Scourge of War Boards

I'm not sure if this is a bug or not, so I'm posting it here.

When playing in MP, the mini map doesn't seem to work as it does in SP. There's nothing there---no troops, objectives, etc... Now this wouldn't be a problem, except that when I receive courier messages from superior officers in MP indicating an objective or deployment location a la, "Deploy your troops in the location indicated on the map", I'm left befuddled.

Is this normally the case, or is it some type of a bug? I'm using the stock map.

Thanks!

It sounds like the MP host has the map icons turned off.

One trick I use is to look for your "eye" icon on the map. That reveals your present location. You're on your own to navigate from there.

Good luck!

Thanks, Neal!

Unfortunately, I don't even have the 'eye' icon telling me where I am on the map. It's literally a blank map.

On the bright side, having a blank map adds to the realism of the game. Last MP game I played, I thought I was aiming toward the Round Tops, but instead I marched toward Culps Hill. These sorts of directional issues were the bane of countless campaigns during the war. On the other hand, it makes courier commands such as that described above completely useless.

Question: If the host is using the mini map mod, and I'm not, could that be an issue?

Cheers!
G. Knowlton

Look carefully, the "eye" icon can be hard to see sometimes, and it can take a second to find.

I know in the Shenandoah Club we played with blank maps, but the eye was always there. Just to make sure, ask your host from the game as he should be able to tell you what the setting was.

There are some tricks when trying to find your way around the map. Of course, nothing is as good as knowing the battleifeld, but that comes with gameplay expereince. I must say, I have been impressed at just how different so many MP battles feel, simply because the start positions on the field are typically different. There's a lot of replay value to this game, as my continued presence suggests!

A good trick, when seperated from other friendly elements, is to send a courier to another distant element and watch which way he goes. That won't help you find your location on the map, but it is helpful in games where you have a partner but are seperated--it helps you find your bearings, or at least suggests which direction to march in.

Finally, pay very close attention to roads and creeks, which do appear on the stock maps. That's also a very good way of determining yoru position. If you feel the blank map is simply a bit much, feel free to ask your host if they would change the setting for you, at least until you become more comfortable. Despite recent rants on here, the MP community is made of some very friendly people and most everyone will accomodate reasonable requests, especially from new MP adventeruers.

Good luck!

N

There are two completely unrelated things going on here.

One is, that perhaps the host has turned off minimap icons, which means you don't see where units are on the minimap. You still should see the minimap image itself.

If your minimap image isn't helpful, you could try one of the minimap mods that show the map locations on the map:
MTG's or Mine

Wunderbar! Thank you, gents! I'll try again using Garnier's mod, and report back. It adds much more contrast, so it'll be easier to decipher what or if a problem exists.

In full disclosure, I rarely use the mini map anyway. It's just too unrealistic. If McDowell had the Hogwarts-esque animated super map we have, the war would have ended after three months. So I typically use the immediate terrain features to discover my location and trajectory, and those of the enemy as suggested by Neal. Seems to work quite well for me.

It's only the damned courier issue in MP that's been bugging me.