Historic Waterloo as Napoleon scenario plus associated Artillery mod

[mcaryf]

Just a post to move this mod to the top of the queue.
Mike

[Jean Lafitte]

Now that we have v. 1.02 of SOWWL, I wonder if your Cavalry Mod is still necessary?

Does your Cav Mod work with this mod scenario that you've created?

Thanks.

[mcaryf]

Hi Jean

I already had 1.02 when I was getting cavalry combat results that seemed to me to be too random. I do not know what 1.02 changed but the statetables file issued with the original SDK pack (dated 2014) has values that would negate most of the benefits that better units should enjoy. It is possible that the 1.02 update has changed the Statetables actually used by the game but I do not know how I can determine that.

I have been happier with the results I have seen in my own cavalry engagements since I made that mod change.

I am not aware of any other Mod, apart from KS, that tries to adjust the Statetables values therefore my mod should not interfere with any other and should work with the standard scenarios issued with the Grog Toolbar mod.

Having started to look at these values and the way the KS Mod uses attributes I have started experimenting with more radical changes in particular to change the characteristics for different types of cavalry. For example it seems to me that lancers should have an advantage on the initial hit but after that it would take them longer to readjust either with their lance or by dropping it to use the sword they also carried. It is possible to do this with a mod to the attibutes' files. Melees are determined by two factors which are themselves adjusted by unit attributes such as experience, fatigue etc. The two factors are the chance to make a kill with a stab and how frequently a stab can be made. Thus lancers might be given a higher chance to make a kill with a stab but a longer interval between stab attempts.

The game does not unfortunately have any factor that improves defensive capability. So I am also looking at the effect of changing the relative speed for different types of cavalry (the KS Mod does this). This would give for example Hussars a defensive capability in that if they are faster then they can run away from heavy cavalry or perhaps lancers who might be expected to defeat them in normal combat. Thus I will be experimenting with Heavy Cavalry at speed 13, Lancers at speed 14 and Hussars etc at speed 15. Cavalry are normally quite hard to control so it may not be that easy to get them to run away but it could make for a more challenging game if players have to try to identify enemy unit types which might threaten them and act accordingly.

Regards

Mike

[Jean Lafitte]

I finally had the chance to play this scenario against the Allied AI. It is currently just after 9pm in the game and none of the Prussians have arrived, nor has anyone from Grouchy arrived.

As such, Wellington, standing alone with no help, lost his whole army, except for Vivian's cavalry and to small squadron remnants from a KGL cavalry brigade.

I guess that the night will fall and the scenario will end at 10pm game time.

[mcaryf]

Hi Jean

I am sorry it seems not to have worked for you. If it was functioning normally the three Prussians have to arrive any time from 4.30 pm onward as 3 separate Corps with Ziethen supporting Wellington's left flank and the two other Corps attacking towards Plancenoit.

Would you be able to take a scenario dump (use the K key) and post it on here so I can have a look at what it says about units participating and casualties etc.

Did you use it with any other mods? In particular my Artillery Mod should help Wellington a lot.

How did the cavalry battles with Wellington's cavalry work out - were there any strange results?

I have another variant of Waterloo which I have been working on which I will post about on another thread.

Regards

Mike

[Jean Lafitte]

Thanks for the interest. Three whole Prussian Corps attacking? I don't think that any Nappy player could win in that scenario. Maybe two full corps but not three.

There were only one or two Cav on Cav clashes because I try to avoid those if at all possible. But in one such clash I saw one French Cuirassier squadron, which was fresh, quickly surrendering to a Hanoverian squadron. The Hano cav had been under long range artillery bombardment for a considerable time prior to the clash.

However, based on other cav clashes in other scenarios, your Cav Mod is a good thing, and I thank you for it.

Here are the four mods that I used:

Expanded Grog Toolbar V

MCF Artillery Mod v3

Cavalry Melee Mod

French Whole Day Historic v2

[Jean Lafitte]

I should mention that both Exelmann and Vandamme sent messages notifying me that they were 4 hours away from appearance, unless delayed by the Prussians.

Also, the Mansartt objective point appeared on the lower right part of the game map.

[Jean Lafitte]

message removed

[DarkRob]

Three whole Prussian Corps attacking? I don't think that any Nappy player could win in that scenario. Maybe two full corps but not three.

I could. Give me Lobau's corps, the Imperial Guard, their artillery and one cavalry division and Il make a wall the Prussians could never break through, no matter how many of them there are.

[mcaryf]

Hi Jean

The only Prussian Corps with all its units intact is the IVth Corps of Bulow, only part of the II Corps of Pirch arrives before 9.30 pm and Ziethen's Corps was badly chewed up both during the defense of Charleroi and at Ligny so it is not full strength. I agree with Rob that it is normally possible to hold off the standard AI player but I do script some additional tactics and you played with my artillery mod which increases canister range so the AI guns can be more effective even though it still does not push its guns as far forward as a good human player would.

I think what you have put in your last post is the scenario.csv file. what I wanted was the database file that has the casualty reports. You can get that either via the end screen when you stop the scenario and select statistics and then scenario database or during play you can press the "K" key. You will find this file written into the same directory as where you can find the scenario folder. it has a name that looks like this sowWLgamedb-02-07-18_17-17-37.csv where the first set of numbers is the date and the second set the time. It gives you lists of the casualties suffered by each unit and which units inflicted them as well as the end status of the unit e.g. routed, engaged etc. It would be better for me if you could attach the file rather than post the file's content but do whatever is easier for you.

It is an interesting file to examine but is sometimes partially corrupted with respect to formatting and sequencing but it is possible to unscramble that.

Regards

Mike