This post will be mainly about adding to fog of war (FOW).
We have written complaints for years about <font color="yellow">too much information leads to too much combat</font id="yellow"> which <font color="orange">causes too many casualties and results in running out of ammo in many scenarios</font id="orange">, which are all ahistorical. Usually a complete lack of ammo, rifle or artillery, happened because of deployments that there was too much distance between the supply trains and combat units.
I am disappointed that artillery supply procedure will not be revamped anytime soon, but I understand that it probably means a major rewrite with a lot of work and "good enough" beats "perfect," especially when one has no personal interest.
I intend to make suggestions to address the problems, when possible in such a way as to avoid burdensome programmer rewrites.
However, I foresee that eventually there will be superior game results when artillery, infantry, and cav combat units all have individual ammo status. Artillery units running out of ammo because of supply range would limit their deployment considerably, use much less ammo, and cause fewer casualties.
About limiting unit density in woods to 500 men per hex, I see Bill Peters' point.
I would suggest that an easy fix with the least amount of reprogramming would be to limit firepower and melee power to a max of 500 men while allowing the usual stacking limit. It would cut down on casualties and probably lead to extended engagements, because casualties from one 20 minute round could be replaced from the excess manpower until all units total less than 500.
Suggestion: <font color="yellow">Concerning too much enemy unit information</font id="yellow"> while sighting units at distance:
There is no reason to re-invent the wheel.
1.Show an enemy flag on an observed unit symbol (INF, CAV, ARTY...even those may be left off until closer than 70 hexes) with no specific content until it is within a certain distance,...
2. then fill in the unit symbol with blue or butternut to a percentage to indicate troop density. One might keep it in 25% increments to maintain FOW, somewhere around a 250 man differential. I favor displaying it toward the low end up to 75%. The enemy should not know that one has maxed out troop density.
3. At about a half mile, individual combat units should become discernable with information as we now are playing.
4. Units in woods should be lower information status until the enemy is adjacent.
5. Cavalry of a certain density should be able to mask other units until getting within combat range.(?) Just stack 200+(?) on top of other units. Cav should be able to mask even other cav units beyond the 200(+) requirement.
A lot of these suggestions are judgment calls and debatable. I welcome suggestions that result in superior fixes and refinements.
BG Ross McDaniel
2nd Bde, 3rd Div, III Corps, AoG, CSA
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale & undermine the military are saboteurs & should be arrested, exiled, or hanged." - A. Lincoln
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