Scourge of War Boards

I’ll start by stating my question up front:
Are all of the scenarios modeled to force me to follow the script by keeping certain key commanders under AI orders; or, is the #1 key still supposed to work in scripted scenarios, and therefore we have a bug?

CB04 A Storm of Lead and Iron
As I knew my strategies would outshine the game, I started the game ordering the brigades to my selected locations through clicking the Take Command button for every one of my brigade commanders. Within a few minutes and without me touching a key, the AI took over ONeal and Doyle ordering them and their brigades to march toward the AI’s original destinations! So I clicked on ONeal and Doyle, ordered them back to my selected destinations, and clicked on the #1 key – so there ..... so I thought.

Within a few minutes the AI took over again, ordering ONeal and Doyle with their brigades back toward the AI's original destinations .... $%#@! I clicked on the commanders, hit the #2 key, changed their destinations, clicked the #1 key, and then clicked every regiment to ensure their Take Command flags were highlighted.

Within a few minutes the AI took over ONeal again, but did not take over Doyle. I repeated my procedure with ONeal and also detached him from Rodes.

It happened with ONeal again. I repeated my procedure with ONeal, properly using the #2/#1 keys again. This time I yelled obscenities at Rodes and detached Rodes by hitting his minus button! Finally ONeal Doyle and their brigades arrived at my ordered destinations.

However, that alpha male AI still refused to give up. During the firefight at the stonewall, as soon as I saw the AI light up ONeal’s original Objective Marker, and ONeal would start towards it (his regiments did not move as they were firing), I interceded repeatedly, sending him back to his regiment .

ONeal seems to have finally settled down with his firefight while I'm still in the midst of playing this scenario.

Footnotes:
I wouldn’t think this is a factor, but I’m the guy that has his #1/#2 keys defaulted to:
TC On 1 tcallon
TC Off 2 tcalloff

I regret this post's length, but I think it is relevant to include everything I tried.

I have found with this scenario, it's best to just leave O'neal and Doles alone. They are going to do their own thing regardless of what you want (as in the real battle). You still have plenty of forces to get the job done without them if you use your forces wisely.

LP, it's what I mean when I recommended the scenario description to specify the units under your command and those that you don't command (including why and if they will be available to you and how to make that happen).

There's literally enough to make you go crazy on the battlefield.

Owwww I can almost hear the obscenities JCanuck proferred... lol

You can command anyone under your chain of command. That's the way the game always works.

Even though a unit is under your command, even your own guy, can be subject to script commands at the discretion of the scenario designer.

Thank you Norb for clarifying what I thought might be the case as I had somewhat alluded.

“Are all of the scenarios modeled to force me to follow the script by keeping certain key commanders under AI orders .......”

It’s good to know I share command in some cases, but it will be damn tough for a control freak to give up my #1/#2 keys in certain scenarios.

Some of GShock’s recommendations would alleviate frustration. On the other hand, that frustration is probably more in keeping with historical realism when we remember that maxim where every military plan changes immediately upon implementation.

I had the same issue, and there's a thread discussing it here:

http://www.norbsoftdev.com/index.php?op ... 1&id=15846

You also need to check what orders the brigade has been assigned and change those (O'Neal has been ordered to attack, so even after you TC that is what he will try and do. If you unclick that order he will follow your orders). Whether or not having pre-set orders persist after the player has taken command is a wise decision is the subject of the thread. Norb's final answer is that it is really a matter of preference.

I am more concerned about the fact that if in the description you do not know who has a scripted behavior you will really go crazy to understand why some things happen and lots of bogus bugs or wrong AI behaviors will be reported, causing investigations and tests than lead to nothing.

I know freedom of modding and creating scenarios is important but if the scenario making tools have an editor and in this editor there's a MASK to allow the modder to specify detached units, scripted behaviors and so on, the team will save time, the community will have a better and less frustrating gaming experience. Do not expect the standard player to go seek and find out why an AI general acts this or that way. You will have to read and answer LOTS of posts about these issues.

Of course nobody can force a scen designer to do things "scientifically" but I am looking ahead of our present time at the moments where hundreds of players will create their own scenarios. The community will hang with 80% not properly described and 20% excellent scenarios. Problems *will* arise because of this.

That 20% should be "endorsed" in future patch releases if tests done by the team prove the scenario works according to the description. This is how to improve the game quality in the medium-long term.

Let's face it... the team is ALSO composed of hard-core players. It's not that such tests would prove boring.

GShock wrote:

I am more concerned about the fact that if in the description you do not know who has a scripted behavior you will really go crazy to understand why some things happen and lots of bogus bugs or wrong AI behaviors will be reported, causing investigations and tests than lead to nothing.

I agree with this thought completely. If there was no TC switch, then it would be easier to deal with some Rogue commander ignoring your orders. Having a Rogue commander who ignores courier orders AND commands issued while the unit is supposedly under TC is beyond frustrating.

The point about bug reporting is valid, too. If I know that certain behavior could just be random scripting by a scenario designer, then how much time do you think I'm going to invest in reporting it as a potential bug? You're right. Not much.

I don't mean to sound too harsh, but I wholeheartedly agree with GShock on this issue.

Yeah it's frustrating, but were going for realism here. Imagine how frustrated Rodes was when he saw O'Neal prematurely attacking, and Doles moving off to God knows where?

But don't worry, GB04 and GB01 are the only scenario's that have the stubborn commanders.

Well since that would seem to knock the wind out of the sails of this thread, can we expect to come across any rogue regiments, batteries or ammo wagons?