Command and Control

[Leonidas048]

Hello im just starting to get into the game by going through the tutorial episodes. As much as im enjoying the game unlike most wargames including Field of Glory there seems to be no command control system i.e having military commanders or a chain of command for the units. It all seems rather random each military engagement without having a military commander rallying or giving added support in a attack. This did happpen a lot in the real battles. Is there a reason for not having commanders in this game? Hope someone can explain thank you.

[rbodleyscott]

Although generals and unit commanders are not explicitly represented in the game, it does in fact have strong command & control mechanisms in the form of both restrictions on the freedom of action of units, and complete loss of control of units by the player for significant portions of the battle.

As well as units being out of control while in close combat, routing and pursuing, there are movement and charge restrictions based on normal historical behaviour. Once close to the enemy, units cannot do whatever they like, ignoring enemy threats because the player can see an advantage in doing something else. Instead the game forces units to behave in a realistic historical manner and react appropriately to the local situation as it would be perceived by the unit commander rather than the god-like player with his overhead view.

If you like, the game reflects the historical lack of command & control that generally became apparent as battle plans failed to survive contact with the enemy, and local commanders had to make their own decisions. Especially in a period when many of the generals were leading from the front and losing sight of the big picture.

[Leonidas048]

Thank you for getting straight back to me much appreciated. I was only thinking of some of the commanders that led armies like in the English Civil Wars and the Thirty Years War that led and rallied the units and, like we have in the FoG game with various command units. So you say its built into the different units so is there any way one can predict might happen in a fight? For instance are all the different cavalry units in a battle have the same morale same with all the tercios etc. Im only asking all these questions because i have another player of the FoG who might be interested in buying this game but i need to convince him there is more tactical depth than we actually see instead of everthing being random. Hope to hear from someone thank you.

[rbodleyscott]

It's all far from random (although of course there is a random element to reflect the vagaries of war). There is a very detailed combat system, based on the combat mechanisms of the Field of Glory: Renaissance tabletop rules. There is a lot going on "under the hood".

However, you can look under the hood by turning on Detailed tooltips and Detailed combat reports in the Advanced Options menu (inside the Options page). You will then see all the factors affecting each combat.

The full combat and morale factor charts can be seen in the manual (Chapters 11 and 12).

A unit's inherent morale reflects the units' quality - which you will see in the game UI as Untrained, Raw, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Superior, Highly Superior or Elite. Quality affects not only fighting ability but also response to adverse events - likelihood of dropping morale (cohesion) to Disrupted, Fragmented or Broken, likelihood of rallying and so forth. Some types exhibit spcific behaviours - e.g. aristocratic Gendarmes and Cavaliers are more likely to go in for prolonged pursuits (and pursue off the map) than more stolid troops. And so forth.

We have tried to keep the complexity in the background so that it does not slow down game-play, but to play really well you will need to learn the various interactions and use them to your advantage.

[Leonidas048]

Thank you for that i will do that. Are there any new campaign games yet or does it only tell you when the download button starts to flash? I saw some new scenarios but not campaigns. I challenge one opponent on the MP list but it just seems to have disappeared i dont know if he has received it or not? Thanks for your help.

[rbodleyscott]

Thank you for that i will do that. Are there any new campaign games yet or does it only tell you when the download button starts to flash? I saw some new scenarios but not campaigns.

So far there are only a few scenarios in the user created scenario library, and no full campaigns. Some users have created scenarios but not yet submitted them for inclusion in the library. We encourage them to do so.

I challenge one opponent on the MP list but it just seems to have disappeared i dont know if he has received it or not? Thanks for your help.

Do you mean you accepted a challenge on the MP list? If so, you will see it in My Games > Enemy Turn if he has not had his turn yet. Or My Games > My turn if it is your turn.

If you mean that you set up a New Challenge on the MP list, you should see it in My Challenges until it is accepted. However, assuming you have the same username in game, I can't see any challenge from Leonidas048 on the Accept Challenge tab.

I am off to bed now, but if you are still having problems post here and I will reply further in the morning.

[Leonidas048]

Thanks ive found my opponent on the MP site just got to wait for him to reply. Well its a good game i just hope people will do more to improve on it and have more scenarios thanks a lot for your help.