American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

In part, this is a follow-on from the thread 'Could A/I Consistently Defeat Human Players?' (https://wargame.ch/board/acwgc/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=23493&hilit).

In one post Blake asked "Is Grand Tactician any better?".
That was asked six months ago but I can now say the answer is 'Yes'.

I purchased the game a few days ago. After getting frustrated (and probably getting something wrong) with the Tutorial I decided to jump right in to fight a battle. There are 20 battle selections including the tutorial and two versions of First Manassas (Brigade level and Regimental level). I selected First Manassas (Brigade level).
Battles are 'real-time' [somewhat annoying] and most are well-known ones but it is easy to pause the game or speed it up. You start with an historical looking map but can zoom in to get a familiar video-game look. I found the map at any level to be 'wobbly' and difficult to control so reduced the speed of map control to near the lowest settings.

I couldn't see much of the Union force (FoW was selected) but having some knowledge of the battle I had a fair idea where the Union would be located. I could see Richardson's Brigade across from Balckburn's Ford. Great, I'll send Longstreet and Bonham with a few guns to deal with Richardson and his guns. The rest of Beauregard's Army could march around to cross Stone Bridge from east to west while the Army of the Shenandoah (Johnston) would march to defend near Henry Hill. I'll get the AI with the old hammer and anvil; one army will be steady while the other moves to crush them against the stationary army. Easy, victory is assured.
Disaster!
Many units suffered casualties and it was not too long before they routed. Then [around noon?] the CSA had had enough. The battle was terminated by the game with a Major Union Victory as it was announced that my forces were departing the field.
I played a few more times with similar results. I was very disappointed as I felt I had wasted my money on a game I could not come close to winning.

I gave the game a short rest while I rested. I had noticed a few things during the battles and needed to 'think about it'. For example:
1. In one battle Longstreet's Brigade was listed as 'engaged' and, when I zoomed in, they were indeed 'engaged'. They had their backs to the enemy calmly taking fire as they faced the wrong way;
2. Units would often take some time to respond to orders. If they were within bugle range of their commander they would almost immediately respond and set off to do your bidding. However, if they were some distance away it would take some time before a courier could ride over to hand the order to the unit [if you zoom in you can see the couriers (both sides if in view) riding around delivering orders which I liked];
3. Units would fatigue depending upon how far and where they marched [I know Blake will like this aspect].

I solved the above:
1. When you give a unit a move order, hold the right-mouse-button until you see the unit is facing in the desired direction;
2. Keep your Commanders within bugle-range wherever possible and where not possible just realise it'll take some time before they do your bidding; and
3. If you are moving a unit a long distance then put them in the correct formation (march column) to send them where you want them. They'll then stick to the roads and suffer minimal fatigue [don't forget to change their formation back to line once they have reached their destination or you'll be sorry]. Note: march a brigade in line over hills and through forest and they will fatigue very quickly.

I played again and achieved a Minor Victory as the Union departed the field. It was still close and the battle swung between minor defeat and minor victory on several occasions. I was only just below the casualty limit for minor victory but had failed to inflict sufficient casualties to achieve a major victory. Maybe next time, although I may play another battle before I return to First Manassas.

I have started a campaign (The War [although you can play from various points in the war]) leaving most of the strategic decisions in the hands of the AI for my side. I suspect trouble but I'll get there eventually.

Even if you never play a campaign (the main point of the game) I feel there is enough value in the battles to justify the expense of it. A sometimes frustrating yet overall an enjoyable foray into civil war warfare. Just don't expect the AI to do the stupid things it does in WDS games. I remember when I first bought Battleground Gettysburg a long time ago I was walloping the AI from the start, it never stood a chance. The AI in Grand Tactician is no easybeat.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

Thanks for the report Paul. I've been curious about Grand Tactician for some time.

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Col Wallace Welder
2nd Division
V Corp
Army of the Potomac

I had also been curious for a long time. Most of the more comprehensive reviews are a few years old now and refer to things and bugs that no longer appear.

I had shied away from it because it is real-time and that gives the AI a distinct advantage. It can determine (from its program) what action to take and translate that to the field in a fraction of a second while it takes me considerably longer to do so in translating my desired actions into physical mouse moves and then to the screen. I use the 'pause' button a lot and I'm still learning things. Yesterday I learnt how to construct breastworks [just make sure you don't set the men an overly ambitious task or they will be shot in the flank/rear by any approaching enemy if they are still constructing defensive works].
A lot of people complain about the graphics but they are fine to me. You can see from numerous videos what the game looks like graphically.

I'm still getting defeated more often than I win but I'm learning and will get better, the AI will not. Although I'm toying with the campaign (full war) I feel I need to be competent in battle before embarking on the campaign proper. It's no good being a masterful politician and economist if I can't win the battles (although I understand there is an option to 'auto-resolve' battles).
There is much to learn for the battles and the Field Book is lengthy (the full game manual is almost 300 pages). However, the game seems to reward those who follow period tactics and procedures. Even small details seem to have been considered. There is even a provision for infantry to form a square, a rare manoeuvre rarely used in the war. Sherman used it at First Manassass (https://ironbrigader.com/2015/07/20/william-t-shermans-report-brigades-action-battle-bull-run/) and there are a few other instances (one described below).

I shall return to the fray soon. Good fun.


From Sam Watkins' Co. Aytch (during the Battle of Resaca)

"Halloo! here comes a cavalry charge from the Yankee line. Now for it; we will see how Yankee cavalry fight. We are not supported; what is the matter? Are we going to be captured? They thunder down upon us. Their flat-footed dragoons shake and jar the earth. They are all around us — we are surrounded. "Form square! Platoons, right and left wheel! Kneel and fire!" There we were in a hollow square. The Yankees had never seen anything like that before. It was something new. They charged right upon us. Colonel Field, sitting on his gray mare, right in the center of the hollow square, gives the command, ''Front rank, kneel and present bayonet against cavalry." The front rank knelt down, placing the butts of their guns against their knees. "Rear rank, fire at will; commence firing." Now, all this happened in less time than it has taken me to write it. They charged right upon us, no doubt expecting to ride right over us, and trample us to death with the hoofs of their horses. They tried to spur and whip their horses over us, but the horses had more sense than that. We were pouring a deadly fire right into their faces, and soon men and horses were writhing in the death agonies; officers were yelling at the top of their voices, "Surrender! surrender!" but we were having too good a thing of it. We were killing them by scores, and they could not fire at us; if they did they either overshot or missed their aim. Their ranks soon began to break and get confused, and finally they were routed, and broke and ran in all directions, as fast as their horses could carry them."

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

Great summary, Paul. I have been interested to try that game but still haven't.

RTS games are always a conundrum for me. The A/I can "cheat" by sending an infinite number of orders to an infinite number of units at a single time. Meanwhile we humans can only go as fast as we can move the mouse and click. In most RTS games the A/I then has a built-in advantage. But the A/I follows a script and this is what ends up hurting them. I'm thinking of games like Starcraft, WoW, or Red Alert - even Take Command Second Manassas. Once you know the A/I's tendencies you can distract them with a defensive line somewhere while you put all your attention into an offensive attack somewhere else. At some point you have to trust the "A/I" leaders of your units to hold their own while you click and point your mouse somewhere else. If you get distracted or neglect your defensive line then it can fall apart quickly and cause you no end of grief. While you were concentrating on one half of the map the A/I can hit you with perfect precision on the other part (while also defending with perfect precision against your main force). It can get frustrating as you just can't click and drag quickly enough.

Give us another update down the road. I'll likely play it eventually.

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Gen. Blake Strickler
Confederate General-in-Chief
El Presidente 2010 - 2012

"RTS games are always a conundrum for me. The A/I can "cheat" ..."

Agreed, that's why I usually shy away from them. Still, I use 'pause' a lot and that helps.

