File Question for MP Mods

[A.S. Johnston]

I'm working my way through the SDK Manual (for the umpteenth time!) and I see there is a file called 'Battledef.ini', which seems able to be modified to adjust the effects of casualties on morale. It has lines for the effects of fire from the front, the rear and the flanks with a fudge factor for getting a lot of casualties, one lot right after the other, just like one's regiment might take in a column charge into a regiment or two in line, firing like madmen.

I do not see where this file is listed as prohibited for MP Mods; is it? Of course, it isn't listed as required either nor as local; it doens't matter if it is those as local only affects the host, if I'm reading correctly and it isn't on the required list and no one mentions it so it's not likely required either.

Could this file be modded - with trial and error for 'how much modding' - to make column-charging regiments most often - however frequent that may be - more often than is useful to the charging player, fail their morale and run away screaming?

[CoB4thTEXAS]

http://www.norbsoftdev.net/forum/techni ... fini#38581


These are the values i settled for, sure seems to make the units act better for me.


[BattleDef]
;[CasualtyMorale]
; This is done for every man lost in battle
; This is modified by factors in unitattributes.csv,,
CMBaseLoss=8,,
; This modifier is multiplied by the percentage of men lost, then by the morale loss
; So 100 with 50% of men lost and modified loss of 10 would mean a total 15 point loss
; So this value means take 100% of the percent lost modifier
CMPctMenRemainingMod=50
; Lastly we modify for where the fire came from, this value is the percent of the remaining value to use
CMPctFrontFire=200
CMPctRearFire=1200
CMPctFlankFire=1000
; So the final formula is:
; result = BaseLoss + unitattributes modifiers
; result = Random( result - randfact, result + randfact )
; the minimum value of result will be 1 at this point
; result = result + (result * PctMenLost) * PctMenRemainingMod
; result = result * FireType
CMRandFact=3
; this is used to specify the killing rate in seconds
CMMaxNextKillTime=10
CMMaxKillTimePenalty=5

[Marching Thru Georgia]

A.S. Johnston wrote:

ould this file be modded - with trial and error for 'how much modding' - to make column-charging regiments most often - however frequent that may be - more often than is useful to the charging player, fail their morale and run away screaming?

Only if the fire is coming from their flank of rear. Then you can set these values and have the unit route after only 3 or 4 casualties are received.
CMPctRearFire=1400
CMPctFlankFire=1300
This will happen no matter what formation the enemy is in. A simple fix for the column charge might be for columns not to have a front face, just flanks and rear. Then adjusting the battledefs values would do away with that tactic. But Norb would have to make changes in the code to do that.

[Turbotay]

Most of the MP community doesn't want to get rid of massed column assaults, only make it more costly for the attacker. As it stands now, a person who puts their units in road column or column by division gets all the benefits without taking any of the drawbacks in making an assault. Namely the increased amount of small arms fire the units would take as they drew closer to the enemy. Also, it could be argued that a regiment in column that is within musket range of the enemy would take more hits due to the fact they have a smaller frontage and the enemy would all be aiming at the same point, instead of a huge line. Neither of those seem to be in the game at present.

[A.S. Johnston]

Thanks for all the replies. Makes sense, was just wondering if any useful 'tinkering' might be done with the stock file.