<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Richard</i>
<br />Bill,
Perhaps the best solution for the multiphase mode would be to restore the features present in the BG games (ie. square forming, formation change, cavalry counter-charge in the defensive phase, plus restore the subsequent cavalry charge phase too) and perhaps also consider the feasibility of including ADF at 50% from the single phase mode <i>in addition to</i> the normal multiphase defensive fire. With musket range only 2 hexes there wouldn't be all that much ADF anyway, but it would enhance the effectiveness of riflemen. (Not sure about adding in ADF for artillery in multiphase mode - maybe only in cannister range and/or perhaps only for lighter calibre pieces?)
I don't know how many people actually play the HPS games in multiphase mode, but I expect there are still some players out there who haven't moved over to the HPS system from BG due to the fact that these useful features - defensive square forming and counter charges - weren't carried over. This certainly provides a valid reason for players continuing to play the BG games even if they also play some HPS, which may possibly result in reduced HPS sales.
Yes, I'd also like to see the single phase get auto-square and counter-charge added, but how easy would it be for this to be coded in? Attempting to form square could be automatic when charging cavalry in LOS approach infantry - so perhaps not so difficult to code - but presumably it would be necessary for players to be able to set counter charge orders for cavalry in their previous turn on a unit by unit basis? <i>Age of Rifles </i>has a counter-charge feature, although I'm not entirely sure how it works. However, it's certainly possible to provide move/fire "orders" on a unit by unit basis in that game. For instance, infantry can be set to the following:
Free fire
Near fire
Hold fire
and perhaps several other orders that I can't recall off-hand. Perhaps there's also a "Control fire". The different fire orders seem to have an effect on how effective the fire is and how much ammo is used up. Meanwhile, cavalry can be set to "free move", "near move" etc, which presumably determines counter-charge orders.
I suspect players would much prefer to "pre-set" (ie. in their own previous turn) cavalry counter-charge orders rather than have the A/I handle this entirely automatically (and probably randomly).
Capt Rich White
4th Cavalry Brigade
Cavalry Corps
Anglo-Allied Army
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I actually prefer the cavalry charge phase being part of the Movement Phase. Why? Because the defender gets to shoot at the cavalry before they attack.
In the old game guys could mask their cavalry and you never could shoot at them if you didnt want to square.
I wont argue this with John though guys. The best thing you can do is send an email to the HPS support email asking for this to happen.
Customers make more of an impact on John than the designers for the most part. If I ask for it its one voice. If Rich forwards 30 emails to John about this then its got more umph behind it.
Bill Peters
Former NWC President, Club Founder, Prussian and Austrian Army Founder
[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]
|