Right, if you are going to moan (and I seem to be a lone voice of complaint here) then try to support your opinions with evidence: The Union Command Reports are pretty abysmal. My worst game ever? no ...not by a long shot. But I get the feeling that any "command" by me is basically so much wasted effort. I can win (probably) but not by fighting a battle ...only by playing the game.
Small pic's of the overall situation as it's developed over the last few turns:
Union position (in my opinion a fairly strong one. Assailed on 3 sides by Rebel forces. I don't believe the Reb has amassed significant weight of numbers anywhere (his Artillery is well placed in close support in commanding positions. Mine in contrast is disperded with reinforcement arrivals and having to relocate on a defensive fall back).
Command Reports 1 - 5 correspond to situation images 1 -5. Union forces beaten back pretty much everywhere.
Diminishing returns. Routs & Disruptions weaken the defensive fire each turn ...but Union is still able to make significant hits causing casualties.
Stay or Go? Fight a hopeless situation and lose the lot or save something. If that routed unit on the bridge is prevented from moving North by automatic rule restrictions then the game is probably over.
...and I should have added some captions to the above as it's difficult to determine details, but in the last two pictures I've bought up a 3 battalion "D" quality regiment from reserve to counterattack the Reb advance on the right. In the space of 20 minutes the 3 have gone disrupted, low-ammo or routed (routing the "wrong" way towards the Rebs!) ...this against "A" quality units that have been advancing for hours basically impervious to interference 'cos of their "A" rating.
Now, sour grapes? Possibly. Read the Union command Reports: Pretty bad situation deteriorating over the last half dozen turns to a critical point. Right, ok.
Now where are the Reb command & control problems? Hard to give a definitive answer from one side only but it seems to me that HPS messed up by elevating the rank-and-file to Elite status. "Just reflecting the Veteran status of Reb troops by 1864".
From playing I get the feeling that the Reb player can direct his "A" units pretty much as he likes. He can lose the game by attrition, sure. But these are tactical games and as I see it the Reb troops basically operate free of any command & control problems = Advance, Fire, Melee, Repeat.
I can kill them, in fact it's the only option I have, eliminate them individually to fighting strength zero and still win the game. But on the way there an Army full of "A's" is gonna do exactly what they want like drug fuelled zombies. No troops in the history of warfare have ever behaved the way HPS has modelled Reb Infantry here. That's why this might be my last game, certainly on Overland and possibly on these games generally.
Union troops were historically this bad? Maybe they were. Were Reb troops this good? No, in my opinion not. HPS have tweaked the balance to make the bigger picture bearable. So I don't mind losing a battle to a well co-ordinated flank or rear attack, I'll happily congratulate my opponent on his prowess. But when I see little counters that are meant to portray men behave like automatons until I've eliminated them then I have to wonder why exactly I'm bothering?
With respect and in all seriousness.