Civil war 2 by Ageod

[jebstuart]

I've tried sevral ageod games, the first one, then civil war, then the remake of the first one, i dont think I've tried civil war 2.

My problem ( other then sucking at them) i don't feel like I'm in control when battles start, its the same problem i have with all those grand strategy games, like Europa universales. Ageod games, lots of the matrix games.

If i can't control the battles, i don't feel in control. Just seeing the pc number crunch then showing then results isn't good enough.

agreed that is a downfall, but to me when i got use to it i felt just as in control because i put the general there in control of those troops, in that terrain, supplies and defensive/attack that well rested [or not] the overall situation. You can in this game chose the overall strategy based on your commanders ability in defence or atack.

[jebstuart]

That's something I sometimes feel as well, but in Civil War 2 I've actually found a way to make it work in favour of the game.

I'm playing the game as a first person Lincoln simulator. When Little Mac fails his actication check and stays put in Alexandria I just reckon that that's how it feels to be the C-I-C and having your general sit on their backsides doing nothing while the Rebs are loading the Shenandoah shotgun.

Same for the battles. I'm Lincoln. I give the general orders and so forth but when it comes to the battle I'm still stuck in DC waiting for the telegrams to tell me how the battle went.

Played like that, the game feels very intense indeed. You know why he probably wanted to shout at generals at times and you start appreciating those who actually move out and do their job.

perfectly said.

[Stellar Duck]

So, I watched a bunch of tutorial videos. Got a new campaign going starting in July 1861 as the Union.

It's not late November and things are... not where I'd expect them to be.

Due to political pressure I made an early grab for Manassas. I wasn't expecting much but I had to make the move. To my bafflement Beauregard evacuated it and I then occupied it. I've since been reorganising McDowels army and it's now in splendid shape and I've brought in Lil Mac to train up the new troops. They're currently in Falmouth, moving towards Fredericksburg to kick out a small CSA force while a couple of divisions are occupying Mansassas.

In the Valley Hooker and Burnside has taken Harper's Ferry and was joined by Banks who's now in overall control of that area. JE Jonhston tried to oust us but took a sound beating and has retreated north west to the mountains. Which means he's out of supply lines. In harsh winter weather. I suspect come spring I will be able to deal with him easily. Meanwhile in the Valley Jackson and Beauregard are concentrating to retry, I think, but I'm well entrenched to just spend winter there and reinforce.

In the west Hurlbut is the star of the show. Kentucky left the Union, much to my consternation and I sent a force under Hurlbut south from Louisville. He's now managed to get as far as Bowling Green. He'll winter there as supply is good and I can reinforce him there and see where I want to go in the spring. McClernand is currently trying to use his division to smash a CSA force that managed to cross the river north into...Ohio, I think.

Grant is currently taking a couple of divisions to Paducah and in the spring I'll take Columbus and then Henry and Donnelson I think. Meanwhile I'm concentrating in Cairo where Halleck is training up troops and organising divisions and sending them on to Grant and Wallace.

Lyons and Fremont are not doing much. Fremont is training troops in MO somewhere and Lyons is sitting out the winter in Rolla.

In short, this game is really, really good and it makes for some good story telling at times. This is probably my most successful attempt at it yet.

[jebstuart]

So, I watched a bunch of tutorial videos. Got a new campaign going starting in July 1861 as the Union.

It's not late November and things are... not where I'd expect them to be.

Due to political pressure I made an early grab for Manassas. I wasn't expecting much but I had to make the move. To my bafflement Beauregard evacuated it and I then occupied it. I've since been reorganising McDowels army and it's now in splendid shape and I've brought in Lil Mac to train up the new troops. They're currently in Falmouth, moving towards Fredericksburg to kick out a small CSA force while a couple of divisions are occupying Mansassas.

In the Valley Hooker and Burnside has taken Harper's Ferry and was joined by Banks who's now in overall control of that area. JE Jonhston tried to oust us but took a sound beating and has retreated north west to the mountains. Which means he's out of supply lines. In harsh winter weather. I suspect come spring I will be able to deal with him easily. Meanwhile in the Valley Jackson and Beauregard are concentrating to retry, I think, but I'm well entrenched to just spend winter there and reinforce.

