Courier orders - what am I doing wrong?

[uxbridge]

I'm still trying to get to grips with how you issue orders in a realistic way.

Example 1
I go into sandbox, div vs div. I select a brigade commander. I send him an order to move at a certain time to a certain location close to the enemy. At that time off he goes. Leaving his brigade behind.

I don't get it. When has a commander ever, in any war, rushed off into the heart of the battlefield and left his troops behind? What am I missing? Am I supposed to issue a formation order immediately following the movement order?

Example 2
When giving orders directly (via Grog toolbar), I click and move a commander and off he goes, before I can put his following troops into a formation. And gets killed while his troops catch up.

It seems to me that when you move a commander then automatically, unless you choose otherwise, his command should follow, adopting whatever formation is sensible given the distance to the enemy and the terrain. Why does the game not do this? If it does, then please would someone kindly explain what I am doing wrong?


And on a secondary level, when issuing courier orders please could we have a collapsible OOB? It is ludicrous that a division commander (never mind a more senior officer) should have to scroll through a list of every single gun and regiment. (Or use colour coding or something to indicate the brigade level commanders). In the heat of battle a commander might issue the odd order directly to a regiment but then it wouldn't be written, it would be given face to face.

I would so much like to love this game but every time I play it the command system drives me up the wall.

[Saddletank]

Am I supposed to issue a formation order immediately following the movement order?

Have you tried doing that? What happens then?

[con20or]

I'm still trying to get to grips with how you issue orders in a realistic way.

Example 1
I go into sandbox, div vs div. I select a brigade commander. I send him an order to move at a certain time to a certain location close to the enemy. At that time off he goes. Leaving his brigade behind.

I don't get it. When has a commander ever, in any war, rushed off into the heart of the battlefield and left his troops behind? What am I missing? Am I supposed to issue a formation order immediately following the movement order?

Yes - you always have to give an order to get your troops to follow you. Otherwise you could never move your commander around without having the rest of your command follow you.

Example 2
When giving orders directly (via Grog toolbar), I click and move a commander and off he goes, before I can put his following troops into a formation. And gets killed while his troops catch up.

It seems to me that when you move a commander then automatically, unless you choose otherwise, his command should follow, adopting whatever formation is sensible given the distance to the enemy and the terrain. Why does the game not do this? If it does, then please would someone kindly explain what I am doing wrong?

Same answer - you just need to reverse your thinking. HITS puts you in the general's seat - you need to move your officer around alot. You don't want every small turn of the sprite to move your whole army do you?

And on a secondary level, when issuing courier orders please could we have a collapsible OOB? It is ludicrous that a division commander (never mind a more senior officer) should have to scroll through a list of every single gun and regiment. (Or use colour coding or something to indicate the brigade level commanders). In the heat of battle a commander might issue the odd order directly to a regiment but then it wouldn't be written, it would be given face to face.

We've added a 'send message' button with the patch in the game OOB tree - so that should help you find the person you want ASAP.

[uxbridge]

Am I supposed to issue a formation order immediately following the movement order?

Have you tried doing that? What happens then?

Oh,the troops change formation correctly. But they don't follow their commander as he recedes, all alone except his trusty flag-bearer, into the distance.
This is when the order to the commander is via the courier system. A direct click works fine, of course.

[uxbridge]

To Con2oor
"Same answer - you just need to reverse your thinking. HITS puts you in the general's seat - you need to move your officer around alot. You don't want every small turn of the sprite to move your whole army do you?"

I understand the logic of HITS but I wasn't referring to that. I was playing as divisional commmander trying to move my brigades. It is the brigade generals who are galloping off while the troops in the brigade fail to respond.

[Deeter]

If you've given a brigade commander a destination and a formation order, the troops should follow him (unless they are cav with ADD as often seems the case.)

On that note, I have one suggestion and one question. The OOBs are great at giving one the entire name of a commander but don't tell you what he is commanding which is pretty useless. Rather than seeing General Jean Claude Baptiste Francis ete., etc., it would be better to know the General's rank, last name and what he is commanding, e.g. General de Division Bonaparte, 1rst Inf. Div./2nd Corps, In trying to find the commander of a battalion in trouble, you are told it is part of the 2nd. Div. but nowhere else in the OOB is the 2nd. Div. ever mentioned.

My is this: is it better to send a courier with a written order to go somewhere and do something than just clicking on the commander and giving him a destination and formation, or does it make no difference.

Thanks,

Deeter

[Gran Capitán]

In trying to find the commander of a battalion in trouble, you are told it is part of the 2nd. Div. but nowhere else in the OOB is the 2nd. Div. ever mentioned.

My is this: is it better to send a courier with a written order to go somewhere and do something than just clicking on the commander and giving him a destination and formation, or does it make no difference.

First. You can use the arrow keys to navigate the OOB. Select the battalion in trouble and press the arrow up key and you will have selected the brigade commander.

Second. Since there is no command map within the courier screen, I just use the courier screen for communication with other players.

[Deeter]

Thanks.

I use the arrows to find their commander Maybe that's not a great example of why I dislike the way the OOB is done.

I figured that courier messages are mostly for multiplayer, but one time I think I asked for AI cavalry to support me and they did.

Deeter