Having trouble controlling my subordinates

[Fredster33]

Hey all!
New player here.

I'm trying out the various scenarios and sandbox battles on brigade, divison and ocasional corps-level.
I'm starting to warm up to brigade command, but I'm having trouble with division and above. If I'm on the offensive and try to use more than one brigade to attack I will have to (of course) align the brigades before going forward. Unfortunetely if I get one brigade into position it will eventually start making these crazy independant move descisions before my other brigade is in place. On the defensive its the same thing. I arraign my troops the way I like it but the formation is almost immedieatly broken by my AI brigade-commanders when the enemy is on the approach.
When I play Corps-level its almost impossible for me to keep track of my troops as each brigade does what he feels like!

So what can I do?

[General P R Cleburne]

One thing that you can do that will help some with this , is try to get a look at the individual brigade commanders strengths and weakness.
Each commander has his "own" ideals and abilities that effect how he will react to each situation at any given time whilst not under your direct command.
Once you get a good handle on this aspect of the division role then you will start to see where each commander becomes useful to you in your movements and can use them for the appropriate roles.
For example a defensively minded commander, in a good defensive position, might well do the task you set him as you see fit, however if that same defensive role is filled by an attacking minded commander,then things start to get interesting....
Have fun Fred!

[RebBugler]

Welcome aboard Fredster33

A common frustration, that's why the command TCofficers was included. It can be edited to your keyboard or I have it included on my Bugles and Flags toolbar mod. Give your division formation then hit tcofficers. Once the units become engaged, unTC officers for best results, or, to give another division command, each officer must be unTC'd.

Cumbersome I gotta admit, but otherwise, as you've seen, your brigades will be all over the place, doing their own thing.

Hang in there, I personally am working from the inside of SOW for Player Control improvements in solving this common frustration.

[Marching Thru Georgia]

First, welcome to the game. You'll have many hours of challenging play.

The short answer to your question is "not a lot." The AI is very human like so those brigade and division commanders have their own opinions on how the battle should be fought given the conditions they see in front of them. Remember, they view the battle from ground level. They do not fight the battle from an aerial perspective. If you want to see what they see, just set the difficulty level to 'Historic'. You'll find it's not easy fighting a battle that way.

However, you can get those commanders to do what you have in mind at least a majority of the time, if you follow a few general guidelines. First, check the attributes of the commander, what kind of man is he. If he is bold or daring, you'll want to keep him on a short leash. If he is defensive minded, you'll need to plant your boot firmly in his backside to get him to move. Left to their own they will fight the battle to suit their style. The way you control this is by giving the commander a 'stance'. If you want to control those aggressive generals, you'll want to set their stance to 'defend' or 'hold'. If you want them to attack, use 'probe'. If you want Conan the Barbarian, tell them to 'attack'. With a defensive personality it's just the opposite.

How they fight their troops is based on their "Ability", "Command" and "Control". If these are not very good, it will be small wonder that the regiments do not coordinate well. But a good commander will run his unit like a well oiled machine. It's very impressive to watch.

Like any leader, you have to know your subordinates strengths and weaknesses. You need to plan your battle strategy based on what you can expect from them. These are not mindless zombies who only exist to slavishly perform your wishes. They will try to execute your orders, but viewed through their own lens. It's up to you to adjust their vision so it corresponds to yours. Good luck.

[Neal]

I wonder if there is some way the interface could be slightly modified to make this information instant without having to view the OOB and take your eyes off defeating slavish Yankee zombies.

Here's the logic: If you were there, it is most likely that you'd know these commanders, or at least their reputation before battle, so there'd be no guessing who is how.

Now the solution (feature): When I click a commander, above the toolbar his traits will display, much like the news displays the name and credentials of someone they're interviewing on television.

The benefit is I now see what commander is who and how without having to switch to the OOB screen. I merely click on the officer and I see his name (recognize him across the field) and I know his character (because theoretically I have met him before battle).

It should be relatively unobtrusive on display, and as with all such tools, I should have a the option toggle the feature on or off.

[Neal]

Also, after you spend some time with the game, you will probably start learning the commanders and their traits without having to look them up. At that point, you could turn the tool off.

I might add, the best is playing against real humans. I mean, the AI is here is amazing, but nothing yet beats playing with friends and frenemies.

[Fredster33]

Thanks for the kind replies all!
Yeh I guess I got a lot to learn...And I'm probably spoiled by other tactical games such as the Total War series where they obey orders unless they are routed or dead.

I will check out the mods. Ashamed to say I missed the mod-section of this forum until just now

And yeah! Playing against humans are the best! I prefer to learn the ropes of the game before going into serious multiplayer games though. (no point in joining a multiplayer game without even knowing how to order your brigade into line for instance)

Oh, one last newbie-question: What sandbox-map is optimal for Army-vs-Army battles? I made a few attempts just for fun but found that both Union and Confed armies spawned into each other in each map I tried

Thanks again for the replies! I'm really beginning to enjoy the game and will look into Multiplayer soon!

[Neal]

fredster,

I know in both GCM and Kreigsspiel (the active MP communities on here) they are always happy to work with new players to bring them up to speed.

It should be noted, the two communities are different on some fundamental gameplay styles, so check that out as you decide where to spend your limited gaming time.

If you're interested in the Kreigsspiel group campaign, here's the thread to enlistment.

http://www.norbsoftdev.net/forum/mp-for ... -unit-here

No harm in looking.

The GCM campaign is also hosted via these forums and has single player now, as I understand.

[Fredster33]

When I first come on this forum I got a tip for the GCM and a few days ago I joined their teamspeak and introduced myself. Also downloaded their mod.

Right now I havent thought that much ahead regarding which multiplayer group to join.

[Neal]

Well, why not join both?