some newbie questions

[oho]

I'm very interested in your Mod esp. Road to Wagram / Borodino / 1813.
Some questions before :
1. What maps do you use?
2. What units equal the regiments of the original game?
3. What is the ratio for 1 soldier in game - 1 soldier in reality?
4. I understood that the squares work well. Did you or can I change some parameters, so that the AI uses more column by division formation, as they used to on the napoleonic battlefields? Right now it uses only marching column and line.
5. Are there random maps?
Thanks in advance…

[Jack ONeill]

O,

Welcome aboard. Answers -

1) We use all the maps in some form or another. I my case, the size of the army I am/You are using dictates which map I/you may use.

2) I am not sure what you mean about units in the original game? Can you clarify?

3) In the origianl NapMod by Gunship24 , He set up most of his Original OOBs to reflect a 1 to 4 ratio, BUT he also did some at a 1 to 8 ratio. ALL the OOBs I do or have done have been 1 to 8 ratio. You can generally tell which OOB is which ratio because both Gunship24 and I put "_SR8" at the end of the OOB name.

4) Yes, we have changed the aspects of the squares. I did the preliminary work, the RebBugler did the final aspects. You can find the link to his setup somewhere on the Forum in the NapMod section. I think Gunship24 did some work on the AI using more Columns of Division than Line, but I'm not remember.

5) There are no random maps at this time that I'm aware of.

"Molon Labe"

Jack B)

[RebBugler]

OOBs alone can not, or should not be used to set sprite ratios, this is done through Options. The only time OOBs should reflect sprite ratios is for SR1, breaking battalions (Nap) or regiments (ACW) down to squadrons or companies. Pretty sure Gunship included SR8 in his OOB names as a suggestion to run said OOBs at Options - Sprite Ratio 8.

[Saddletank]

I'm very interested in your Mod esp. Road to Wagram / Borodino / 1813.
Some questions before :
1. What maps do you use?
2. What units equal the regiments of the original game?
3. What is the ratio for 1 soldier in game - 1 soldier in reality?
4. I understood that the squares work well. Did you or can I change some parameters, so that the AI uses more column by division formation, as they used to on the napoleonic battlefields? Right now it uses only marching column and line.
5. Are there random maps?
Thanks in advance…

Hey Oho and welcome to Scourge of War, great to se you.

1. All maps. Garnier has made some random map [acks which lack buildings and the American zig-zag rail fences so they look less ACW, but you can use any map. I personally prefer buildings - even 1860s Pennsylvania buildings - to a blank map.
2. You can use any unit. Most commonly battalions go into these slots but European Napoleonic battalions were on average much bigger than ACW regiments. While an ACW unit might be 150-450 men a Napoleonic battalion was more usually 450-900 men. In some OOBs single companies can go into the tactical slots below brigade level such as companies of 5/60th or 95th rifles for the British. Our MP group tends to use the cavalry squadron of 100-250 sabres as the tactical unit immediately below brigade level, and not the cavalry regiment. In some OOBs we combine weak squadrons into pairs. I have found that cavalry units below about 100 sabres do not work well. In effect we sometimes end up calling cavalry regiments "brigades" but the system still works.
3. The sprite ratio is 1 sprite represents 4 actual men but the software has a limit of 125 sprites to a unit so a 1000 man battalion will still only have 125 sprites representing 500 men. We simply live with the discrepancy. Other scenario/OOB designers like to keep 500 men as a hard limit to unit size so they end up splitting the bigger battalions into left and right wings. There's no wrong way to approach it.
4. Try Reb Buglers toolbar and Marching Through Georgias HITS/Couriers mods:

http://www.norbsoftdev.net/forum/napole ... af-toolbar

http://forum.kriegsspiel.org.uk/t760-ne ... -sow-games

Using Reb's toolbar you can order battalions and brigades into columns of division now and also order them to maintain that formation as they advance. It looks very cool.

5. Yes, check our Garniers random maps mods. He's made loads of them in 2.5m and 5m sizes.

[Jack ONeill]

O,

Please allow me to clarify some of the information recently posted.

Brother RB is somewhat off on his post. Gunship and I are well aware that sprite ratios are not determined by the OOB itself. You can use any sprite ratio you want. HOWEVER, If you would like your Battalions/Squadrons to reflect something approaching historical accuracy, you might need to think about which one you chose.
Example - for a sprite ratio OOB of 4 to 1, Gunship split his Austrian Battalions in to two sections because, historically, Austrian Battalions, (in 1809), were HUGE, 1000 men or more on average. As Brother Tank has stated, the game engine can only support a maximum of 125 sprites per unit, in this case a Battalion. So, to show a 1000 man battalion, you need to split the unit into sections of 500 men each, in order to get all the men on the field.
I design almost all my OOBs at a 8 to 1 ratio. This allows almost all Battalions/Sqaudrons to be represented as a single unit. Example - An Austrian Battalion of 1000 men, (more or less), at 8 to 1 sprite ratio is represented perfectly by the 125 sprites, (again, more or less), allowed by the game engine. To me, it just seems more correct that way.

Rebs toolbar is brilliant! I'd forgotten about the Column of Divisions aspect. Definitely try it.

Agreeing with Brother Tank, I will combine smaller squadrons within regiments to get something of manageable size and usfullness. Otherwise, you can get small units of 10-12 sprites running around. If they're not skirmisher infantry, kind of a waste.

I think I understand your question #2 - The units in the original ACW side of the game have no bearing on the NapMod side. They do not correspond to each other.

"Molon Labe"

Jack B)

[oho]

thanks for the answers.
regarding the formations:
is there a chance that the enemy AI uses the columns of division more often than in the original game?

[Jack ONeill]

O,

Probably not. That is a "Hard Code" situation within the game engine itself. It is the same issue with the AI using squares. Remember, the game engine, while highly modable, is still designed to run the ACW side of the game. During that War, squares and Columns of Divisions were so rare as to be non-existant as far as gaming purposes go. That being said, the GAme is STILL the most awesome around, tiny issues not withstanding.

"Molon Labe"

Jack B)

[RebBugler]

Brother RB is somewhat off on his post. Gunship and I are well aware that sprite ratios are not determined by the OOB itself. You can use any sprite ratio you want. HOWEVER, If you would like your Battalions/Squadrons to reflect something approaching historical accuracy, you might need to think about which one you chose.

I stand corrected, having not studied these OOBs I was not aware of this. Still, to be clear, sprite ratios are determined by the Options Sprite Ratio selection. They can be modded in as they were with a previous engine, but this is not necessary now with the most recent patches incorporating the Options Sprite Ratio feature.

[Grog]

Hello Oho

I think I remember you from Histwar or NBC?? Welcome.

I believe Mitra managed to mod enemy AI to adopt Brigade formations in Column of Division, when within engagement range.

I might be mistaken. I will look into it.

[Jack ONeill]

Grog,

YES!!! I knew SOMEONE had done it, just not who. Thanks. Ah, the hunt begins...

"Molon Labe"

Jack B)