Hi, Rich,
Honestly, between the two, I think it is the game engine, but it is more complex than that. Here are my considerations.
A. Stacking-Historically, the area represented by a hex would contain fewer troops, because only about 350 in a two-rank line could fire. In the game, 1000 can fire. Regulation spacing between guns was 14 yds. Given 2 yd/gun width, that would allow about eight guns to fire from a hex instead of twenty.
B Communications-In the game, we react immediately to anything that happens on the field. Historically, time was consumed composing and sending messages. Many times these messages were misunderstood or irrelevant when they arrived. Take Chickamauga for example. The Confederate attack on the second day was hours late because Polk misunderstood Bragg. Later, Rosecrans, reacting to an erroneous report of a gap in the line, gave orders that created a real gap, just at the wrong time. These communication problems cannot be duplicated in the game because we see all and know all.
C Intelligence-We usually have a good idea of what is in front of us with historical hindsight and instant observation. If a unit on a hill on the right flank sees an enemy unit hidden in ambush on the left flank, the commander of the endangered unit knows about it immediately. Little chance for a repeat of Iverson's blunder at Gettysburg.
D Game mechanics-IGO-UGO- A unit must undergo four rounds of fire, two offensive and two defensive, if it marches within range of the enemy. Historically, the situation was more dynamic; a unit in a bad situation could react quickly to avoid casualties. They didn't have to wait for the enemy's offensive fire to rout, nor did they have to wait through the enemy's player turn to withdraw. I will say that after years of studying the Civil War, I think a lot of men melted away during the course of the firefight only to turn up after the battle. These were not counted as casualties. If you look at Gettysburg, a lot of the Union units that were reduced to squads during the battle regained considerable strength after stragglers returned. This is not reflected in the game.
A lot of this is unavoidable. A game that accurately replicated Civil War dynamics probably wouldn't be much fun. But I think that if the engine were modified to more closely reflect historical limitations, you wouldn't have such high casualties. In the games I play, my opponents aren't usually as reckless with the lives of their men as some Civil War commanders were. I have never tried to duplicate Pickett's Charge in a Gettysburg game, or attacked multiple times at the Hornet's Nest at Shiloh, any more than an opponent has dashed his troops against Jackson's men in the railroad cut at 2nd Manassas. We maneuver more because we have the luxury of knowing our plans will be implemented perfectly.
MG Mike Mihalik
1/III/AoMiss/CSA
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