In the west Hurlbut is the star of the show. Kentucky left the Union, much to my consternation and I sent a force under Hurlbut south from Louisville. He's now managed to get as far as Bowling Green. He'll winter there as supply is good and I can reinforce him there and see where I want to go in the spring. McClernand is currently trying to use his division to smash a CSA force that managed to cross the river north into...Ohio, I think.

Grant is currently taking a couple of divisions to Paducah and in the spring I'll take Columbus and then Henry and Donnelson I think. Meanwhile I'm concentrating in Cairo where Halleck is training up troops and organising divisions and sending them on to Grant and Wallace.

Lyons and Fremont are not doing much. Fremont is training troops in MO somewhere and Lyons is sitting out the winter in Rolla.

In short, this game is really, really good and it makes for some good story telling at times. This is probably my most successful attempt at it yet.

That is great news, I love hearing after action reports. I will keep you updated on mine as well if you wish I am playing as south. Glad to hear your doing well and have the game down, once you get the game the more you play the funner it gets.


When i played as north Nashville was my downfall, they sent jubal early over and defended against 4 assaults and turned the tide in Tennessee and Kentucky, it killed me. If the csa moves to the mountains of w Virginia and you are playing on historical supply or attrition, that is great news. When i pushed them out of the Shenandoah valley the generally just retreat to Richmond, than you have them. Keep me updated.

[Stellar Duck]

So, an update on the situation.

In the East I'm doing pretty well I think. The Army of the Potomac under Banks is pushing down the Valley towards Lee. I should note that Lee is there after he slipped passed me and started sieging Leesburg. I took two corps from McDowels army and gave him a sound thrashing and now he's fallen back and I got my lines in order.

At the same time Milroy and Butterfield have done stellar work moving towards the Valley from the west. I've no idea if that's a good idea to do but I figured I'd try. So far so good.

Still though, I need to have more force in the back. So that's what I'm working on right now.




In the west things are a bit more silly. Thomas had taken Nashville when I moved his corps of the Army of the Tennessee under Buel there but I accidentally set him to all out attack. So he did just that and completely busted up his corps. AS Johnston took advantage of that so I needed to pull Grant from Ft Henry to sort it out.

Now Grant is in Nashville and I haven't the faintest idea where Johnston is. And I only have a couple of divisions in Humbolt. At the same time I need to shuffle Thomas north into KY to sort out a force that slipped by in the confusion. All very vexing!

[jebstuart]

So, an update on the situation.

In the East I'm doing pretty well I think. The Army of the Potomac under Banks is pushing down the Valley towards Lee. I should note that Lee is there after he slipped passed me and started sieging Leesburg. I took two corps from McDowels army and gave him a sound thrashing and now he's fallen back and I got my lines in order.

At the same time Milroy and Butterfield have done stellar work moving towards the Valley from the west. I've no idea if that's a good idea to do but I figured I'd try. So far so good.

Still though, I need to have more force in the back. So that's what I'm working on right now.




In the west things are a bit more silly. Thomas had taken Nashville when I moved his corps of the Army of the Tennessee under Buel there but I accidentally set him to all out attack. So he did just that and completely busted up his corps. AS Johnston took advantage of that so I needed to pull Grant from Ft Henry to sort it out.

Now Grant is in Nashville and I haven't the faintest idea where Johnston is. And I only have a couple of divisions in Humbolt. At the same time I need to shuffle Thomas north into KY to sort out a force that slipped by in the confusion. All very vexing!

awesome thanks. Looks to me you are dominating Virginia. I am interested to see if you end up doing what my plan when i played as north in the east was. Looks like you sure cleared out the valley and have a great number of good armies in great spots for a 63 spring offensive to capture Richmond or all of Virginia.


questions

Does that say early sep 62? how much does lee have under his command? were are the csa armies of virginia? destroyed or at Richmond?


west

Funny the cpu had watie over in Tennessee, i am reading book on him know. Already way better than i did in west, never captured Nashville [Grant is great in game isent he?]. I found those confederate forces kept slipping past in Tennessee/Kentucky I always thought if i could capture Nashville it would keep them on the other side of river, but never could. Assuming you get Tennessee and Kentucky under control, what is your plan or do you have one yet? is Memphis in reach and doable? that would be big blow to their supply and likely stop any expedition north of the Tennessee river that is not a Calvary raid. yet east Tennessee has many important spots as well and brings you closer to Atlanta. I will be interested to see what you do with grant, east Tennessee Chattanooga/Atlanta direction, or west with Memphis Vicksburg,Jackson etc.