"But the A/I follows a script and this is what ends up hurting them."

Yep. As I said "I'm learning and will get better, the AI will not". In almost every wargame the AI never seems to understand a feint and usually ignores what you are doing if it does not constitute an immediate threat to an Objective.
The AI will eventually be beaten, and heavily. When that happens, I will be bored with it and move on. For now, it is fun.

I got my first Major Victory yesterday, at Pea Ridge. I was quite pleased with that result. The last time I wargamed that battle was a few years ago in the boardgame 'Across 5 Aprils' (great game, recommended) although I lost on that occasion.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

How long does it take to fight a battle like First Bull Run or Pea Ridge?

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Gen. Blake Strickler
Confederate General-in-Chief
El Presidente 2010 - 2012

Each one took me about three to four hours. Bigger battles with more units (e.g. 1st Manassas [Regimental]) will almost certainly take longer. You can, of course, save the game at any point and come back to it later.


I've been busy with other things so haven't played it for a few days, but I just checked 1st Manassas [Yes, it is listed as 1st Manassas: it is only when you click on the button for that battle that it is described as "1st Battle of Manassas or Bull Run"] and that scenario is listed as 8 hours of real time. However, each minute on the battle map is actually about 12 seconds. I pause it, issue orders then speed it up (X2, X5, X20) while they march until there is contact.

While it is running at a faster pace, I click on units to see if I have issued them the orders I truly desire (early on I got caught with incorrect facings [backs to the enemy, LOL]). While at the faster pace I can still make adjustments (e.g. order them to construct breastworks at a more specific location rather than the simple original march in column order). If necessary, I will pause the game to enable me to inspect a widely dispersed force (as occurs at Pea Ridge).

When the action heats up, I will again pause the game and zoom in to see how things are going. Units may need new orders, (initially 'well rested' they could be 'tired' or worse [e.g. 'winded'] by the time they get to where they are wanted).
Fatigued units will not stand up to too much fire before they rout, and their fire will be less effective. Units seem to always rout towards their HQ's position at the time of rout [makes sense]. Routed units take quite some time to recover, they can even depart the field of battle if they are too shaken [also sensible].
If you have ordered a unit to construct breastworks they will usually continue to follow that order, so you may need to issue a new order to form line for them to begin returning fire. If they are out of bugle range, you will have to wait until a courier rides over to give them that new order so keep your HQs within bugle range where possible in key areas.

It sounds complex but you get a 'feel' for it pretty quickly. As you said before, the AI has a built-in advantage in calculating these things in a fraction of a second when putting orders into action and its formations are always aligned perfectly. No matter, it is a machine. You just need to learn the game functions to then apply better strategies to out-think the AI.

I've yet to play battles in campaign mode yet but there are additional things there to consider in them. Units can gain experience. Commanders have different personal attributes and can gain fame (generally beneficial), but they can lose it too (not good). You can also enable 'feuds' - some commanders just don't like each other [Hello, General Bragg]. Feuds can affect orders and other things.

An interesting game. I hope to get back to it again in a couple of days.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

Great report. Keep going, Paul. I tried once but had no time to explore more.

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BG Ashdoll Ren
3rd Division
II Corps / Army of Northern Virginia

"Days and weeks of sheer boredom, interspersed with times of stark terror!"

There's not a lot more to report just yet as it does require the dedication of time to progress through it.

I've made a few attempts at the full campaign (entire war), but they have been short-lived. All were aborted only a few months after Fort Sumter was taken. I was unable to attract many to join my armies and when those people came down from the north I was hopelessly outnumbered in any battles and defeat was inevitable. [The game does seem to have a lot of different maps that it can draw upon although if you are near a historical battleground it seems that a familiar map will always appear. E.g. 1st Manassas.] In a number of instances I would not even be permitted to fight a battle. My armies were so badly outnumbered that they immediately began to retreat.
Disaster!

