Hi Guys,
I am really trying to figure out the interface for SOW:Waterloo at the moment. I really really want to enjoy it but just cannot seem to get my men to do what I want them to.
Namely and primarily I need them to form a line after marching to a given position. Generally what happens is half of them stop to fire at skirmishers or just see the sights or manoever around obstacles. They then fall behind the rest and never reform.
I guess I need to try column for even short marches and then spread into a line before moving to the enemy.
Is their a way to do the combat mission thing and choose an order for each leg of the journey. So I can get them to reform at various points and then finally fan out into a line and attack.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2777/32696195272_0cafecca82.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2834/32696196402_c645c66c49.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/617/32696197542_64a3940e19.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2426/32035039903_faf450692a.jpg)
Quote from: Destraex on February 12, 2017, 03:13:18 AM
Hi Guys,
I am really trying to figure out the interface for SOW:Waterloo at the moment. I really really want to enjoy it but just cannot seem to get my men to do what I want them to.
Namely and primarily I need them to form a line after marching to a given position. Generally what happens is half of them stop to fire at skirmishers or just see the sights or manoever around obstacles. They then fall behind the rest and never reform.
I guess I need to try column for even short marches and then spread into a line before moving to the enemy.
Is their a way to do the combat mission thing and choose an order for each leg of the journey. So I can get them to reform at various points and then finally fan out into a line and attack.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2777/32696195272_0cafecca82.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2834/32696196402_c645c66c49.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/617/32696197542_64a3940e19.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2426/32035039903_faf450692a.jpg)
To stop them from attacking midway, you should put the brigade commander in TC mode. And as far as I know there is no waypoint mode, the best way to get infntry to form into a line at destination is to use column by divisions for the destination, that way they will spread out in a line when an enemy is in range.
Thanks Hof will try column by division and take command of the commander (although I had done the TC commander already).
Do you have trouble getting them to stop?
Quote from: Destraex on February 12, 2017, 05:03:26 AM
Thanks Hof will try column by division and take command of the commander (although I had done the TC commander already).
Do you have trouble getting them to stop?
I think theres a fair few videos out there where i go full bogan and scream "WHY ARE YOU STOPPING C#*$"
Regarding the snapshots with the regiments (or battalions or whatever) being in the pond -- that looks insane, of course, but don't worry too much about it. The flag is the only thing that counts in this game; the rest is an artistic effect. As long as the flag is on dry land you should be good. (That said, I've seen the computer drive cavalry regiments into ponds trying to take short cuts. I mean really into ponds, slugging along and exhausting themselves.)
It's really better to keep them in column and let them fold out automatically into a line when they feel threatened or see an attack opportunity.
As for waypointing, yep none. The closest you can get is to tell them to follow the roads.
Jason are you telling me that facing and formation width does not matter? That would mean units can fire through each other at will and would also mean that losses taken makes no difference to unit frontage.
Also my flag is in the centre of the lake in my first shot...
Jason, how do you get your whole formation to stop and form where the first formation gets bogged down. I find I drop units all over the place even in column just because they stop to fire at the enemy or at some obstacle. The rest of the formation just ploughs on and by the time I reach my target, even with just a few skirmishers to the left, I only have one unit left! Facing many enemy.
Facing and formation matter, but as abstract concepts. The figures you see are art, they aren't really being tracked as "there" on the map (until they fall dead and create decals on the ground).
The way to make them keep plugging on is to Take Command. This turns off all their automatic functions.
Really, though, as per historical specs you shouldn't be columning up while in firing range; that's a gamey thing. Tell your crew to retreat or withdraw back. Once they're out of firing range, you can column them up (if the enemy isn't advancing!) and march them away from the axis of fighting.
But if you really need to column them up and march them under fire, Take Command. Then pray the enemy doesn't have cavalry to mow them down. ;)
Similar to the above post: if you want to move, put them in column, then order the unit to march to the location and, once there, form line. I use dispatches so my orders look like:
Execute immediately
Form unit column by divisions
Move 500 yards to your front
Form line
Hold your position
Now, like in the post above, if you are taking fire and want to move, you can't really form a column because as soon as troops take fire, they stop and shot. So, put them in line formation and order them to "advance while firing". They will slowly advance about 100 yards over time. You can't also do the same with withdrawl
I HIGHY HIGHLY recommend Rebs "Flags and Bugles" mod. It's huge and one of the main things it does is to add dozens of commands as well as allowing regiments and brigades to get formation orders previously available only to division or above. So you can advance a regiment by ordering column by company.
