Combat Mission (a WWII game) is a WEGO (preplotted) system and works in PBEM games. In this game, you first set your units and then your opponent sets his units, both within the parameters of the scenario. Then you plot your turn, set your units to do all the various things units can do, like fire, manuever, hide, run, etc. You do this for each individual unit or you can do it by squads or companies. You can actually plot things like sneak, hide, "shoot and scoot" (pre-plot a move, then a fire, then reverse your tank); you can check LOS for your units, individually. Then you send the file to your opponent and he plots his turn and he then sees the computer run BOTH commands, at the same time. He can see his units move, can "hear" close by tanks moing, can see each individual uits move or fire. This is done by a VCR like interface that CAN BE REPLAYED by the phasing player. After he has seen the replay, the turn is set back to you where you observe the REPLAY using the same type of VCR replay. After you have seen all you want, you then plot your next turn, basing your next moves on the previous turns replay. It works well.
It is a Advanced Squad Leader type system.
So, it is possible to combine all that (most of) what you are talking about in an PBEM (and hotseat and online) game system.
Is it suited to the ACW and the games we now pla; I don't think so. It is much different. Is it better; that is a question for each indiviual.
I have something like 20 games going in the Tiller system (HPS and BG), but only 3 in the Combat mission series.
<b><font color="gold">Ernie Sands
LtGen, CO XXIII Corps, AoO
President, Colonial Campaigns Club
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