For your next Patch

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Little Powell wrote:

Another useful trick to use while getting troops to face the right way is to use the "," and "." keys to wheel left/right. I believe it's the equivalent of a few mouse clicks, and it's much better than having to click click click click... Talk to the other guys on the test team, I'm a keyboard only man. You should see my keyboard.csv file, I avoid using the mouse as much as possible. I hate clicking, plus it's a lot quicker when commands are right at your finger tips, instead of having to take the time to move the mouse to a button.

I'll give that a try, I'm more of a mouse man, but if it can get me away from having to click frantically I'm all for it.

But Norb does bring up a good point about making the wheel interface better. Maybe a click and hold function, where you click on the ground, hold down the left mouse button, and move the mouse left/right to move the arrow. I've seen this in other games and it's very useful. Only requires one click.

I think the drag & Click method is the way to go if Norb decides to make changes. I have played those games, and it does make it easier, and much faster.

Later!

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Little Powell wrote:

You know, I've been testing the game for almost two years now, and I still have that feeling of "wow" every time I load up a battle...

Hi Little Powell.

I think this is the only game that gives me the nerves before I engage the enemy. The level of immersion is just great.

I've read something about how Union troops were in awe when they were watching a swath of rebel troops advancing before an engagement, that's about how I feel when I play the game. This game is simply incredible, just never had a game affect me in that manner before. I mean TC2M was cool, but SOW just takes it to a level which I just can't enough of (ah ha...you spiked my computer with gaming greatness Norb & Team).

Later!

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Little Powell wrote:

Another useful trick to use while getting troops to face the right way is to use the "," and "." keys to wheel left/right. I believe it's the equivalent of a few mouse clicks, and it's much better than having to click click click click... Talk to the other guys on the test team, I'm a keyboard only man. You should see my keyboard.csv file, I avoid using the mouse as much as possible. I hate clicking, plus it's a lot quicker when commands are right at your finger tips, instead of having to take the time to move the mouse to a button.

I just finished playing a scenario, and I took your advice using the keys, and you are correct it does work much better.

Can you to post the internals of your keyboard.csv just so I can clip & paste into a new one?

Later, and thanks for the suggestion, it works great.

[vanmia]

norb wrote:

I don't mean the facing of my character I'm playing, but the direction of where I am looking.

I don't agree, I think keeping the character facing makes more sense, but I don't think it's the real problem anyway. I think the real problem is that there needs to be a better interface to wheel. Click click click just is not a good way.

1 - french translation
2 - possibility to reconfigure the keyboard

1 - translation services are expensive, we just don't have the cash, but if a group of players wanted to get it together, we would help support the effort and make it work in game

If i can help, why not. I'm better in french than in english

2 - you can do this Always nice to answer yes to stuff. Check out Work/keyboard.csv, I know that I should have put in a good user interface for this and not make you edit a file, sorry about that. The problem is that the producer on this project has a lazy programmer that is always taking short cuts and I can't get him to do anything!

excellent i do it this evening, thank you.

[Little Powell]

mikesla wrote:

Little Powell wrote:

Another useful trick to use while getting troops to face the right way is to use the "," and "." keys to wheel left/right. I believe it's the equivalent of a few mouse clicks, and it's much better than having to click click click click... Talk to the other guys on the test team, I'm a keyboard only man. You should see my keyboard.csv file, I avoid using the mouse as much as possible. I hate clicking, plus it's a lot quicker when commands are right at your finger tips, instead of having to take the time to move the mouse to a button.

I just finished playing a scenario, and I took your advice using the keys, and you are correct it does work much better.

Can you to post the internals of your keyboard.csv just so I can clip & paste into a new one?

Later, and thanks for the suggestion, it works great.

Here's everything I've added to the keyboard.csv.

So it will be Name, Key, Command. Also I'll include a description.

Run - R - Arun - Commands the selected unit to run or commander and his subordinates to run. I use this one ALL the time.

Halt - H - Astop - Stops the selected unit or commander and his subordinates.

Getaway - G - getaway - The unit(s) will retreat back 300 yards without point loss.

