Couriers on Roads

[Kerflumoxed]

Norb and team,

The courier system is most intriguing and adds tremendous historical accuracy in the movement of troops! The design team is to be commended for such foresight with the inclusion of this option.

However, there is one patently flawed aspect of the courier system: Will there ever be an opportunity to eliminate the historically inaccurate requirement that the first courier route MUST be on a road? This is a flaw in game history and should be eradicated. A correction in this aspect will increase the playability of the courier system and more user friendly.

Thanks for your consideration.

J :dry:

[norb]

I think it does a little more than that. I think it looks to the distance as well.

But this is one of those gameplay decisions that is slowly getting squashed. The idea was that you could control the roads and communication. If you made sure to block the roads you would have an advantage. This was to simulate the importance of roads during this time.

[Kerflumoxed]

norb wrote:

I think it does a little more than that. I think it looks to the distance as well.

But this is one of those gameplay decisions that is slowly getting squashed. The idea was that you could control the roads and communication. If you made sure to block the roads you would have an advantage. This was to simulate the importance of roads during this time.

Thanks for the QUICK response, Norb! I suspect you didn't send your courier by road, but across the countryside.

Certainly distance was a consideration...but when the roads were blocked by the enemy, obviously another route would be chosen, if for no other reason then the courier preserving his life. Also, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line...and when time was/is of the "essence", the shorter (and perhaps less perilous, in this case) route would be taken. Couriers carrying messages, especially during "combat", would most probably choose the shortest/quickest, most expedient route. Of course, the natural flaw in moving cross-country would be the courier "losing his way" enroute to the intended CO/unit and there are recorded instances of this occurring. As noted below, however, the Confederate couriers were usually in familiar country and all couriers, North and South, heavily relied upon their own troops for directions as they progressed in their missions.

Yes, the roads were of utmost importance as evidenced by the many instances of their use in wartime campaigns. Especially important were the crossroads as evidenced, for example, for the race to Spotsylvania. But the lack of roads were perhaps even more important during the active campaigning. For example, we have all read where trails were cut into the landscape for the movement of artillery trains to front. But, for the single horseman, they were of less importance. This was especially true for the Southern horsemen, many of whom lived in the area.

"Squashing" the current requirement for requiring couriers to use the roads, regardless of enemy occupation or distance involved, will most certainly increase the historical accuracy and playability, as I have already noted. I also believe that more players will utilize the courier system after it has been "tweaked" for more "rapid response" and they begin to understand its historical importance.

Thanks, again. It is always a PR+ for any company when the "Grand Poohbah" takes the time to address a member of the "complaint squad!" :ohmy:

J

[X Navy Seal]

Mr Baylor:

This issue can be resolved in MP as long as the sender of the courier moves within a few hundred yds of their target.

Best

[Kerflumoxed]

X Navy Seal wrote:

Mr Baylor:

This issue can be resolved in MP as long as the sender of the courier moves within a few hundred yds of their target.

Best

Correct, Mr. "X"...I can see you have been influenced by Mr. Gordon!

However, if I am "busily" engaged in commanding a portion of my troops and unable to move to "withing a few hundred yards of the target", the first courier takes the road, as for example can easily occur on the 5 mile x 5 mile Alpine map. My point is to be able to send the first courier cross-country without having to move my commander, duplicating what was common practice during the war.

Thanks for your input...ready for a game?

My best,

J

[RDBoles]

So maybe their is a way to make a bunch of invisable trails on the map that a courier would use but the rest of the army wouldn't see them or use them. Similar to the new Alpine trails. But not visable on the map.

[Marching Thru Georgia]

RDBoles wrote:

So maybe their is a way to make a bunch of invisable trails on the map that a courier would use but the rest of the army wouldn't see them or use them. Similar to the new Alpine trails. But not visable on the map.

Nope. Trails can be invisible, but they would be used by the AI for moving all units, not just couriers. The courier cross-country distance is currently set at 300 yds.

[Kerflumoxed]

Marching Thru Georgia wrote:

RDBoles wrote:

So maybe their is a way to make a bunch of invisable trails on the map that a courier would use but the rest of the army wouldn't see them or use them. Similar to the new Alpine trails. But not visable on the map.

Nope. Trails can be invisible, but they would be used by the AI for moving all units, not just couriers. The courier cross-country distance is currently set at 300 yds.

Thanks, MTG...that was my next question.

Now, not being a wiz at this simulation thing, the obvious question is how to re-set the 300 yards to a different distance, like, say, 1,000 yards. Is that possible?

J

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Kerflumoxed queried:

Now, not being a wiz at this simulation thing, the obvious question is how to re-set the 300 yards to a different distance, like, say, 1,000 yards. Is that possible?

Nope. It's hardcoded.

[Davinci]

Are you guys discussing the Mutli-Player aspect of the game, or the Single-Player aspect of the game?

Multi-Player – I can’t comment on, I have never played it, don’t really plan on playing it!

Single-Player – I think that the courier system works pretty good considering that this is a first-generation-system.

If the roads are controlled the courier has an unobstructed path towards their objective, if the roads are not controlled they will probably be killed.

I like this; it forces the player to try to keep the roads blocked, even at the point of reducing their forces by detaching brigades to act as guards. The new Alpine Map is great for these types of maneuvers.

The only problem that I see with the courier-system is that the message comes from the Commanding Officer, and not from the sender.

I would like the sender to dispatch the courier, have him ride over to the Commanding Officer, and then have the Commanding Officer dispatch another order to reinforce a certain point.

The current system has a minor-flaw where-as, as long as the Commanding Officer is stationed back, far behind the front-line, the courier will leave from this point to ride to his objective.

I’m a big fan of this new system, I very seldom have a courier killed that I have dispatched, now the AI does seem to get several of them killed, but that’s another story!

davinci