...worth considering for landings and raids
___________________________
Does the Union capturing Mississippi have any detrimental effects on Confederate Economy/industrialization?
this split the supply grid in two, which is a big thing for the CSA, and units recruited in one area won't be able to help the other, but this derive from the situation. There is no hard coded rule representing the split, if this is your question.
-------------------------
I'm playing ACW and i dont't understand the utility of the Cuba(Spain) and Holland boxes because it isnt allowed the entry to this boxes whith ships.
Can be useful if the foreign Entry occurs?
In fact they are here for 'planned' expansion and new rules for the game, but this is not for now (or even 2007 at all)...
_________________________
Emancipation:
You can't declare it before late 62 and only if you have a morale high enough.
Side effects: you lose loyalty in the border states, as historical.
-
DaemoneIsos
- Sergeant
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:07 pm
- Location: Indianapolis
Clovis wrote:some facts collected in various threads :
Leaders need to prove their worth in battle. Most leaders can be promoted to a new rank, if they:
a) gain at least 4 seniority point compared to their base value
or
b) have a seniority of 1 or 2
If they still can't be promoted, then the data base is set like that: they are bound to remain at this rank.
.
Hi!
Is there any way to override this database setting? I am not sure what the rationale is for having a general that cannot be promoted.... Is there at least a way to tell in advance who is restricted? I find myself with several generals who have gained lots of seniority, which is apparently wasted.
leure:
Thanks!
Most of the non promotable leaders are the bad ones, which were not promoted during war. But starting with 1.06f you will be able to check if a leader is potentially promotable or not by opening the detail window.
Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."
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