Finally, I worked out which pre-war Policies to start with (three permitted) so the economy would be relatively sound and people would join my armies. They were;
The Old Dominion (increases support in Virginia and affects the Union);
Apostles of Disunion (greatly increases support in slave States); and
Arms Agents (better weapons and affects the Union).

Soon thereafter you want Industrialization and various Military policies. You can research additional Policies as the game proceeds. If you try and research more than one additional Policy at a time it takes longer for all of them to be realised.
Finally, I have people available to join my armies. You must recruit from those available in particular States and not take 1,000 men from one State and 300 from another. Smaller units are built quicker than larger ones and infantry builds quicker than cavalry and artillery. I paused the game to begin building on and forming armies (R. E. Lee has been called up early to command an Army of Northern Viginia, Beauregard will stay down in South Carolina in case the Union tries to invade down there). I read somewhere, and believe it is best, to group together units from the same or nearby States in their own armies with officers from their own States in command.

Hopefully, when the invaders come my men will at least put up a fight and not retreat at the approach of Union armies. From my earlier attempts, they seem to be keen on advancing through Missouri first, then Virginia before turning their attention to Tennessee.
Time will tell and it'll be a few days before I can return to it and progress further.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

Here are my suggestions for this game:

The number of Policies they default to is too low. You will find playing beyond two years with their defaults almost impossible.
But they let you change them but only by editing the "campaignprefs.txt" file.
In it change the minimum number of polices to 9 and the maximum to 15. This way you won't find after two years you can't implement any more policies.

Militia Act I is automatic if they haven't fixed that so don't invest in it. At least at one time it automatically turns on when war was officially declared.

Playing the Confederate you probably want to start on Easy mode until you have a feel for the game.

Policies: The best ones are The Old Dominion, Industrialization, and Arms Agents.
Apostles of Dis Union isn't bad.

Subsidies: Max them all out. Maybe in the second year of the war there are a few that won't help you at that time.
Funding: Max out tariffs and sales taxes.
Turn most of your auto manage options off. Particularly Finances and Building.

Don't build buildings. War will be over before they are much help.
Do build prisons. Hopefully you will be filling them. But if you don't have them Union gets a bonus.
Don't build railroads.

Early on you want to maximize recruitment and small arms. Getting enough troops in the field and getting them rifles are your biggest early problem.

Don't fight a naval war. Build a few ironclads for the Mississippi but little else.
Don't fight for the West (of the Mississippi). You can't supply them. Fall back on Arkansas and let the Union starve trying to attack you.
Don't spend anything on trying to get foreign intervention. Won't happen.
Don't import weapons. Expensive.
Whenever you can do the "Improve Credit Rating" project.
Put all your navy into ports until you actually need them. Upkeep is high if not in ports.
Until Nov 62 you are debt limited.

Tactics and Strategy

As I mentioned earlier, don't fight for Missouri and Kansas.
The Union AI tends to spam armies of around 20,000. They just keep attacking until your army's readiness goes into the red and are automatically defeated.
The solution is stay on the defensive. Try to keep your armies in supporting distance of one another. Make fewer but larger armies, 30,000+. Build depots at their defensive locations. These are usually Memphis, Nashville, and Manassas. Then let them wear themselves out coming to you.

Take West Virginia. Early on the Union doesn't seem to pay much attention to it. You can run around with a couple of small armies and take all the cities to make it switch sides. Holding it can be a problem.

Armies are lowered in readiness whenever you recruit a new brigade to them. So, don't.

I usually form two Armies that are administrative armies. All recruitment units are made in them then transferred to the field armies. They can also act as double duty. Defending key cities and training units. I usually form one in Memphis to handle the West and one in Richmond to handle the East (also ensures Richmond is defended).

Defend New Orleans. Get some units there early and this is where you want your navy.

Always play the tactical battles (don't use auto resolve). I can usually win most of them even outnumbered 2 to 1. At about 2:1 odds they will usually just overwhelm you so save your army.

On Youtube "GreatScots" has an excellent tutorial series on the game. Over 30 videos now.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)