Whitworth Non-Firing "Flaw-Bug"

[Kerflumoxed]

During a single-player sandbox game yesterday, I selected Captain Hunt's Alabama Artillery. This battery includes two Whitworth Rifles and two 3" Ordnance Rifles. I played on a flat map with 1,000 yards visibility. When Union infantry approached at just under 1,000 yards, the two Ordnance Rifles opened fire. The Whitworths went through the motions of loading, and then reloading, but never fired a round. As the Union infantry closed under 200 yards, the Ordnance Rifle automatically switched to canister while the Whitworths failed to fire a single round.

I selected Hunt's Battery from the Gettysburg Day 3 OOB and am wondering if anyone else has experienced this same problem. I tried it 4 separate times with the same result. I have forwarded a copy of the saved game to Little Powell.

Thanks

J

[Little Powell]

I can confirm the bug from the save you sent me. I'm putting in a report for it.

Great catch, thanks for reporting it.

[Kerflumoxed]

Little Powell wrote:

I can confirm the bug from the save you sent me. I'm putting in a report for it.

Thanks, Matt!

But, hurry! I am being overrun by Yankees and need these guns repaired, pronto!

J

[ADukes]

Fix: Order the Whitworths to shoot solid shot.

[RebBugler]

Regardless, thanks for your report Kman Sir, saved game, clear explanation...Karma bump

I need to check this one out...why did it not default to solid, and retreat when within canister range?

[Little Powell]

Yep, as Adukes stated in the report, the Whitworth's only have solid shot available. The AI is trying to use other shot types, but can't because they aren't there.

This is an excellent catch.

[Kerflumoxed]

Yes, I knew that the Whitworths only had solid shot (properly termed a "bolt").

I could get them to fire, only by TCing each gun and selecting solid shot, not a big handicap unless you want to move the battery as a unit. Then, the CO would have to un-TC each gun which automatically switches from solid to shell. When in position, the process has to be reversed. For correct game operation, as well as historical accuracy, the optional three shell selections (shell, shrapnel, canister) should be removed from the HUD "fixing" the solid shot (bolt) as the only option for these two guns.

Also, based on my limited play this morning, the accuracy of these guns does not appear to have been adjusted to reflect the historical record. (See post 10677 for ranges) Would be nice to see the effects of Whitworth adjusted/increased to more accurately reflect their amazing range, accuracy and effect on the opposing forces.

Thanks

J

[NY Cavalry]

I think the Rebels had 2 whitworths at the battle that they posted on Oak Hill. Is this all they had? And are not these the ones that were gifts from the Queen of England?

[Jim]

Their accuracy is better than that of any other gun type on the field. There is limited data on the accuracy of the 12 lb version.

For the 3 lb version, the lateral accuracy was outstanding. However is was extremely sensitive to fouling and the vertical accuracy was comparatively poor. In a firing test in England with the 3 lb Whitworth on a test range, four successive shots (all at 10 dg elevation) differed 254 yards vertically (4269 to 4015 yds), where the lateral scatter ranged from 16 to 29 yards to the right of the aiming line.

An experienced gunner could probably learn to compensate, but the very expensive and hard to get bolts, combined with the fragility of the breech-loading mechanism, made this gun a curiosity rather than a reliable battlefield weapon.

-Jim