Scourge of War Boards

I have moved this thread from "general discussion American Civil War" in the hope that it might be better read.

'Old Soldier' posted the story of Sallie, the staunch bull terrier mascot of the 11th PA Volunteers, who served through most of the major battles including Gettysburg (Oak Hill) and Antietam (The Cornfield), was wounded on several occasions and finally died in action. She is properly represented on the Regimental War Memorial.

I thought it would add heart to our game, as well as provide a suitable tribute, if one of our skilled modders could find a way to ensure that, whenever the 11th PA was depicted in action, the sprite of a small brindle dog marched, ran or stood, two paces ahead of the regimental colonel.

How about it you chaps. It would increase the popularity of our game in a certain region and certainly make me very happy.

Sorry guy, this would be a tough mod. Only way to add a sprite to a regiment would be to mod it into the Drills.csv file. But then, every regiment on both sides would have their regimental pooch. Cute, but probably not very practical. But, if you don't build a death sprite, then if they got shot, they'd just disappear and go to doggie heaven.

I luv my dogs, got five at present, and they rule the roost. All but one came in as strays, they make for the best of friends even though my wife and I spoil them thoroughly.

Hi Reb Bugler

I am probably teaching my grandmother to suck eggs but if I were planning this mod rather than doing it (which regrettably I can't), I would go along these lines.

(1) Have a second subset of the Union Regimental Commander sprites, (USA_H_Inf_OFF_01) I think, incorporating the dog two paces in front.

(2) The Commander, waving his sword, never dies even in the fiercest melee so neither would the dog. A pit bull in a melee would be quite something. There is a death sprite in this set but it never seems to get invoked as far as I can see. If it is, it is immediately replaced.

(3) The problem.

I already came to the conclusion that the implementation could probably not be done via manipulating the current content of the OOB or any other CSV file.

There is nothing coded as far as I can see that readily allows a single regiment to take on and display unique qualities. The sprite for the Regimental Commander (blue or grey) is probably chosen deep in the the program coding based purely upon ARMY.

An "IF REGIMENT = 11PA" type decision would probably be needed somewhere in the SANDBOX coding to invoke an alternative dog-loving Regimental Commander sprite.

I realise that this probably turns everything from a mod into a patch. OUCH.

But I am not beaten yet. I am going to have a really good close look at all the .csv files in the next few days. A new pair of eyes plus some bizarre lateral thinking might come up with something workable. I spent my entire working career as a damned good planner but a hopeless manager. Just right for the Army Staff.

Don't worry,I haven't given up on you yet, Sallie.

Geoff Laver

In terms of .csv files, it would be reasonably easy to create a new union uniform, call it 11th_PA. I think you would have to use the dog sprite as the commander (the men would complain they were run by the dogs!). Of course, you no longer have a commanding officer, and you still have to make that dog sprite...

It is interesting to note that many regiments had their own mascot (often a dog, though a wolverine or eagle could do in a pinch). Unfortunately, someone would have to mod the series of sprites (from standing to death) of each of these (if not each species).

Overall, I doubt if including dogs on the battlefield would bring in any new players, though it might make interesting scenery. Maybe someday it will happen, and I will create the 4th Regiment of Dog Volunteer Infantry, and we will demolish everyone with our mighty fangs.

Rebbugler wrote:

I luv my dogs, got five at present, and they rule the roost. All but one came in as strays, they make for the best of friends even though my wife and I spoil them thoroughly.

I sure hope the porch doesn't collapse. :laugh:

Hi Hancock,

Yes I had the thought too that if we enabled one mascot everybody would want one. The "Wolverines" were cavalry though I believe. Hard to get one of those on a horse. There are at least three books though on just the subject of Civil War mascots.

About two years ago before my game crashed, I virtually knew the SDK by heart and was forever experimenting with my own (private) way-out scenarios. You would not believe though how much a 74 year old brain just as quickly forgot in those two wasted years. I have had to spend almost the whole of the last couple of days revising the problem.

A dog as Commander would be interesting. I have been trying to unearth a commander who actually boasted the name of a dog breed. Did General Schimmelpfennig perhaps have a Col Rottweiler in his command. Or perhaps there was a Major Jack Russell somewhere. Or a Lieutenant Lurcher in the New York Irish. A Captain Pointer in the Black Hats ? A Lt Col Alphonse St Bernard from the Louisianians. More entries invited.

Having read the story of Sallie though and researched it a bit deeper, I get the impression that the 11th PA actually preferred their dog to their Colonel, good chap though he might have been.

Returning to sanity though, the dog sprite could operate as the "flagbearer" given a little artistic licence. The symbolism would be quite in keeping and she would be located in the right place. What would you need ? "Stand", "walk" "run" and "leap about in melee" should cover everything. You could even add ferocious dog barking during the charge. Flag bearers don't die and neither did Sallie in those of her battles we have re-created at the moment.

I still think Sallie's claim to recognition as the dog who survived the Cornfield slaughter is unique though and I would happily donate a reasonable sum in fast-shrinking pounds to someone who could create on my behalf a decent sprite set. A brave man might even take EURO's.

In the UK, you know, we mad English, have a medal, the Cornwell Medal, which is actually awarded to animals for bravery. I think one was even given to a pigeon at one time in occupied France. Do you have anything similar over there in USA.

Hey, "OLD SOLDIER" you started this off with your story. Do you have any further thoughts on the matter ?

The 11th PA still have an active Association, I believe, and I know they would be well chuffed by all this. I must liaise with someone. Might sell a few games there.

Geoff Laver

I now gather the 11th PA Association is concerned with an earlier era ....... The War of Independence. I did not realise that the Regiment was one of the oldest in the States with a proud history long before the Civil War.

Anyone know of an active Association connected to the 11th PA more associated with the Civil War. Google has not been much help. I do like to let my interest in the game spill over into real life from time to time.

Geoff Laver

Company K has this site:

http://www.11thpvi.org/sallie.html

Dogs aint going to happen. Lets let sleeping dogs lay on this issue.
-2nd_Tx

Don't say the team won't try to find a solution:

Question...
Could they design a flag for that regiment and have the dog as part of the flag sprite, but offset 10m or so ahead of it and a bit below? Kind of like the blinking red dot glitch that was on the flag for secessionville?

Reply...
Actually, that could be done to a degree, but not as the dot idea, rather make a flag a dog. I might toy with the idea but not take it seriously. To get the dog out front the dogflag would have to be scaled huge, with the dog image in a bottom corner. Even with some good animation, it would still look stupid since half the time it would walk backwards. Maybe a two headed dog from Neptune's third moon would work.(-: