Advance Guard Mulitplayer issues

[Karvon]

Just playing this for the first time multiplayer and was unhappy about three aspects as player B.

1. I had zero choice of unit selection. All my points had been preassigned by the computer, I was actually at -11, and could not alter any of the computer's assignments.
2. I had no control over where my initial units were deployed, the computer placed them and I could not move them during deployment.
3. I could actually see some of the enemy units already deployed during my non-functioning purchase/deployment phase.

[Karvon]

My opponent and I restarted the scenario but I had almost identical results.

1. Only 70 pts out of 1200 were free for selection.
2. The game started immediately after I accepted my purchases; I had no opportunity to redeploy .

[rbodleyscott]

2. The game started immediately after I accepted my purchases; I had no opportunity to redeploy .

You are not intended to have any opportunity to deploy - neither side can. It is supposed to be a surprise meeting engagement.

It is not intended to be a tournament mode.

And of course "Rearguard" mode is even less suitable as a tournament mode.

[Karvon]

Comparing notes with my opponent, we didn't have equal number of points to spend. In back to back games I had -11 and 70, whereas he had 120 or so in the second one.

I've played this scenario about half a dozen times now and frankly speaking, the selection and distribution of forces is unrealistically random. I've had chariots, cataphracts and pikes deployed into the middle of forests, no light or medium foot in the vanguard. I can appreciate the unexpected encounter concept, but only being able to decide on 5% of your force composition and nothing of its deployment seem rather pointless to me.

[rbodleyscott]

Comparing notes with my opponent, we didn't have equal number of points to spend. In back to back games I had -11 and 70, whereas he had 120 or so in the second one.

It just depends on whether the units randomly assigned to the three later tranches of troops are fixed or unfixed units. If they are unfixed units, then they will already have used up some of the available points. In the case where you had -11 points to spend you will actually have got 11 points more total troops than you would have had with a free choice.

I can appreciate the unexpected encounter concept, but only being able to decide on 5% of your force composition and nothing of its deployment seem rather pointless to me.

You aren't supposed to have much choice, and you aren't supposed to be able to plan or arrange your deployment. You just have to make the best use you can of the available forces, in the order they arrive.

It is just supposed to be a bit of chaotic fun - if you don't like it, don't play it.