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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:01 am 
Hell all,

I was going through a couple of game files this morning and had a few thoughts I would like to share. Essentially it's a sort of wish list for HPS game tweaks.

1) In a scenario I'm currently playing I must attack a position with abatis employed in front of the defenses. No problem there but it just dawned on me that, while the HPS games do a pretty good job of representing the various units of this period, one particular group is noticeably absent. I'm referring specifically to engineer or pioneer battalions. I'd love to see these units added to the game with the ability to clear abatis, cut a small path through wooded spaces or even construct/break down pontoon bridges with their movement points.

2) Given each player has different preferences in terms of game rules and so forth. I would like to see an option added for those who prefer to play in phased play. Yes, you guessed it add an option either keep or do away with the formation change before movement policy. This way players could determine themselves whether to use the rule or not.

3) Adjust the movement points for supply wagons to the environment. Now, this already occurs to a point but I'm suggesting we go one step further. For example many scenarios offer field of battle with very good roads. In these cases I feel the wagons should have the same movement options as infantry. After all it wouldn't be a problem for them to keep up on well maintained roads. For smaller, less maintained roads cut the movement points proportionately. So, on some of the good Gettysburg road offer full movement points (12) whereas on the small dirt trails offer 1/3 movement points (4) or something similar.

I am no programmer and haven't a clue whether these things are possible or even practical to implement but, while I had it on my mind, I thought it worth mentioning. :-)

Maj. Gen. Mike Smith
Army of Georgia
Commanding
[url="http://www.acwgc.org/acwgc_admin/phpbb2/index.php?f=28"]Miss Clarissa's Tavern
[/url][url="http://convolutedmuse.com"]ConvolutedMuse[/url]


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:31 am 
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Mike,

I really like the idea of an engineer battallion. After all, an entire army should be able to cross a creek eventually.

As long as we're hauling out our wish lists, I have one regarding Fog of War. I wish for a tool bar button that would highlight all of the visible hexes for all of my units all at one time. That would save a lot of time spent clicking back and forth on various units to try to see exactly what coverage I've got.

Capt. Bill Cirillo
3rd Brigade, 1st Div.
XX Corps, AoC, USA


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:33 am 
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Bill's suggestion of the visible hexes is a great one. It simplifies a feature that is already available in going unit by unit...

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General Jeff Laub
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http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/UnionHQ/


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:14 am 
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Each unit sees things differently, depending on terrain.

As for Supply Wagon. I can't speak for the other designers, but all 4 of my published games have supply wagons moving at the same rate as artillery.

Franklin, Shiloh, Atlanta, and Chickamauga, and ???.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by laubster22</i>
<br />Bill's suggestion of the visible hexes is a great one. It simplifies a feature that is already available in going unit by unit...

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General Jeff Laub
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http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/UnionHQ/
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Lt. Col. Richard Walker
I Corps
Army of the Mississippi
2nd Brigade, 3rd Division
"Defenders of Tennessee"


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:16 am 
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I also like the idea of the "total visibility" button. That would save a lot of time.

As for the 'engineer battalion' idea. I wouldn't mind having the ability to build pontoon bridges, but we must remember how many hours they could take to build. For example, across the James took a day and a half, didn't it?

Being as how I still play about two-thirds of my games in what is called old-fashioned "phased play," I would love to have the option of changing formation any time during the movement phase, points permitting.

Often, tweaks can make a big difference. My favorite tweak of all those delivered in the last few months is that of giving mounted cavalry the skirmisher capability. Bravo!

Sincerely,
Brig Gen Dwight McBride
2nd Brigade/2nd Division
I Corps/AOP/USA


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:08 pm 
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Hi, General Smith,

I think you brought up some valid points.

1) Pioneer Bns-I think a lot of times pioneer units and forlorn hopes were not specific units but men from each regiment who were given axes and scaling ladders or whatever. I think the way it should work is that once a unit enters an abatis hex, disrupts, and takes modified defensive fire, the abatis ought to disappear. There probably ought to be some mechanism for creating abatis as well, particularly in 1864. The same holds true for crossing water obstacles. Both Morgan and Forrest crossed creeks and rivers, including the Ohio and the Tennessee, without special pioneer units. When Forrest raided Memphis, his men constructed an impromptu bridge across flooded Hickahala Creek and crossed in an hour; the Coldwater River, also flooded, took three hours.

2) I agree with the option for formation changes during the turn for phased play.

3) While I like the idea of standardized parameter data for fire, I agree movement data ought to depend on the terrain and season. That is the plus side of Rich's weather function I think.

4) I like net warrior's idea for a button that would show all the hexes you can see, but I'm not sure it is practical. I would still want to check LOS from unoccupied hexes to determine where the best places are to place units for observation and fields of fire.

5) What I would also like is a feature where when you access a unit, it lights up a movement range, like they used to have in Panzer General. Then they can disconnect the automatic column feature. Too many times my marching columns have picked up units in line and dragged them into abatis and other unsavory places where I didn't want them to go.

MG Mike Mihalik
1/III/AoMiss/CSA


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:46 pm 
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Rich Walker Posted - Aug 17 2007 : 2:14:54 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Franklin, Shiloh, Atlanta, and Chickamauga, and ???.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Love seeing those ??? marks, Rich! Christmas is coming, hope I can ask for a new game![:D]

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General Jeff Laub
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:46 pm 
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">5) What I would also like is a feature where when you access a unit, it lights up a movement range, like they used to have in Panzer General. Then they can disconnect the automatic column feature. Too many times my marching columns have picked up units in line and dragged them into abatis and other unsavory places where I didn't want them to go.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Hey Mike, that's a good suggestion! I feel your pain too as I am prone to such moves myself, lol.

Maj. Gen. Mike Smith
Army of Georgia
Commanding
[url="http://www.acwgc.org/acwgc_admin/phpbb2/index.php?f=28"]Miss Clarissa's Tavern
[/url][url="http://convolutedmuse.com"]ConvolutedMuse[/url]


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