American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Not sure if this is the right place to post this or not, but I'll make the effort.

I've composed a new OOB for CG and I have no problem getting the scenario editor itself to recognize the file, but when I finish with the scenario design work, the scenario itself then fails to load properly in the game.

When I first start the new scenario design, I choose the large Gettysburg map, then my OOB, then finally I usually select the Standard Confederate.pdt file. Is that a mistake? Must I design my own .pdt file in order to have a scenario the main program will read properly? If so, what changes to the .pdt need to be made?

How about the .inf files in the DATA folder? Does that have anything to do with this?

Thanks for any help.

By the way, that OOB of mine represents a what-if situation where both armies have been reinforced and reorganized somewhat (slightly for the ANV, more so for the Army of the Potomac, now led by Reynolds) and presents all units severely broken down (regiments to 100-man "battalions" in most cases, cavalry to packets of 25 and 50 men), with named leaders for almost every unit (not for infantry regiments--the OOB file structure won't allow that) for anyone interested. First, though, I need to get a scenario based on that OOB to load in the game properly so I can "tune" it.

Regarding the names of leaders: I'm stuck for a couple of units. If anyone happens to know who commanded the 1st Delaware Cavalry in June of 1863 I'd be grateful for a heads-up. I can't find that information for the life of me, and I've done a Google some 40 pages deep and spent several hours in the process!

Anyway, thank you for any help extended in advance.

Sorry but all HPS games after Corinth 1.01 have locked the map and the OOB files. You cannot use map or OOB files other than those that came with the game. Not sure what was done, I suppose there is something in the exe that prevents it. Since you can't load it into the game exe they didn't see any need to change the editor so you can still load OOB and map files there and make all the scenarios you want, you just can't play them in the game.

Personally I could live with the map restrictions but being unable to modify the OOB stinks.

There are those who still make mods for Corinth 1.01, problem with that being you don't have access to any of the updates that have improved the games since then.

Gen. Ken Miller



Army of the Shenandoah

Well, that sucks. Big time. I knew that changes were made so that homebrew maps would no longer work, but not new OOBs as well. I wish I'd known. Then I wouldn't have gone to all the trouble. Constructing a new OOB is a lot of work, as some of you probably know.

You know, this is as bad as what Talonsoft pulled. Same deal, deja vu all over again as Yogi said. Sad, sad, sad. (If we had emoticons here I'd use one to depict me shaking my poor old head.)

I'd like to improve the game as much as Tiller's coding would allow, but it appears as if I'm scotched. The OOBs as given with the game don't make it by half, really don't.

Does anyone know why Tiller chose not to offer skirmisher/squadron breakdowns for infantry/cavalry units for the release of CG as he did for his Napoleonic series? Has there even talk about that? That improvement alone would represent a significant step in the right direction.

Is anyone else (was anyone else) upset about these HPS realities, or do you guys just plug along and "simulate" the American Civil War as Tiller happens to dream it to have been? (Just curious what the general reception was--I've been away from his games for a few years. Anyway, I don't wish to ignite an argument my first day in bivouac.)

Mr. Tristanjohn (?),

Yes, many designers were very put out by the decision. As General Miller states below, Corinth v1.01 is still 'adaptable'. Many of us maintain two copies of Corinth on our machines -- one with the current patch, for regular scenarios & campaigns, and another only patched to version 1.01 so we can play custom-developed games.

Secondly, it is proper to sign posts in this tavern with your name, rank, and army. That way, everyone knows whether to salute or, well, to reply in some less authoritative way!


Your humble servant,
Gen 'Dee Dubya' Mallory

David W. Mallory
ACW - General, Chief of the Armies, Confederate States of America & Cabinet Member
CCC - Ensign, Georgia Volunteers, Southern Regional Deaprtment, Colonial American Army

Well, as it turns out I have no rank, unit or other assignation, so so much for the signature. As for saluting, I tend to be informal about that sort of thing. <G>

As for my name, it's Tris, if that helps. At least that's my middle name and what people usually call me. John's my first given name.

You might try submitting your "what-if" OOB to Doug Strickler. He may include it with his patch.

