So, carrying on with the obs on 1.2 arty.
We are now with 20+ sandbox battles in corps vs corps and I've yet to lose one (historical level customized with no couriers and all in sight view but still with 10m camera restriction).
As I said this has something to do with the fact that you can pinpoint your combat zones so that you have a distinct advantage in rifle vs rifle combat with the enemy.
So the first priority imho is to make the game harder by working on the ai.
As corps commander, I am ahead of the Div commander and I observe the battle from behind the lines. This is what I do and what the AI should do as well.
If a rgt is in open vs covered: fallback (if the rgt is facing overwhelming odds, instant retreat).
If a rgt is in open vs open and there's cover between rgt an enemy: advance to cover.
If a rgt is flanking an enemy rgt which is already engaged: advance.
If a rgt is shooting a gun: advance.
Obviously against such tactic, the AI has no chance. I tried with all OOBs, all objective scenarios, with and without force balancement and with both sides: about 20 games played, only major victories. Essentially the AI is routed much sooner and I carry on pounding it.
If the AI could do what I do manually the game would be TOTALLY different and I urge you guys to do something about this issue. The AI against me is always fighting in the open against covered regiments. It will never stand a chance.
So back to the main business: artillery.
I already said the most important thing here to do is to modify the behavior of the DIV leader so that he will not see his guns as an assemblement of troops to be kept in a particular formation.
The only formation needed here is the one that gives visibility to a target, even just one target. When that is achieved the gun, the battery, the entire DIV should stay in place. If the target changes (either manually or via AI decision) the DIv leader should relocate the gun just for the purpose of visibility and this means a slight move by pushing the gun but NOT the limbering/unlimbering and big movements.
Luckily, when the DIV is in hold at all costs, the guns STAY in place but do mind that in this stance you can't move the guns even if you want to because on the battlefield they will almost always be under fire by enemy artillery or have targets in range.
So now you see why the courier system doesn't work with artillery: You'll have to change stance, then issue the move order, check roads/double quick, then issue the stance order again. In the meanwhile the courier has arrived, God knows what can have changed on the battlefield... the couriering system is ok it's the fact that the DIV leader moves his guns up and down with no purpose that messes everything up. I believe the way the DIV arty leader manages things is the main reason why the crews are always exhausted. Though I don't see why they shouldn't recover fatigue when shooting in place. It's not that tiring activity after all. Fatigue is extra important. We will never manage to build appropriate accuracy tables if fatigue keeps altering it.
About the command map. Did you guys notice that if you open the command map (all in sight) you will see not where your DIV is (any DIV) but where it will be at the end of the previous "N" order?
Quite obvious isn't it...
but well there's something more.You will ALSO see where the enemy troops will be at the end of their order. This violates the fog of war and you can move ahead of them (especially if they are guns) and catch them where they will be. I presume this will totally mess up multiplayer and I can imagine what a guy playing USA with the cavalry will do against the guy playing CSA with moving his artillery. This has got to be addressed... do mind what this problem means not just in the "no couriers" but with the "bde level" courier setting. Mind that each time you give an order you've got to wait and see what happens... then what the AI will do after that order is taken and still... hope the AI won't override it.
Before closing this observations post (for the moment!) I wanted to tell I finally took a look at the sprite of a gun hit by my cannons and being destroyed. That was totally cool. We just need a sprite with a standing gun and limber, the sprites of the routing crews and we'll have fixed a MAJOR gamey problem with this engine: The arty routing and taking the gun with it! How comes when you need to limber/unlimber it takes you a minute while when you rout you can instantly limber the gun and flee?
Next step is to increase the morale loss for crews under musket fire. Make them rout after 30 seconds when they are half dead and you'll see how the strategies against guns change. No more guns in the front line AS IT SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN. Can't imagine the implications of capturing the guns without need to charge them. The game would become history in itself. We need, imho, to address the 300 shooting vs 15 reloading morale issue. The crew can't keep shooting cannister when under musket fire. Dead or alive, they must rout and leave the gun in place for capture. Now THAT becomes a cannister armed gun in the middle of the enemy lines... and this is why I am SURE the guns would not be used in front line anymore. No more gamey tactics.
Finally, I don't know whether or not this is bc of DRF mod but the supply wagon cart has totally disappeared. I only see the horses now. Minor graph glitch, totally unimportant and I am sure you all already know.