Attack March - Y - attackmarch - I haven't experimented with this one much, but if you press it after a movement order, the units should keep marching and will not stop to fire at nearby enemies.

TC On - 1 - tcommon - very useful when cycling through your commanders, you can quickly TC them.

TC Off - 2 - tcommoff - same thing, but TCs them off.

Note: for the last two, you'll have to change the Advance keys (1 and 2) to different keys since you will use them for the TC keys. Or you can just assign the TC commands to different keys. That's the beauty of it, you can customize to your preference.
Pretty sure that's all of them.

[Armistead]

or you can simply make it where the about face command will work even if the unit is not engaged in battle to fix the 180 movements.

I would also like it for Mods to be able to be used in MP Gaming. For example the carryover mod will be nice if it applies to everyone, so when i get ready to create the next battle in my clubs campaign, I don't have to make screen shots of every unit then manually update the manpower of every unit.

And of course the ability to enter an game that is already in progress.

[Willard]

Requests for the next patch...

#1 - Increase infantry range to 200 yards (assuming you are using a sliding scale of accuracy based upon distance).

#2 - Decrease the ROF and effective range (250yds?) for sharp shooter units.

#3 - Increase the damage/morale hits that units in column receive - especially from artillery fire.

#4 - Slow down the speed at which units deploy into formations. As it stands now, units move way too fast into and out of column/line, etc.

#5 - Increase the fatigue and morale cost for a unit to charge.

#6 - Institute a morale check before allowing a unit to charge (this will prevent units that are under heavy fire from multiple directions, etc, from just getting up and charging).

#7 - Volley fire for infantry.

#8 - Free-form courier messages and/or team only chat.

#9 - I assume this hard-coded and may not be possible, but what about allowing infantry to entrench and create a defensive position after XX minutes - could be an auto thing when infantry is at rest OR would require and order?

#10 - Supply wagons - any way to give them a combat value of ZERO and allow them to to lose supply points as casualties when under fire? (This would prevent gamey front-line re-supply of units ~ especially artillery).

#11 - Maps - Just a couple of thoughts about maps. Any chance of a dumbed-down graphics Gettysburg-wide map? If not, how about re-centering the map to one that focuses on the fishhook of Culp's to BRT? The other two that I thought would be cool and Gettysburg centric would be Pipe's Creek and Winchester.

#12 - 3-Day Scenario???

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Little Powell wrote:

mikesla wrote:

Little Powell wrote:

Another useful trick to use while getting troops to face the right way is to use the "," and "." keys to wheel left/right. I believe it's the equivalent of a few mouse clicks, and it's much better than having to click click click click... Talk to the other guys on the test team, I'm a keyboard only man. You should see my keyboard.csv file, I avoid using the mouse as much as possible. I hate clicking, plus it's a lot quicker when commands are right at your finger tips, instead of having to take the time to move the mouse to a button.

I just finished playing a scenario, and I took your advice using the keys, and you are correct it does work much better.

Can you to post the internals of your keyboard.csv just so I can clip & paste into a new one?

Later, and thanks for the suggestion, it works great.

Here's everything I've added to the keyboard.csv.

So it will be Name, Key, Command. Also I'll include a description.

Run - R - Arun - Commands the selected unit to run or commander and his subordinates to run. I use this one ALL the time.

Halt - H - Astop - Stops the selected unit or commander and his subordinates.

Getaway - G - getaway - The unit(s) will retreat back 300 yards without point loss.

Attack March - Y - attackmarch - I haven't experimented with this one much, but if you press it after a movement order, the units should keep marching and will not stop to fire at nearby enemies.

TC On - 1 - tcommon - very useful when cycling through your commanders, you can quickly TC them.

TC Off - 2 - tcommoff - same thing, but TCs them off.

Note: for the last two, you'll have to change the Advance keys (1 and 2) to different keys since you will use them for the TC keys. Or you can just assign the TC commands to different keys. That's the beauty of it, you can customize to your preference.
Pretty sure that's all of them.

Thanks Little Powell, I'll gives these a go.