Also order like "advance 100 ft" which you can do while in line.
I will give these methods a go. I do want to stick to vanilla for the time being though to really investigate what the capabilities of this game are and experience and learn it the way the devs meant it to be played before I go complicating things.
I will try courier orders. Perhaps I will have more luck. mickeck your example may be gold. Because honestly it's like hearding cats when you encounter a few skirmishers and cannot tell the boys to ignore and continue on. It just becomes attrition as entire regiments try to compete with skirmishers or spin around on the spot.
BTW do courier orders work at all levels of command?
Another frustrating thing is that in the scenario I am playing I have cavalry sitting in formation with me at the start of the scenario and they never come to support me. I tried sending a request for support to their commander who was right next to me. But alas I fear I must send a request to whomever our common commander is...
Quote from: mikeck on February 13, 2017, 12:29:49 AM
I HIGHY HIGHLY recommend Rebs "Flags and Bugles" mod. It's huge and one of the main things it does is to add dozens of commands as well as allowing regiments and brigades to get formation orders previously available only to division or above. So you can advance a regiment by ordering column by company.
Also order like "advance 100 ft" which you can do while in line.
Isn't that for Gettysburg?
A number of the "Flag and Bugle" commands are being ported over into the UIs being used by the Dogs of War group. You can download them off their SoW:WL page... although I'll have to remember to post the link when I get home. (Asid is testing a new such UI now, simpler than the one being currently used by the group. But I like their current one; it's just that the icons are a little small.)
I've run courier down to the Brigade level so, yes, I imagine that covers the field.
@Jason: You raise a good point about designing this sort of engine. In the Kriegsspiel, cannon cannot unlimber within a certain distance of the enemy. Cannot. I've checked, you can violate this in SoW with TC, although it will take some nudging to get the men there. I still haven't decided whether this is a feature or a bug.
In our fight this weekend, I couldn't get the largest cannon group to do anything once they limbered up -- and they were by far the most distant from any of the enemies! All the evidence suggests a bug desynching them from their captain. In what turned out to be the final minutes of the match, I tried sending the captain back to them: whereupon I soon found them unlimbering and shooting. The smaller group had no problem getting near enough to cut-the-corner for a field of fire between an orchard and a forest; the larger group simply refused to move, period (or do anything useful until I sent their captain back).
In other evidence, I manually directed three guns to move up on the other side of the orchard, to try to provide a bit of covering counterbattery fire to let Tuna's group march out. They moved up, parked, unlimbered, and shot, no problem. Again, their behavior suggests they had lost connection with their captain.
The one and only time I commanded a Division playing with Asid, I took command of each cannon and got them firing before giving control back to the AI. LOL another battle that "I" died in :-[
Quote from: JasonPratt on February 13, 2017, 12:25:16 PM
A number of the "Flag and Bugle" commands are being ported over into the UIs being used by the Dogs of War group. You can download them off their SoW:WL page... although I'll have to remember to post the link when I get home. (Asid is testing a new such UI now, simpler than the one being currently used by the group. But I like their current one; it's just that the icons are a little small.)
Here's the forum category: http://dogsofwarvu.com/forum/index.php/board,131.0.html
"Expanded Toolbar V - Grog" is the current recommended UI mod; the new one is being privately tested. http://dogsofwarvu.com/forum/index.php/topic,3539.0.html
Please note in that in my experience there so far, the opening post of each thread does NOT seem to always (ever?) have the latest versions. You should scroll or page down to the end and then work backward.
Quote from: Tuna on February 13, 2017, 03:52:36 PM
The one and only time I commanded a Division playing with Asid, I took command of each cannon and got them firing before giving control back to the AI. LOL another battle that "I" died in :-[
I shall have to consider this option in the future. Worthless for corps and army command, though... :-\