Command Control Mod

[Jagger]

{Also posted in the Mod forum}

Here is a neat little Command Control mod with the objective of increasing maneuver and encouraging concentration of armies for battle.

Currently to receive the army command bonus, you must be within command range of the army commander. That command range bonus is set at 3 regions plus the strategic rating of the commander.

For example, McClellan has a 1/1/2 (Strategic, Attack, Defend) rating. His stragegic rating of one produces a command rating of 1 (strat rating) plus 3 (regions) for a total command range of 4 regions. This means all corps within 4 regions (80-120 miles) of McClellan will receive McClellan's army command bonus. All command bonus have a negative 2 modifier. So McClellan will provide a -1/-1/0 bonus to all corps within his command range of 80-120 miles. (A single region varies between 20-30 miles)

A second quick example, Robert E. Lee has a 6/5/5 rating. His stragegic rating of six produces a command range of 9 regions. This means all corps within 9 regions (180-270 miles) of Lee will receive Lee's army command bonus. That command bonus also has the negative 2 modifier. So Lee will provide a 4/3/3 bonus to all corps within his command range of 180-270 miles.

For game purposes, the army command range works fine. However historically, I have difficulty accepting that an army commander would provide tactical attack/defense bonuses beyond his immediate control. Strategically, I doubt if he would actually provide much of a bonus either. Civil War commanders tended to move on their own (strategic rating) timetable--even when in the immediate proximity of their army commanders, much less a 100 miles away.

One of the negative side effects of the large army command range within PBEM games is the tendency to form a line of entrenched corps over long distances. In particular in the East but also very common in the early time frame of the west, is an entrenched line of corps which prevents any sort of maneuver. You must batter throught the weakest, but still heavily entrenched, part of the line. More similiar to World War One rather than the American Civil War. Basically maneuver room is eliminated. First you must break a very strong line then maneuver. Rather than first manuever, then fight style of the ACW.

So I have modded the command and leaders file in the settings folder to reduce command range substantially. With the mod, For all army commanders with a strategic ranking less than 6, command range is now a single region-the region occupied by the army commander. This change means that army commanders will only provide their strategic, attack and defense bonuses to corps in the same region as the commander. Corps also must be created in the same region as the army commander. Once formed, they can operate outside of the command control of the army commander but will not receive the army bonuses.

In addition, the mod reduces the automatic -2 army commander modifier to -1. The result is that an army commander provides a stronger bonus to corps within his region. So Lee, instead of providing a 4/3/3 bonus to corps within command range, will provide a 5/4/4 bonus to corps within his command range. McClellan will now provide a 0/0/1 bonus to corps within his command range instead of the -1/-1/0 bonus.

A few outstanding army commanders have strategic rankings above 5. Those commanders will have a command range of 2 regions (40-60 miles). Lee, Grant and Sherman are army commanders with strategic rankings of 6 or higher. High strategic ranked army commanders will provide their command bonuses beyond their immediate control as they were extraordinary commanders with the strong will and ability to direct and benefit corps commanders remotely.

By reducing the army command range and increasing the army command bonus, players will find it beneficial to concentrate their army within the army command range before launching a major battle. Players can still create an entrenched line of corps from Winchester to the Atlantic Ocean if they wish. And there will always be many perfectly valid reasons for detaching corps or divisons as circumstances dictate. But the players needs to remember that a single corps out of command range will be more vulnerable than previously to an attack by a concentrated army as the concentrated army has the army bonus which the detached corps lacks. With this mod, the location of your army commander should be the primary focus of your force.

Ultimately this mod is intended to increased maneuvering of armies which then concentrates to fight.

I have tested this mod against the AI in the 63 scenario and the Shiloh scenario. I am happy with the results. The mod is intended for PBEM play but can be tested with the AI. And you can use it in play against the AI but I don't think the AI will take into consideration the reduced command range. I don't know for sure.

The mod is very easy to install as it is a single very small file.

1. Upload the zipped file "Commanders&Leaders" into your settings folder within the ACW folder.
2. Use copy/paste to make a copy of your original "Commanders&Leaders" file.
3. Then unzip and overwrite with the new "Commanders&Leaders" file.
4. The mod can be introduced within an ongoing game.

If you have any questions, let me know. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[McNaughton]

I wonder what this will do for the Union command. With the general reduction of penalties for all commands, you eliminate the negative application of command on Union forces. With most commanders being average, at 3, they will be active on a fairly regular basis (rather than 2, which drastically reduces activation). This change on its own, either being out of command range (thereby not recieving a penalty), or through the +1 on all reductions via the command system, means that the union corps commanders will be fighting better, activating more often.

