Troop Movements and Formations

[37th_Tennessee]

One of the issues that I had with TC2M was the troop movements. The game boasts realizm, but the troop movements for the time period have never been portrayed accurately. For example, forming a collum into a battle line. The sprites always spread out from the center, almost in a fan-like fassion. This wouldn't happen in a Civil War regiment, if a collum is forming into line, whether it's left or right, generally the head of the collum haults, and the rest of the collum comes around them to form the line (it's actually not quite as simple as that because forming a collum of four into a line of battle requires a lot of troop overlap to get them into line.) Leaveing the head of the collum on either the left or right flank of the regiment, not in the middle. The other issue was the wheel command. The pivot point in the games is always the center. This was not the case in Civil War tactics. If a battle line where going to wheel right, then the right flank of the line would pivot, and the left flank would swing to the right, similiar to a door hinge. Pivoting in the center has one half of the regiment pulling away from the enemy, and more often that not a wheel was used to face and engage them.

[PANGI]

bump...

[JMayer]

I agree and I think that one of the men had his shoe laces untied and that would not have been the case in a real civil war battle... Please people lighten up some. I just want the game out as soon as possible so we can all play online.

[Hancock the Superb]

Just wait... it may be in the game...

Or maybe in a patch, or the next game.

And, we have modders to fix create the historical accuratness that Norb missed (not that he's missed a lot at all.)

[norb]

I admit that in coding this I didn't go for that perfect formation. I could code it that way, but it always looked to robotic to me. I'm not 100% happy with the result and maybe I'll go back at a point and rework it out.

[PANGI]

JMayer wrote:

I agree and I think that one of the men had his shoe laces untied and that would not have been the case in a real civil war battle... Please people lighten up some. I just want the game out as soon as possible so we can all play online.

I dont think there are a lot of things more important that the troops should behaviour as realistic as possible.

[O. O. Howard]

37th_Tennessee wrote:

This wouldn't happen in a Civil War regiment, if a collum is forming into line, whether it's left or right, generally the head of the collum haults, and the rest of the collum comes around them to form the line (it's actually not quite as simple as that because forming a collum of four into a line of battle requires a lot of troop overlap to get them into line.) Leaveing the head of the collum on either the left or right flank of the regiment, not in the middle.

You are right that it is not that simple. The entire regiment doesn't come into line at once when forming from column into line facing front. The companies come into line. and then oblique into their position in the regimental line. (There is a great painting of the 114th Pennsylvania at Fredericksburg that shows this - with the right of the regiment in line and firing as the left companies are still doublequicking into position.) This would probably be hard to do in the game, but at least having the regiment form in something resembling "by company into line, march" would be more realistic.

Forming a line facing left from the direction of the column was actually the easiest. The order would by "by the left flank march" (if marching) or simply (left face) if stationary. The column would simply "undouble" from column of fours into a battleline, which is a very quick and simple manouever.

Forming on the right of the direction of the column is more complicated, because the right of the company is at the head of the column. They step off the the fight (forming on a 1st Sergeant) and start undoublig into a battle line. The rest of the column continues marching forward until each file reaches its place in line and faces right, undoubles and takes its place. It is called "On the right by file into line." It takes a lot longer than facing left.

One of the coolest things I have ever seen (or done - I used to be a re-enactor) is "on the right by file into line" followed by "fire by file." As the files step into line facing right, they fire. This gives a very cool image of a line slowly extending and firing it does. (Fire by file was used before fire at will, so that the line was firing and reloading at intervals to keep a steady fire on the enemy. It is perhaps the complete opposite effect of a volley.) This would be too complicated and not necessary for the game, but it is cool none-the-less.

- Double O

[Kerflumoxed]

O. O. Howard wrote:

37th_Tennessee wrote:

This wouldn't happen in a Civil War regiment, if a collum is forming into line, whether it's left or right, generally the head of the collum haults, and the rest of the collum comes around them to form the line (it's actually not quite as simple as that because forming a collum of four into a line of battle requires a lot of troop overlap to get them into line.) Leaveing the head of the collum on either the left or right flank of the regiment, not in the middle.

You are right that it is not that simple. The entire regiment doesn't come into line at once when forming from column into line facing front. The companies come into line. and then oblique into their position in the regimental line. (There is a great painting of the 114th Pennsylvania at Fredericksburg that shows this - with the right of the regiment in line and firing as the left companies are still doublequicking into position.) This would probably be hard to do in the game, but at least having the regiment form in something resembling "by company into line, march" would be more realistic.

Forming a line facing left from the direction of the column was actually the easiest. The order would by "by the left flank march" (if marching) or simply (left face) if stationary. The column would simply "undouble" from column of fours into a battleline, which is a very quick and simple manouever.

Forming on the right of the direction of the column is more complicated, because the right of the company is at the head of the column. They step off the the fight (forming on a 1st Sergeant) and start undoublig into a battle line. The rest of the column continues marching forward until each file reaches its place in line and faces right, undoubles and takes its place. It is called "On the right by file into line." It takes a lot longer than facing left.

One of the coolest things I have ever seen (or done - I used to be a re-enactor) is "on the right by file into line" followed by "fire by file." As the files step into line facing right, they fire. This gives a very cool image of a line slowly extending and firing it does. (Fire by file was used before fire at will, so that the line was firing and reloading at intervals to keep a steady fire on the enemy. It is perhaps the complete opposite effect of a volley.) This would be too complicated and not necessary for the game, but it is cool none-the-less.

- Double O

Excellent description, General Howard! Might want to considering adding "Forward into line" as well. That would handle almost all situations. As I check my U.S. Infantry & Rifle Tactics, in School of the Battalion - Part IV, paragraphs 414, 415, 441, 442, 443, 444, et.al., depicted in Plate 57, orders are:

["1. Forward into line; 2. By Company, Left Half Wheel; 3. MARCH (or Double Quick, MARCH!)li].

J

[O. O. Howard]

Kerflumoxed wrote:

Excellent description, General Howard! Might want to considering adding "Forward into line" as well. That would handle almost all situations. As I check my U.S. Infantry & Rifle Tactics, in School of the Battalion - Part IV, paragraphs 414, 415, 441, 442, 443, 444, et.al., depicted in Plate 57, orders are:

["1. Forward into line; 2. By Company, Left Half Wheel; 3. MARCH (or Double Quick, MARCH!)li].

J

I think that is exactly what is happening in the painting of the 114th at Fredericksburg. If they had been marching in column of fours, they would first go "by company into line" placing them in a column of companies. The order you shared would have the companies obliquing out to the left and forming on the right company. I have always loved that painting for its authentic portrayal of tactics. As a note, you can see General Robinson getting pinned under his horse in the painting. Things like your brigadier general pinned under his horse in front of you could make "Forward in to line" a little more complicated. Do you just run around him, or stop to try to get him out from under the horse? I guess it depends on how much you like him as a leader.

[PANGI]

If you didnt do it, try to search another paintings from Carl Röchling. So far i didnt know he made a painting depicts ACW...