Thanks for update my new war is still early but will post in time. Any attacks along coat? if you do go to new Orleans let me know how you do it or a good way to do so, thanks.


sorry another question, do you like McDowell? i did allot in game.

[Stellar Duck]

As near as I can tell Lee has around 2000 pwr currently but I know that there is one more stack around at least, since I smacked that one around with McDowel in the Wilderness. Its current location is a bit of a mystery though.

Lees stack is basically a text book ANV with Jackson, Longstreet et al. And yes, it's September 1862. So I'm thinking I'll start preparing for winter soon as my current manpower is suffering a bit. I want more troops to Butler in Fort Monroe. They keep trying to kick him away. The AI gets really mad when you sneeze in the direction of Richmond.

So, my plan for the East for now is probably to see if I can give Lee a good kicking and then close up shop for the winter and go for Richmont as soon as spring comes.

In the West I'm more unsure. I need to take Dover for sure and Fort Pillow as well. Want the river sealed off. Problem is manpower at the moment. If I can hold what I got before winter I'll be happy I think and then beef up grant over winter. I need to sort out Fremont in MO as well. It's decent for now but if they apply a bit of push I need to retake it.

I'm still not sure if I'm going for Vicksburg or east Tennessee. As you say, both have good reasons to do. If I can muster the manpower and pin down Johnston so I don't have to worry about him I think I'll have a crack at Vicksburg. I'm also keen on building up some force and get a naval invasion going. I need to do something about their ports. But my navy game is suffering generally. :/

Oh, and yes, Grant is good. I'm playing with slightly randomized generals though so I don't know how he stacks up to the unmodified one. Thomas is great as well.

In the East I'm suffering a bit, command wise. It's hard to get people to move and attack. McDowell I like. He's not spectacular in anyway but he is so far dependable and solid. He's yet to lose a battle and only once has he failed to move.

I should add that I play with hidden activation so I don't know if a general activates until the next round. I give the order and cross my fingers, basically. I find that a lot more fun.

I really think I was lucky that the CSA evacuation Mannassas so early on. It made everything easier that I could take that and not lose manpower.

[jebstuart]

You have convinced me to start over and play with activation hidden, I was 50/50 on it, plus it should make game harder. So I will be starting over and will post every end of year maybe. Question, I have windows 7, how do a save a screen while in game as you have done to than re-post to show how the game is going?


thanks.

[Stellar Duck]

I took my screenshots in Steam as that's where I drunkenly purchased the game. I normally buy from anywhere but Steam if possible but I just squeed and pressed purchase when I saw it on the store after an evening in the pub.

Anyhow, I took the screenies with Steam and then uploaded them to Imgur and just linked them from there. In case you don't use Steam for this game you can either just add the game the over lay or use the trial version of Fraps or some other program and then upload it to Imgur. Steam does have upload options but the linking doesn't work half the time for me. Or I'm just inept. In any event, Imgur is super easy to use.

Looking forward to reading your updates!

[jebstuart]

I took my screenshots in Steam as that's where I drunkenly purchased the game. I normally buy from anywhere but Steam if possible but I just squeed and pressed purchase when I saw it on the store after an evening in the pub.

Anyhow, I took the screenies with Steam and then uploaded them to Imgur and just linked them from there. In case you don't use Steam for this game you can either just add the game the over lay or use the trial version of Fraps or some other program and then upload it to Imgur. Steam does have upload options but the linking doesn't work half the time for me. Or I'm just inept. In any event, Imgur is super easy to use.

Looking forward to reading your updates!

I was thinking if you think you could figure it out, and we could agree on options, would you like to do a play by email? you north me south?. Seems were both pretty new and only played ai before could be a good one.



btw i will update this weekend hopefully with screens