Rich, I can't believe you are taking this line. I thought the whole point of playing these games was to explore historical alternatives. I did not say that Deas and Vaughan's brigades were deployed on top of Rocky Face Ridge. I also did not say that the missing battalions of Confederate artillery, which represents 104 guns, was deployed on Rocky Face either. I noted that General Johnston is not present either. Was he in the line at Rocky Face Ridge? No, he was not. But he was at his headquarters at the Huff House in Dalton during the battle and Dalton is on the map. So why shouldn't he be included?
As I mentioned, the whole point of playing these games is to explore historical alternatives isn't it? Now, if Thomas's Army of the Cumberland had crashed through Mill Creek Gap I'm pretty sure that nearby confederate units would have been utilized to stop him. Perhaps Deas and Vaughan? Or some of those missing Artillery units that were probably placed in reserve for that very reason.
Let me give an example where I felt the designer went too far the other way. This is the "Brandy Station" scenario on the "Gettysburg" disk. Doug Strickler designed a fine scenario of that battle but I felt that he went too far 'the other way'. As you know the Battle of Brandy Station was the largest Cavalry engagement fought on the North American Continent. Any scenario designed on that battle should, in my opinion, accent that fact. The trouble is that I have played that scenario a number of times and invariably it is often decided by the arrival of Confederate infantry.
In the actual battle no infantry was engaged, certainly no Confederate division arrived which often happens in the scenario. So here was a case where the designer, allowing for the fact that 'infantry was near by',skewed the results and emphasized the wrong things. ie: It was a Cavalry engagement and should have remained so.
Now for "Rocky Face Ridge", I fully understand that it was not a major engagement. But it could have been, and was a very important opening to the campaign. What if Sherman had decided to do a full frontal assault like Grant later did at Cold Harbour? He could have, but with the present scenario we can't explore that possibility because the Confederates do not have all the units that could have been used for a response.
I just can't see how a Corps like Hood's or Hardee's can have only 12 guns apiece for a defence against what amounts to three armies against them.
I know your response will be "then just play the open" campaign. But unfortunately that one has some serious errors too. Here I referr to the fact that there are no fortifications on Rocky Face Ridge at all. I can't see the logic of that at all. It is 'open' I will give it that. But it isn't based on anything like reality. In the set up Johnston's army is near and below Dalton with nobody on Rocky Face. Probably the best defensive position in the whole area. It doesn't make sense to have his army march north to try and defend a position that his army was already in possesion of for months.
I am surprised that you are not a little more open regarding the 'historical' scenario. I guess I will have to do my own rendition utilizing the editor.
http://magma.ca/~gcollins/burgoyne.jpg