Love it

[2ndAcr]

Had the game since right after release..............only last year or so have we been doing MP. Got a small group we do co-op against the AI with.

We just fought the most stressful battle I have had yet. We do courier only, but camera is limited to 700 meters (not good enough for a true HITS yet). We use the Bugle mod also (I can no longer handle not having it).

We had 4 divisions in my Corps, 2 Div were human controlled and I took the other 2 div. We spread out a little too far, by the time I got to the objective, which started in the Rebs control at start, I found what I though was the whole Reb OOB on the march (we use the hunt them down) and were on the Pipe Creek 3 map. The rebs headed south, I could not see enough, so sent one of my human commanders to the SE to find the front of the reb column, well he found part of it and deployed to meet them from a ridge. I then ran way back to the SE and found the rest of the rebs south of him near the map edge, so I deployed Sykes one of my AI div commanders into a blocking position.

I then ran all the way back to catch Slocum's div and get them ready, they were heading to where I first spotted the rebs. By the time I got there, he had gotten into a total scrum and already lost a brigade, I managed to get 2 arty batteries and 1 1/2 brigades onto the ridge in a horse shoe and there we stood and fought for over an hour as the rebs kept slowly searching for our flanks. All my couriers died trying to break the reb line to reach my 4th Div under human control.

Finally after an hour, I was forced to pull off my ridge and into a valley so dubbed "the valley of death". Ripper (my human commander in the SE) had been forced to pull back to another hill top, one of his brigades and the left over brigade I still had left fought a delaying action all the way across the valley floor to the hill, so dubbed "Custer's last Stand Hill", there we formed into another horse shoe and took on all comers. Finally, in the last 30-45 min I see my 4th div cresting the ridge I was forced to flee and enter the valley of death. All this time, Sykes had under AI control no less, managed to hold an entire Reb div at bay and was still in a decent shape.

Battle ended with 1/2 my Corps casualties, we took 11,000 but inflicted over 16,000 upon the rebs.

I have to say, great job on the AI, he really searched out my flanks and slowly swamped us as he went.

[Turbotay]

First, I'd like to welcome a fellow Dragoon. What troop were you in? I was Maint. Troop '01 - '06.

If and when your group is ready to try out bigger MP battles, I highly recommend checking out [url=http://]www.sowmp.com[/url] Each player gets their own divisions (one US and one CS) with experience and casualties that carry over from battle to battle. We have games every afternoon and evening.

Hope to see you soon.

Always Ready!

[2ndAcr]

I was in Eagle 2/2 1990-1991.............got to Bamberg in right after Iraq invaded Kuwait, went to Graf, then went to Desert Shield/Storm with them, was there for the de-activation when we left Germany. I am a old timer.

We have talked about hitting the larger MP battles, but we all want to be a lot better overall in courier use and such. I am just now mastering Corps command and getting my AI guys to do what I want and such. I have GCM uploaded already, right now we are having a blast using the Peninsular OOB for battles.

We will be there soon,

Toujours Pret

[Turbotay]

We very rarely use courier commands in our MP battles. Occasionally, someone will host a game during the weekend to use couriers, or HITS, or both as a way to mix things up a bit. But overall, we play with point-and-click style commands, and the camera at 100 yrds or so from the saddle. You guys are welcome to jump in right away. We have players at every skill level playing every night, and 98% of the regular crowd is very helpful to the newbies.

[2ndAcr]

Well, we have been using couriers for communication between us (as you can see above, it makes for a dicey thing if your couriers get shot to crud) camera set to about 700 meters or so. Not far enough you can fly around the map, but enough that you can maybe go from one end of your div to the other when deployed. We use point and click all the time. But even then, nada happens until a courier arrives to tell them to move.

Will be adjusting the camera to a little closer soon, as our little group get's more familiar working together and such.

[Ingles of the 57th]

I am always fascinated by the designs folk use to label themselves. Me, I just use a recent picture of myself looking like Mussolini doing a Norman Schwarzkopf impersonation.

I was curious about the French motto and looked up 2ACR. My goodness, what a history. Just achieved 200 year anniversary since the first squadrons were raised in Florida. Guess the french originated there although I gather the Fleur de Lys was added under Pershing in France.

Perhaps we should establish an 'old timers sub-group' with combat rules relaxed to allow for failing eyesight, onset of Alzheimers, and the need for constant 'visits' at crucial moments of game play.

Geoff Laver Late of Her Britannic Majesty's 57th Regiment of Foot.

[2ndAcr]

Yes Sir, a very proud history. Greatest unit in the US Army in my opinion. Sad what they have done to my regiment over the years. I would have put our Desert Storm regiment up against anything on the bad side of 4-1 odds and we would have kicked the crud out of them.

[Chamberlain]

Welcome 2ndAcr ,

And Thank you for your Service !!



Chamberlain

[Anthropoid]

Hey ya'll, I'm one of 2nd's loyal subordinates

We've been having some good fun with it, and it would be great to have more guys join us. A couple comments re: game settings, etc.

1. I've been playing a bit solo in HITS. I'm reaching the conclusion that, when you have AI commanders under you, this just isn't that much fun.

2. A fully HITS coop (or even PVP) where all Brigades are under human control would be cool. But for most OOBs where you cannot muster enough humans I think something like the settings 2nd described is pretty ideal: courier commands required for all levels, but camera with some mobility.

3. I do think that NOT using courier commands in this fine game is selling the user's experience a bit short.

You always have the cheat of clicking "I" and engaging in team chat if you absolutely must, and the reality is that couriers were the cutting edge for command and control in the 19th century.

It substantially changes the pace as well as the tactical dynamics on the battlefield. In sum, being able to direct your subordinates without using couriers is just not as realistic.

[KG_Soldier]

"I do think that NOT using courier commands in this fine game is selling the user's experience a bit short."

I don't really agree with that, especially in MP games. I've always said that if you play with courier commands you should never TC subordinate commanders or regiments/guns, letting the AI carry out your orders. We did that in a few GCM/KS HITS games. It was pretty cool. But, honestly, playing courier by brigade seems to me a bit silly if the players are allowed to TC units and/or give direct orders to units.

I don't really think brigade commanders had 500 couriers with them during battles. And it looks plain silly in a big MP battle to have 50,000 men on the field and 25,000 couriers.

That said. . . I think the best way to play SOW is whichever way you prefer. I like KS HITS games and I like GCM games. I almost never play single player, but I play a GCM MP game every day -- two if my wife gets home a little late. And I play in most the KS HITS games, though I missed this weekend's.