Rich

You can still use the Corinth 1.01a engine to do what you want to do. You can't use the large maps from CG but there is a way to import the medium size ones. I don't know how but Ken Miller has done this. I believe there is a size limit within Corinth that makes it impossible to load a map over a certain size. I don't know whether there is a limit to the number of units it can support. With the CG Editor you must use one of HPS's OOB's and Maps. Only the parameter file can be edited.

As to why, HPS mainly sells campaign scenarios. Very few changes to the engine so I guess they feel they wouldn't sell any games if they had to compete with user created scenarios. Unfortunately the Civil War market is rather limited so we don't attract a lot of new game development.

Walker's suggestion is good. Maybe you can get your OOB included in the next patch which would allow you to make your scenario.

BG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
III Corps, AoM (CSA)

Gents,

Just to clarify, as stated in my first post I don't agree with everything the HPS people and Tiller have done but having sat down and talked to some of them at Tiller Con last year I'm not ready to lynch them either. Several of the options discussed at the round tables they held there for the ACW and PzC games have already been added to the latest patches for those games, including the Density Fire Modifier and Night Fatigue optional rules for the ACW games. I don't know if I'm right but it also seems to me some change has been made to the Opportunity Fire System as I've noticed my units seem to fire a lot more in the Shiloh and Penninsula games than they did in Corinth.

Also having found a mistake in one of the campaign scenarios for Shiloh earlier this year I posted a notice of it at one of the forums to make others aware of it. I was quite upset about it because I had invested over six months in the campaign only to find out that in the climactic battle almost all my units were fixed for the entire first day. I was quickly contacted by Rich about it and he sent me a modified scn file shortly afterwards fixing the release date error and my opponent and I restarted the battle using it. Although I'll probably still lose the fight at least I won't have to sit and watch as my opponent attacks my immobile units. I also understand this change has been placed in the latest Shiloh patch making the fix permanent.

Yes, I have and will continue to rant whenever I see things I don't agree with done by Tiller and HPS. But I'm also willing to give them credit for the things they do right. Having played my share of bad pc games that I bought and quickly took down to the local consignment shop to try and get a couple bucks out of I haven't seen too many companies or designers that provide the kind of support and updates that HPS and Tiller have.

Gen. Ken Miller



Army of the Shenandoah

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bill Peters</i>
<br />[quote]<i>Originally posted by Tristanjohn</i>
<br />Well, as it turns out I have no rank, unit or other assignation, so so much for the signature. As for saluting, I tend to be informal about that sort of thing. <G>

As for my name, it's Tris, if that helps. At least that's my middle name and what people usually call me. John's my first given name./quote]

Tris, visitors are always welcome here. The guys get ansy every so often and try and browbeat a guy for not using his club rank.

Since you are not in the club you get to keep your brows! [:D][:D]

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

Thanks, Bill. No offense was taken on my end. The forum here seems amiable and gentlemanly enough, especially if you leave me with my brows. <g>

And I actually have applied. Just waiting for a response.

<font face="Andale Mono"><font color="pink">Tris,

Well I would guess that you wish to wear the Blue of the Union Boys, otherwise I would already have you in training! LOL and hope to have a shot at you on the battlefield! Welcome!

Respectfully,

</font id="pink"></font id="Andale Mono">

<font color="pink">Nick Kunz
[img]C:\FrontPage%20Webs\Content\library\vol_1\v1p2_files\CsaGenStaffB.gif[/img]
Lieutenant General
Commandant, VMI
Confederate States of America</font id="pink">

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Tris, visitors are always welcome here. The guys get ansy every so often and try and browbeat a guy for not using his club rank.

Since you are not in the club you get to keep your brows! [:D][:D]

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

Yo Bill,

This is good to know.

cheers,
shoeless

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by warbison</i>
<br />[font=Andale Mono][pink]Tris,

Well I would guess that you wish to wear the Blue of the Union Boys, otherwise I would already have you in training! LOL and hope to have a shot at you on the battlefield! Welcome![/img]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I play the Confederate side now and then. I have no particular preference. But yes, it would be good to hear from the person responsible for Union doings. If I don't hear soon, Nick, maybe I'll just defect to your side of the line. Wisconsin boys are flexible. <g>