The bonus to the Confederates is neglegable. They won't activate any more than before. While they will gain more stat bonus', the 'gap' between the average Union Corps commander, and the Confederate Corps commander, will lessen.

While interesting, I really do wonder what it has done to game balance, given that the Confederates rely on the command system to make up for a disparity of numbers.

[Jagger]

I wonder what this will do for the Union command. With the general reduction of penalties for all commands, you eliminate the negative application of command on Union forces. With most commanders being average, at 3, they will be active on a fairly regular basis (rather than 2, which drastically reduces activation). This change on its own, either being out of command range (thereby not recieving a penalty), or through the +1 on all reductions via the command system, means that the union corps commanders will be fighting better, activating more often.

The bonus to the Confederates is neglegable. They won't activate any more than before. While they will gain more stat bonus', the 'gap' between the average Union Corps commander, and the Confederate Corps commander, will lessen.

While interesting, I really do wonder what it has done to game balance, given that the Confederates rely on the command system to make up for a disparity of numbers.

Well I don't think it will be common having as many independent corps as in the current game. In PBEM, I suspect most armies would remain concentrated the majority of time because players will be unwilling to accept the risk that an independent corps is caught by a concentrated army. Although there will always be situations that demand independent corps/divisions.

If armies primarily remain concentrated for battles, then they will receive the good/bad bonus of their commander. If so, neither side should gain much in terms of game balance.

For example, when I play as the Union in the East, my current strategy is to create a line of entrenched corps in Winchester, Clarke, Manassas and Stafford. Once in place, I have an inpenetrable wall which protects the North. At that point, my low strat ratings are totally unimportant. I can build up my army and decide what portion of the entrenched reb wall streched opposite mine, I will try to batter my way past.

With the mod, I would hesitate to follow this strategy because each corps would be independent and lack the army bonus. I would have a lot of reservations. Once moved away from the protection of the army, what if the corps doesn't activate and they just hang out there? What if they are caught by the whole reb army? If that corps were hit by a concentrated reb army with army bonus, it would be hurt badly. And the rebs with their higher strat ratings are much more likely to hit me with a full army/HQ than the Union is to hit them with a full army.

Also much will depend on the army commanders in terms of game balance. Corps separated from Grant or Sherman or Lee will perform at the level of their corps commanders without army bonus. So dependent on the specific army and commander, the change may benefit or hurt either the CSA or the Union.

Much depends on how the players use their formations. The mod encourages concentrated armies. If one side uses many independent corps, then the changes should allow the other player to defeat his opponent piecemeal with a concentrated army. If armies remain primarily concentrated to fight major battles, then balance should not sway too much in favor of either side.

I haven't tried this mod in a PBEM. Once I do, I will be watching very closely for balance issues. In a PBEM, I think the risks of independent corps will usually discourage the practice unless circumstances dictate. Which means neither sides gains much in terms of play balance.

Personally I think this mod is a more realistic reflection of the impact of army leaders than previously. I just can't see an army commander a 100 miles away from a battle having any tactical impact at all. I think it better reflects the reliance of an independent commander on his own abilities if his army commander is located 100 miles away. Also hopefully, it will produce a game with more manueverability as well. A line of entrenched corps all receiving army bonus produces a static situation fairly quickly.

Some PBEMs will tell the story as to game balance.

There are some very subtle changes in the best strategic approaches to the game with this mod change. The best way to understand is to do a quick test as I am having a difficult time putting the implications into words.

I would recommend trying it against the AI in either the Shiloh or 63 scenario. The 63 scenario is good if you just focus on manuevering Grants army in the West and Hookers army in the East. The shorter Shiloh scenario is very good for quick testing. Try an attack with a single corps. Then try an attack with the entire army. Try to attack an independent enemy corps. Try to attack their main army. Stick out an independent corps and see if the rebs attack.

[gwgardner]

Hi,

I just got the game and have been reading the forums, getting to know the game.

This mod sounds very interesting.

How has it worked out over the last three weeks?

[Jagger]

Hi,

I just got the game and have been reading the forums, getting to know the game.

This mod sounds very interesting.

How has it worked out over the last three weeks?

Well, I haven't gotten any feedback on it, so I don't know what other people think.

I have been using it in tests against the Ai and have been happy with it. Basically, independent corps are now more vulnerable than previously due to lack of army bonus. Also the location of your army HQ is your greatest strength due to the army bonus increase. Those are the primary impacts of the mod.

I am not certain but I don't believe the AI takes into consideration the changes. So using the mod against the AI probably gives the human an advantage. I use it against the mod to see how it impacts my use of corps. So I think the mod is best used in PBEMs.

I am putting together a mod of the April 61 scenario purely for PBEM play. The command control mod will be included in that scenario.