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Post by [GG]ThinRedLine on Oct 11, 2004 0:42:18 GMT -5
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wanted to broach the subject of artillery in MP again with a bit of a twist and suggestion that I plan on implementing in a few games next weekend and for MP 'Command' type games in the future.
I have played many MP games recently with hosts that are disallowing artillery entirely! When asked why they do this they inevitably express their dislike of the stuff and then proceed to suggest/explain that artillery requires no skill, or, only poor generals 'need' artillery, or, artillery is not challenging it is too easy..etc. etc. etc.
Well, I would just like to go on record as saying that I could not disagree more with these assertions. Further, I will suggest that without any artillery, Napoleonic:Total War ceases to be Napoleonic and ceases to be Total War at the same time.
While I can appreciate that many skilled players prefer a more controlled 'chess-like' match of a game, I cannot agree with this idea that the use of artillery somehow makes one less of a field marshal. Quite the contrary is in fact true, in my opinion. How does it prove that one is more skillful if one can freely wheel around another's flank without even a concern that their maneuver just might be checked by a well placed battery? Please!?!
Okay, for the true Napoleonic Wars fans/enthusiasts and indeed the fans of warfare and wargaming since the Seven Years War really (artillery begins to flex its muscle on a tactical level and not just during siege applications), I probably need not go on. Suffice to say that I will always encourage the inclusion of some kind of artillery in MP matches even if it is only 4#'s and howitzers. Artillery is in fact, an essential element to the feel and experience in any reenactment of the Napoleonic battlefields.
It has been pointed out that artillery is very effective(maybe too effective) in this mod. Choosing it represents an unrealistic ratio of guns/tubes to men and horse if each player bringing 16 units were to bring even one battery each. Assuming that you play on small or base settings this would work out to approximately 20 guns to about 5000 to 6000 infantry and cavalry in a 4v4 match. This ratio is a bit high, if I am not mistaken. LOL!
Okay, so what do I suggest?
This:
In games of 3v3, 3v4 and 4v4 each side takes 2 batteries each. However, one of those batteries must be canister. Furthermore, the canister 'battery' must be grouped with the other battery bought and may not go around on the battlefield free-wheeling like some sort of a Napoleonic tank! No in fact the artillery commander can best represent an actual Napoleonic battery by grouping canister with his other tubes and then choose the double line formation placing the canister to the front and then always moving his arty together as if it really was just the one battery which, for all intents and purposes it would be! Canister rounds were in fact carried by all field guns of this period. A battery would not dream of taking to the field without its self-preserving canister rounds. With this suggestion implemented, I feel, that the Napoleonic artillery arm will be better represented.
I think that this could make for a more realistic and viable compromise than these 'No Artillery' games. Also, it is far more realistic then the afore mentioned 'Canister Tanks' that have become popular when weighting a flank. You can still commit your canister to any flank you want, but when you do it your artillery and their crews will be committed with it.
Try it, it's cool!
It's fun!
Let me know what you think.
Thank you,
Salute,
[GG]TRL
I wanted to broach the subject of artillery in MP again with a bit of a twist and suggestion that I plan on implementing in a few games next weekend and for MP 'Command' type games in the future.
I have played many MP games recently with hosts that are disallowing artillery entirely! When asked why they do this they inevitably express their dislike of the stuff and then proceed to suggest/explain that artillery requires no skill, or, only poor generals 'need' artillery, or, artillery is not challenging it is too easy..etc. etc. etc.
Well, I would just like to go on record as saying that I could not disagree more with these assertions. Further, I will suggest that without any artillery, Napoleonic:Total War ceases to be Napoleonic and ceases to be Total War at the same time.
While I can appreciate that many skilled players prefer a more controlled 'chess-like' match of a game, I cannot agree with this idea that the use of artillery somehow makes one less of a field marshal. Quite the contrary is in fact true, in my opinion. How does it prove that one is more skillful if one can freely wheel around another's flank without even a concern that their maneuver just might be checked by a well placed battery? Please!?!
Okay, for the true Napoleonic Wars fans/enthusiasts and indeed the fans of warfare and wargaming since the Seven Years War really (artillery begins to flex its muscle on a tactical level and not just during siege applications), I probably need not go on. Suffice to say that I will always encourage the inclusion of some kind of artillery in MP matches even if it is only 4#'s and howitzers. Artillery is in fact, an essential element to the feel and experience in any reenactment of the Napoleonic battlefields.
It has been pointed out that artillery is very effective(maybe too effective) in this mod. Choosing it represents an unrealistic ratio of guns/tubes to men and horse if each player bringing 16 units were to bring even one battery each. Assuming that you play on small or base settings this would work out to approximately 20 guns to about 5000 to 6000 infantry and cavalry in a 4v4 match. This ratio is a bit high, if I am not mistaken. LOL!
Okay, so what do I suggest?
This:
In games of 3v3, 3v4 and 4v4 each side takes 2 batteries each. However, one of those batteries must be canister. Furthermore, the canister 'battery' must be grouped with the other battery bought and may not go around on the battlefield free-wheeling like some sort of a Napoleonic tank! No in fact the artillery commander can best represent an actual Napoleonic battery by grouping canister with his other tubes and then choose the double line formation placing the canister to the front and then always moving his arty together as if it really was just the one battery which, for all intents and purposes it would be! Canister rounds were in fact carried by all field guns of this period. A battery would not dream of taking to the field without its self-preserving canister rounds. With this suggestion implemented, I feel, that the Napoleonic artillery arm will be better represented.
I think that this could make for a more realistic and viable compromise than these 'No Artillery' games. Also, it is far more realistic then the afore mentioned 'Canister Tanks' that have become popular when weighting a flank. You can still commit your canister to any flank you want, but when you do it your artillery and their crews will be committed with it.
Try it, it's cool!
It's fun!
Let me know what you think.
Thank you,
Salute,
[GG]TRL
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