Custers Last Stand

[Martin James]

Well you've got me scratching my head. I don't suppose you still have the log file, do you? It will be in your work sub-folder of the main game.

Which version of Windows do you (both) use?

Martin (J)

[SJDI]

I use Win 8.1

Wales Win 7

With respect to Win 8.1, it ran good if I chose the U.S. I have a post that showed how to get Win 8 to run SOW stable.

Game Launched
05:35:39 Version:SOWGB
1.6100
05:35:40 Loading Defined Lists
05:35:40 Initializing
05:35:40 Ansi:16, TexH:16384, TexW:16384
05:35:40 SowGB Loaded
05:35:40 05:35:40

[Martin James]

Ok. Given that you are both having problems, and it runs fine for the US Army version, it may be that the Windows version is a red herring. I use windows 7 myself.

Can you try loading up the mod again and trying to play as the Sioux? Assuming it crashes, the log should hopefully provide some clues.

Martin (J)

[SJDI]

I Included the log file in my last post

Game Launched
05:35:39 Version:SOWGB
1.6100
05:35:40 Loading Defined Lists
05:35:40 Initializing
05:35:40 Ansi:16, TexH:16384, TexW:16384
05:35:40 SowGB Loaded
05:35:40 05:35:40

[Martin James]

Sorry I didn't realise that was the log generated by the crash. Unfortunately it doesn't highlight any issues.

At the moment we are trying to make deductions without any real evidence to go on. The only other thing I can think of is to ask your friend to try the mod again as the Sioux, and ask him to take a copy of his log when it crashes.

Martin (J)

[mcaryf]

Hi Guys
I have been considering buying SOW Gettysburg and your Custer Mod has convinced me that I should. I have written a number of published articles on Little Big Horn and am heavily involved with the Custer Association of Great Britain and am speaking on Reno's Valley Fight at their next meeting on July 4th in York. I would love to be able to take some material from your Mod to show the meeting.

I noticed earlier in the thread that someone mentioned the map being from the Pipe Creek add on. Could someone please advise me whether I will need to acquire both SOW Gettysburg and Pipe Creek or just Gettysburg?

If you want any help at all with the historical side of the real battle I would be delighted to provide it. In particular I have a data base containing over 500 references from participants relating to the relative time of day that events occurred. You may be aware that there is some controversy as to how the command's watches were set both compared to the local "sun" time and even between different officers and scouts.

I guess my first task is to get to know the base game but I have previously played Sid Meier's Gettysburg and the Waterloo variants and I understand the concept so hopefully that will not take too long.

Regards

Mike

[Martin James]

Hi Mike

Thanks for your interest in the mod. It can be played on virtually any of the maps, as we switch off certain terrain features in the Options screens. But some maps are more suitable than others. We often use one or other map from the Pipe Creek add-on as, without buildings, walls, fences etc, and with the amount of vegetation turned-down, they are a reasonable approximation of the country Crook and Custer were fighting over.

I should be clear on what the aim of the mod is. It is not to exactly recreate the Little Bighorn. Even if we had a map of that battle, and knew for sure exactly how many hostiles there were, hindsight means that the players would not act in the same way.

The whole thrust of the mod is to put players in the mind-set of Custer, Crook and Terry. We therefore play in sandbox, so that we face an enemy force of unknown size and attitude (in the latest version you can play as the Sioux/Cheyenne too, against an army force of unknown strength). You are under time pressure, to destroy the large camp before the Indians disperse. You don't know where it is, and 25 square miles is a lot of ground to search. So you need to spread your command, if you are to have much chance of finding it.

And of course there may not even be a camp in the vicinity - which was one of Crook's misunderstandings at the Battle of the Rosebud.

Thanks for your offer of historical assistance. The mod is a work in progress, so it would be nice to know I can call on you

Martin (J)

[mcaryf]

Hi Martin
Thank you for your very prompt reply. I do understand why you want to preserve the uncertainty element, although there could also be interest in setting up a battle to start where Custer was effectively committed with his force on the Bluffs, Reno engaged in the Valley and Benteen plus the packs some distance behind. The actual battle result was certainly not the worst outcome for the Cavalry that could be envisaged despite the loss of Custer and all his immediate command.

I will be interested to see how you have coped with the weaponry in particular the indirect fire of the arrows.

In the meanwhile I will acquire Gettysburg and Pipe Creek and hopefully might be able to try your mod once I am familiar with the basics.

Regards

Mike

[Martin James]

I do understand why you want to preserve the uncertainty element, although there could also be interest in setting up a battle to start where Custer was effectively committed with his force on the Bluffs, Reno engaged in the Valley and Benteen plus the packs some distance behind. The actual battle result was certainly not the worst outcome for the Cavalry that could be envisaged despite the loss of Custer and all his immediate command.

Yes there could, and it would be possible to do that using Leffe's Scenario Generator. It would be nice to have a map of the actual battlefield one day. Perhaps a little larger than the standard 5 miles square.
Agree re the result. With some different decisions, the entire regiment could easily have been lost. And occasionally has been in some of the games I have played.

I will be interested to see how you have coped with the weaponry in particular the indirect fire of the arrows.

Err.......I think 'in a broad brush manner' would be the correct answer There is no way to deal explicitly with indirect fire, but I have made the Sioux weaponry, whether bows or repeaters, much more effective at short range.

[mcaryf]

Hi Martin
I guessed you might say that. From the Archaeology it seems likely that about 10% of the warriors had repeaters and another 10% a variety of firearm types ranging from pistols to muskets to longer ranged rifles such as Sharps. I presume that the Gettysburg engine has no facility for warriors acquiring weapons from dead troopers. If you were to construct linked scenarios then perhaps the warriors might have better weapons after a victorious encounter. An additional realism element could be for some warriors to be wearing blood stained cavalry uniforms in later scenarios!

My email is telling me that my activation codes for Gettysburg and Pipe Creek have just arrived so I better be off and try them out!

Regards

Mike